CEDAR PARK, TEXAS — A re-engineered Texas Stars team saw six different players score as they out-skated the Chicago Wolves in a thriller at the Cedar Park Center season opener.
Texas jumped out to a 3-1 lead after s first period in which they out-skated, out-passed and out-hit the Wolves. Jason Dickinson gave the Stars a 1-0 lead, but the Wolves tied the game 90 seconds later on the first of three goals by Alex Tuch (Tuck).
Brian Flynn put the Stars back in front after a Wolves’ turnover and Roope Hinz extended the lead to 3-1 late in the first period. Hinz skated past the defense and roofed a backhand shot past former Stars’ goaltender Maxime Lagace. Lagace stopped 21 of 27 shots on goal.
Sheldon Dries celebrates his first professional goal
Photo courtesy of Texas Stars
The teams traded goals in the second period. Tuch netted his second of the night while Sheldon Dries scored his first career goal to keep Texas up by two.
Chicago narrowed the lead to two on a power play goal by Teemu Pulkkinen. But by the midway point of the period, Texas goals by Collin Markison and Remi Ellie extended the lead to three, but it didn’t last long.
Tuch’s hat trick goal and a goal by Shea Theodore narrowed the lead to one with a little over five minutes left in the game.
The Wolves held the puck almost continuously in the Stars’ defensive zone for the last four exciting minutes. A delay of game penalty gave the Wolves a power play, but they quickly gave it back with a four minute high sticking penalty. The game ended with the Wolves on the doorstep, but they couldn’t solve the defense or Stars’ goaltender Mike McKenna who stopped 28 of 33 shots.
The two teams meet again on Saturday in Cedar Park.
Contact the writer at: Mitch.Cooper@prohockeynews.com or @PHNHockeyEditor on Twitter
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