Stars Roar Back in Game 3, Halve Canucks’ Series Lead

The Texas Stars breathed new life into their Western Conference Finals bid Tuesday night, delivering a dominant 5-2 victory over the Abbotsford Canucks in Game 3. After falling behind two games to none on the road, the Stars returned home and showcased their offensive prowess, narrowing the Canucks’ series lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

The game ignited quickly, unlike the previous low-scoring contests. A wild first period saw five goals, nearly matching the combined total of the entire first two games. All tallies came on special teams, with both Texas and Abbotsford striking twice on the power play. Kole Lind and Matej Blümel found the net with the man advantage for Texas. Blümel then added Texas’ first shorthanded goal of the postseason, giving the Stars a 3-2 lead heading into the first intermission. “In full transparency, we left a little bit of meat on the bone there in the first two games,” said Head Coach Neil Graham, noting the team’s need to “recognize what we were looking at.”

The Stars continued to build their advantage. Just past the halfway mark, Antonio Stranges extended Texas’ lead, converting a slick backhand pass from Jack Becker. Then, 5:25 into the final frame, Michael Karow sealed the victory with his first goal of the postseason—another shorthanded marker—making it 5-2. Coach Graham lauded the team’s five-on-five performance, calling it “a big part of our victory.”

Goaltender Mavrik Poirier earned the win for Texas, stopping 22 of 24 shots. Abbotsford’s Artūrs Šilovs allowed five goals on 36 shots. Looking ahead to Game 4, Graham expects a “chess match” against a “well coached” opponent. He added, “We’re here to fight, we’re here to win. The crowd behind us makes a huge difference as well.” The Stars will look to even the series on Thursday night.