Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
An important win against a top opponent. Rounding their captain. Having fun as they play – and win – stress games.
Wednesday night was one of those nights to remember for the Texas Stars, a team that went through early season struggles before regrouping and becoming one of the AHL’s most dangerous clubs in the second half of the season.
Trailing 2-0 against Milwaukee, the Stars have allowed three straight goals to the Admirals, perhaps their top rival and closest pursuer in the Central Division playoff race. But Texas held on, tying the game on the defensive end Trey TaylorA third-period goal put the Admirals ahead in a six-run shootout to pull out a 4-3 victory.
It was a happy ending to the night as they celebrated the captaincy Curtis McKenzie800th pro game.
It was also a night reminiscent of last season, when they went back and forth with the Admirals all season long for the Central Division title before knocking off Milwaukee en route to the Western Conference finals.
But this year’s Stars club has none Justin Hryckowianwho won the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award last season as the AHL’s outstanding rookie. Same with defenders Kyle Capobianco again Alex Petrovicwho also received a promotion to the Dallas Stars. The head coach Neil Graham moved on to Dallas as an assistant. Matěj BlümelA league-leading 39 goals remain in free agency.
For a new coach Toby PetersenMcKenzie fans and assistant coaches Max Fortunus again Travis Morin won the Calder Cup with the Stars in 2014, we have a lot to overcome early on. Texas lost its first six games of the season, and sat at 10-15-3-1 on New Year’s morning.
But the Dec. 31 game at Iowa may have turned the Stars’ season around. They survived a goal in the final minute of regulation that night to win 3-2 in overtime. They have now won 13 of their last 19 games, and entered the weekend tied with Manitoba in third place, five points ahead of Milwaukee.
Texas ahead Cameron Hughes again Kole Lind know how a special group feels; both went to the Calder Cup Finals in back-to-back seasons with Coachella Valley before joining the Dallas organization last year. Hughes, who represented the Stars in last week’s AHL All-Star Classic, leads the team with 44 points this season. Arthur Hyrywho had 24 goals last season, is back from injury. The protector Vladislav Kolyachonok returned to the team last month after detouring to Boston on waivers. And they have it Rémi Poirier He held his own for many nights and when the team around him went through difficult early times.
Those returning from last season know they can handle both games and pressure.
“If you can play in big moments,” Hughes said, “like big, high-pressure games, I think if you have regular-season games, we can look back on those moments and make plays that way.”
But all that high pressure knowledge is only important when the team is in contention.
Petersen’s team is back in Milwaukee for Friday night’s rematch, the final regular-season meeting between two teams that are battling to meet in the postseason for the fourth straight spring. Then it’s off to Chicago for another important division game on Saturday night – the first of seven remaining meetings between the Stars and Wolves.
But before Texas can think about the Calder Cup Playoffs, they must first secure an invitation. Hughes is optimistic as he continues his pursuit of his first Calder Cup championship.
“I like our depth,” the eighth-grader said. “I think we’ve got four lines going. We’re playing at a very high pace… We’ve got guys who have grown up a long time and played a big role.”
In the American Hockey League for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams and currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the league’s top scorer in 2016.
