Stars Score Four Unanswered to Secure a Point But Fall in the Shootout 5-4 to Manitoba

 

                                                        (Credit: Manitoba Moose)

 

 

The closing days of a regular season can, at times, feel like the last days of school. With a spot already secured in the Calder Cup Playoffs, it would be easy to just pass the time and cruise to the end of the line. 

It’s the kind of thought that would garner a death stare from nearly any coach regardless of the sport. With three games left in the regular season, Texas Stars head coach Toby Peterson continued to drive home the point that the Stars cannot afford to lose their edge in these final games. 

“I want to see the structure in their game,” Peterson told Stars play-by-play announcer John Peterson pregame. “Especially from the young guys I want to see them playing decisive hockey. I want to see them playing fast. Killing plays and moving pucks up quick.” 

“I don’t want to see hesitation right now.”   

Friday night at the Canada Life Centre it looked as if Texas had balked once again in the final stretch, falling down four goals to the Manitoba Moose. 

Four unanswered goals later, including the tying goal with five seconds left in regulation, helped the Stars secure a crucial point despite coming short in the shootout to the Moose 5-4. 
 

Again, there is no such thing as a “moral victory” in sports, but time and again this edition of the Texas Stars has found ways to make something out of nothing at the most important times. 
 

With a first round bye in the playoffs still up for grabs as well as second place in the Central Division still in striking distance, it’s a trait that may well come in handy in these closing games and the playoff run yet to come. 
 

The night started off well enough for Texas, as they took early control of the ice in the first half of the opening period, but a sketchy line change and a fortunate bounce gifted Brayden Yager a breakaway chance he fired home to make it 1-0 late in the first period. 
 

Momentum carried over for the Moose as a power play tip from Parker Ford made it 2-0. Before you knew it, the Moose had scored two more and the Stars found themselves sitting in a 4-0 hole. 
 

Artem Shlaine stopped the bleeding for Texas at 18:21 of the second period when he scored on the power play to make it 4-1. Then, in what quickly became a theme for the rest of the night, rookie Jack Anderson fired a shot from the wall with one second left in the second period to make it 4-2. 
 

The momentum had suddenly swung back.
 

Justin Ertel and the ever reliable fourth line made it 4-3 at 8:15 of the third period and suddenly, the game was back within grasp. 
 

That is when Shlaine, one of the Stars’ best young players this season, scored his second of the night with 6 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at four. 
 

The effort would fall short in the shootout, but the heist was done, and the Stars remained in the driver's seat with everything still to play for. 
 

They’ll look to close out their road campaign with another bang Sunday in Manitoba for the rematch with the Moose before closing the season back home and getting ready for the next big climb to come. 
 

Tonight’s lines
Lind-Shlaine-Seminoff
Hanas-Becker-Hryckowian
Stranges-Scott-McKenzie
Ertel-Chisholm-McDonald
 

Taylor-Krys
Karow-Minnetian
Bertucci-Anderson
 

R. Poirier
 

Injuries, scratches and notes
Hughes (callup)
Kolyachonok, Martino, J. Poirier, Looft (scratch)
Tuomaala, Wheatcroft (injured, out for season)
 

Tonight’s attendance was 3,482.