Stars’ Streak Snapped by Wild in Home Loss

The Texas Stars’ five-game winning streak came to an abrupt end Tuesday night, as they fell to the Iowa Wild by a score of 4-1 at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park. While head coach Neil Graham acknowledged areas for improvement, the loss served as a reminder of the league’s competitive nature.

“It’s one of those games, when I’m sure we’re going to look back on and there are moments that could have been a little bit cleaner. A little bit better,” Graham commented after the defeat.

Iowa drew first blood midway through the opening period. Michael Milne capitalized on a turnover in the neutral zone, breaking away and firing a shot past Stars netminder Magnus Hellberg. The second period remained scoreless, setting the stage for a more eventful third.

Just over a minute into the final frame, Luke Toporowski extended Iowa’s lead, burying a rebound. However, the Stars responded quickly. Less than 90 seconds later, Jack Becker pounced on an Iowa turnover near the blue line. Emilio Pettersen fed Becker in the slot, and he made no mistake, lifting the puck over Samuel Hlavaj to pull Texas within one.

Despite the momentum shift, the Stars were unable to find the equalizer. With under two minutes remaining, Travis Boyd scored an empty-net goal to provide Iowa with some breathing room. Tyler Madden added another empty-netter shortly after, sealing the 4-1 victory for the Wild.

Hellberg stopped 26 of 28 shots for the Stars, while Hlavaj was stellar in net for Iowa, turning aside 33 of 34 shots. 

Despite the loss, Graham expressed confidence in his team’s depth and the coaching staff’s ability to navigate the challenges ahead. “We’re pleased with our depth. Now we have to make sure we balance chemistry, fatigue, momentum, also take care of business, continue to win hockey games. That’s our job as coaches,” he stated. The Stars will look to regroup and start a new winning streak in their next contest.