CEDAR PARK, Texas – The Texas Stars took a commanding two game to none lead in their playoff series with the Rockford IceHogs. For the second night in a row, goaltender Brent Krahn lost his shutout on a goal that went in off his back. Krahn has faced 60 shots in the first two games, allowing just the two goals.
Krahn makes another save. (Photo by Cassandra Cruz)
Game one ended with Rockford trying to send the Stars a message that they weren’t going to be pushed around. The Stars didn’t get the message, but the league did, suspending Rockford’s goal-scoring leader Kyle Greentree for a vicious crosscheck on Warren Peters. His absence was very noticeable.
Game two started off much like game one. The teams skated up and down with no one getting or giving up the advantage. Both teams had a power play opportunity in the first five minutes of the game, but neither was able to score.
It looked like the Stars had taken a 1-0 lead when Perttu Lindgren fired the puck towards IceHog goaltender Corey Crawford. It appeared as if it went over the goal line before a Rockford defenseman stopped it, but the referee immediately ruled it no goal. Play continued and the puck went hard to the right point where Maxime Fortunus fired it into the net. Colton Scevior and Travis Morin assisted.
Just four minutes later, Scevior and Morin set up Lindgren, who put home a rebound to give the Stars a 2-0 advantage.
“It was a great play by Scevior,” Lindgren said. “I didn’t see the first shot because there were so many guys in front of the net. At least I scored one.”
With less than two minutes remaining in the period, Rockford had a great opportunity to move within a goal, but Krahn made a fantastic kick save with his right leg.
The IceHogs did everything in their power to try to take it to the Stars both physically and on offense in period two, but Krahn continued to make great save after great save to keep them off the board. As good as Krahn was, Crawford at times looked shaky and indecisive, despite not giving up a goal in the period.
Lindgren scores the game-winner. (Photo by Cassandra Cruz)
Rockford once again faced the wrath of Krahn in period three. While sprawled on the ice, Krahn stopped what appeared was going to be a sure tip in goal. The save and outlet pass resulted in an odd man rush for the Stars who extended the lead to 3-0.
Ray Sawada passed the puck behind his back to a streaking Warren Peters. Peters returned the pass to Sawada who fired the puck past Crawford, giving the Stars an insurmountable 3-0 lead.
With the exception of a power play goal by Richard Petroit near the end of the game, the IceHogs seemed to be more interested in causing physical havoc than trying to win the game. Rockford Head Coach Bill Peters was not happy with the undisciplined play of his team throughout the game.
“We’ve got to be better than we were tonight,” Peters said. “We had some good intentions tonight, but we had a total lack of emotional control. We took penalties in the offensive zone. We took penalties on the power play to negate the power play. If you’re going to win a game, or furthermore the series, those are the types of things you can’t do. If we continue to make those mistakes, we’ll continue to pay.”
The series continues with the next three games in Rockford, where the Stars won all four regular season games against the IceHogs. Stars’ Head Coach Glen Gulutzan doesn’t think that will give them much of an advantage.
“I think it means our players know they can win in that building,” Gulutzan said. “But in the playoffs, you have to work to win, so nothing (that happened) in the past makes it easier.”
Contact the writer at: mitch.cooper@prohockeynews.com
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