Chicago Wolves Even Series, Texas Stars Fall in Overtime in Game Two

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

It has been a rough couple of days for the Dallas Stars organization from top to bottom in the playoffs. Idaho fell in five games to the Allen Americans, and Dallas fell in six to the Minnesota Wild tonight.

But the outlier that could've sweetened an otherwise tough couple of days for the organization lay on the shoulder of the Texas Stars heading into their final guaranteed home game of the playoffs against the Chicago Wolves.

In a tense game two of the series, the Stars and Wolves battled in a high-scoring night, trading the lead six times, but in the end, Texas was unable to outduel Chicago, falling 5-4 in overtime Thursday night at the HEB Center at Cedar Park.

“It's unfortunate, but we're one bounce away from being up 2-0,” Ellis Rickwood said. “We're not going to get too down and just kind of forget about that one and worry about game three.”

In a complete inverse of Game One’s relatively slow and methodical defensive-heavy style until the final period, the second game of the series was high-paced, offensively dominant for all three periods until the extra frame.

As the game ran into overtime, both Texas and Chicago naturally played a more conservative style, departing from their aggressiveness in regulation. Despite the Stars' defense holding firm for the entire third and into overtime, Wolves forward Domenick Fensore rocketed a one-timer as he slid into the high slot, beating Remi Poirier to even the series at one apiece.

“We had a couple of chances there in overtime, but they just didn't go in for us,” head coach Toby Petersen said. “Tip of the cap, that was a heck of a shot. It's hard, not easy, to do as a player when the puck's coming on your strong side. … It's a it was a good shot.”

The Stars were able to trade scoring blows back and forth with their first and fourth lines playing especially well all night. Matthew Seminoff put Texas up on top on the first shift of the game. The first line was able to take the lead again after the Stars allowed a Wolves power play goal in the middle of the first.

Allowing another Chicago goal to Cal Foote, Texas Stars captain Curtis McKenzie fired his first goal of the playoffs, as he connected with a Cross Hanas backhanded pass in the high slot, to head into the first intermission.

Chicago defenseman Juuso Valimaki was especially dominant on the ice tonight, punching in two goals, the power play shot in the first period to even the game up at one and his wrister to give the Wolves the lead late in the second period.

The fourth line came up big once again, answering Valimaki’s goal and evening the score at four with college signee Ellis Rickwood picking up his second point of the night with a goal of his own with 30 seconds left in the middle frame.

“It doesn't happen very often where you kind of just get thrown with two players and it works out,” Rickwood said. “They're both veteran players in this league, and they just helped me out, and I just try to compliment them.”

Texas will now face Chicago at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, for at least two games of the series. Game Three between the two is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.

Tonight's Lines 

Hughes-Shlaine-Seminoff 

Stranges-Becker-Lind 

Fitzgerald-Scott-Hryckowian 

Hanas-Rickwood-McKenzie 

Taylor-Krys 

Anderson-Kolyachonok 

Bertucci-Karow 

Poirier

Injuries, scratches, and notes 

Chisholm, Looft (warm-up) 

J. Poirier, Ertel, Minnetian, Martino (scratch)
Wheatcroft, Tuomaala (injured, out for season)

Tonight's attendance was 5086

AHL Gamesheet - Texas v. Chicago - April 30 2026