After starting 0-5-1 and finishing December with a record of 11-15-3-1, the Texas Stars officially battled back to secure their place in the Calder Cup playoffs in their first year under head coach Toby Petersen.
The Stars’ 3-1 victory over the Chicago Wolves signified the cultivation of a historic comeback for Texas, with a seven-game winning streak beginning in late January. Texas now sits four points ahead of the Manitoba Moose for the third spot in the Central Division, lining Texas and Chicago up for a meeting in the Calder Cup playoffs. The Stars lead the Wolves in a season series of 6–1.
“It’s not the end game, but we’re happy,” Petersen said. “There’s been ups and downs, but we’ve battled through it in the end, we’ve persevered.”
This game had the atmosphere of a playoff game, and the tensions reflected that. Both sides were unable to keep their hands off each other. Hard shots against the glass and a trio of scuffles defined the mood throughout the game.
Leading the Stars was goaltender Rémi Poirier. Poirier was named the American Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Month for March. In his first game of April, Poirier continued his incredible season with a near shutout of the Chicago Wolves.
After going up early on a goal by forward Harrison Scott, the Texas offense slowed to a halt to start the second period. Poirier responded perfectly, saving 31 of the 32 total shots against him, compared to Wolves goaltender Cayden Primeau saving 15 of 18 shots. Poirier’s performance allowed the Stars to hold on to a 1-0 lead heading into the third period and eventually a 3-1 win.
“When you’re in the zone, most of the time, everything is a little slower,” Poirier said. “Everything that you see is all different. So it’s always a great feeling.”
Poirier was aided by an incredible showing by the Stars defense, led by Jérémie Poirier. Texas was able to hold Chicago to 15 shots through two periods, keeping the puck away from their net in a crucial contest.
The Stars’ defense was able to bear down and successfully kill two potential game-tying Chicago power plays, eventually letting in Chicago’s only goal of the game on the third opportunity. The defense’s efforts allowed its offense time to wake up.
Texas gained much-needed momentum offensively during a four-on-four late in the third period, and with 5:57 left in the game, forward Artem Shlaine buried a shot to take the lead. From that point on, Texas dominated time of possession, and a late open-net goal from Scott solidified the game at 3-1.
“We gained some opportunities on the four-on-four, for sure,” Petersen said. “We had a couple really good looks, and that definitely helped.”
The Texas Stars return to the H-E-B Center in Austin tomorrow to face the Chicago Wolves at 7 p.m.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story misstated the series record in the second paragraph. The story has been updated here to reflect the accurate information. The Texan regrets this error.
