Stars Top Moose; Not Their Best Night

The Texas Stars got lucky.  They only played one-third of a hockey game, but it was enough to defeat the Manitoba Moose by a final score of 5-to-3. 

Texas scored four goals in the open frame, but failed to find the back of the net again until late in the game against an empty net.  Manitoba, however, was very consistent, adding goal in each of the three periods. 

Texas Stars forward Matej Blumel summarized it nicely. 

“We had a whole week of preparation, coming into this weekend and we used it, and it all paid off in the first period,” he said.  “Later on, we stopped playing, a little bit, trying to be a litter cuter.” 

Blumel had three assists in the contest. 

The cuteness is forgivable, perhaps, as the Stars look to enter as the #2 seed in the Western Conference, Central Division of the Calder Cup Championship with one game left in the season. 

Three of the game’s goals came on Texas Stars power plays.  Two were scored by the Stars (Cameron Hughes and Justin Hryckowian); one was short-handed goal by Axel Jonsson-Fjallby of the Moose. 

Stars forward Kyle Capobianco had a big night, scoring the game’s first two goals 

“He’s very mobile. When he’s on his toes, he sees the ice better than most guys at any position. When he’s on, he’s a tough guy to contain into an area,” said Texas Stars head coach Neil Graham on Capobianco. 

Graham’s comments were carefully couched, implying that Capobianco is not always on.  He was this evening.