Texas Stars stop Milwauee 3-1

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Texas Stars evened their series with the Milwaukee Admirals and regained home-ice advantage in the process. The Stars used two power play goals to top the Admirals 3-1 in front of 6,819 fans at the Bradley Center. The game was dominated by special teams play on both sides of the puck. The teams combined for 13 penalties and three power play goals.
The Stars won despite giving the Admirals four power play chances in the last 12 minutes of the game.
“Discipline was one of the things we talked about today and we didn’t have it,” Stars’ Head Coach Glen Gulutzan said. “Discipline is a key in this series.”
Milwaukee’s Teemu Laakso scored the only goal of the first period and Milwaukee’s only goal of the game with the man-advantage. Roman Josi and game one star Gabriel Bourque set up the goal. Bourque has two goals and four assists in the two games.
It was all Stars after that as goaltender Richard Bachman, who gave up four goals in game one and was pulled, stopped 29 of 30 shots and earned his first Calder Cup series win. Admiral goaltender Jeremy Smith stopped 26 of 29 shots.
“I let in some goals in game one that I didn’t like,” Bachman said. “But it’s

playoff hockey and you have to forget about it and move on. Guys were blocking shots more (tonight) and getting in the shooting lanes and it really paid off.”
Texas defenseman Philip Larsen tied the game in the second period with a power play goal deflection at 12:52. Travis Morin and Ray Sawada assisted. The Stars took the lead less than three minutes later when Aaron Gagnon stuffed the puck through a group of players in front of the net and under Smith. Rookies Brenden Dillon and Tomas Vincour assisted.
“We knew we had to be more physical,” Gagnon said. “We were too easy on them in the first game. We’re pretty excited to go back (to Cedar Park with a split) and be there for three games.”
Morin netted a power play insurance goal early in the third period from Sawada and Dan Spang. Morin and Sawada were named first and second Star of the Game, respectively. Laakso received the third star.
The Stars were two of six on the power play while Milwaukee managed only one power play goal in seven attempts.
The teams head for the Cedar Park Center in Texas for games three, four and five on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Contact the writer at: mitch.cooper@prohockeynews.com