Stars%27 Brent Krahn. Photo courtesy of Texas Stars
Stars center Travis Morin scored twice as Texas tied the best-of-seven series 2-2.
Goalie Brent Krahn, starting his eighth straight game, picked up the win, stopping 21 of 23 shots.
Brett Sterling scored twice for the Wolves in the losing effort. Chicago goalie Peter Mannino stopped 20 of 23 shots.
Texas struck first for the 1-0 lead when center Travis Morin scored on a breakaway. Morin’s first goal and eighth point of the postseason came at 6:23 of the opening period. Texas has scored first in every playoff game except one.
Chicago tied the game 1-1 with a power-play goal at 11:12. Nathan Oystrick fired a shot from the blue-line and Brett Sterling redirected the puck past Krahn.
After a scoreless second period, the Stars jumped ahead 2-1 as Morin scored his second goal of the game at 6:06 of the final frame. Morin found a rebound in front of the net from Greg Rallo’s shot and fired a backhander past Mannino on the stickside.
Morin was happy to get his series effort turned around.
“I wasn’t too thrilled with the way I was playing,” said Morin after the game. “The goal made a difference for me.”
Just 2:31 later, the Wolves tied the game 2-2. Sterling scored his second goal of the night, finishing off a centering pass from winger Anthony Stewart.
With 6:17 remaining in the third period, Jancevski stepped up as the night’s hero and scored off a rebound, giving Texas the 3-2 win.
“The goal came off a play we use to shift players around on the ice,” said Jancevski. “We got a little lucky and I was able to tip in the rebound.”
Head coach Glen Gulutzan was pleased with the effort on the ice.
“We played more of a Texas Stars game,” said Gulutzan. “We struggled with the PK (penalty kill) and that 5-minute major kill was a defining point in the game.”
After that penalty kill Texas came out sharper.
“We got a couple of good shifts there after the PK and managed to score,” added Gulutzan.
Game five of the West Division Finals is on Friday at 7:30 PM in Cedar Park.
Contact Mitch.Cooper@prohockeynews.com
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