Stars Blank Wolves, Ascend to First Place in Shutout Victory

The Texas Stars soared to the top of the standings Sunday afternoon, delivering a decisive 4-0 shutout victory over the Chicago Wolves at the H-E-B Center. Goaltender Remi Poirier was the star of the show, turning away all 29 shots he faced in a flawless performance.

“I think Remi did a really good job,” praised Texas Stars head coach Neil Graham. “What stands out to me was some saves in the second period when the score was 1-0. Some of those saves were game changing.”

Curtis McKenzie drew first blood for the Stars just before the midway point of the opening frame. Capitalizing on a bouncing puck in front of the Chicago net after initial shots from Kyle Looft and Matej Blümel, McKenzie lifted a backhand shot over a scrambling Dustin Tokarski.

Cameron Hughes extended the Texas lead just over a minute into the second period. Driving down the left wing, Hughes skillfully maneuvered past a sliding Wolves defenseman before switching to his backhand and slipping the puck past Tokarski. The goal marked Hughes’ 20th of the season, a milestone he has now achieved for the second consecutive year.

Early in the third, Justin Hryckowian added a power-play marker. After his initial pass was blocked, the puck deflected back to him, and he quickly tucked it between Tokarski’s legs. Antonio Stranges sealed the victory with the Stars’ fourth goal, capitalizing on a no-look pass from behind the net by Hughes.

While Poirier earned the shutout, Wolves netminder Dustin Tokarski faced a barrage of shots, stopping 34 of the 38 he encountered.

“You have to dig in and stay attentive,” Graham commented after his team concluded a demanding six-game homestand with three consecutive wins. “Focus is half of that battle. This time of year everyone is grinding.”