Texas Stars Report: Wanted: A Full 60 Minutes

If you happen to find a full 60 minutes hiding somewhere, please return them to the Texas Stars (7-8-0-1, 15 pts, #11 Western Conference) care of the Cedar Park Center, Cedar Park, TX. At last report, the Stars were in possession of them on Friday night in Houston but lost them on the way home to Cedar Park.

All snark aside, Texas had an up and down week.  Only two games on the schedule for the week, both against Houston, resulted in only two points.  The Houston Aeros (Minnesota Wild) are a strong club and splitting the weekend might have been a good showing, if it weren't for the way it went down.  Texas gave up a point by going to OT on Friday and just flat gave up on Saturday in a 5-1 regulation loss.

Of the game on Saturday, Francis Wathier said, "There's not one guy that played well tonight. It was a team lack of effort."  Things really fell apart during the second period, "Our shifts were way too long," said Wathier. "We didn't put the puck where we wanted it to be."  Texas improved in the third period though, but it was already too late.

Texas is suffering from some consistency issues. Not every period is an even effort and not every game is either. "You've gotta go for 60 or 65," said Wathier.  It's a young club.  Fully half of the roster is 22 or younger, and nine of 24 roster players were born in the the 1990s.

Texas will get a chance to get revenge against the Aeros this weekend with another home-and-home.

More inside about each game and a look at the week ahead...

Stars Take Two in Houston with 3-2 OT Win

Texas did all the things Friday that they couldn't seem to do the week before. They capitalized on PP opportunities with 1/5 effort; they only took one penalty and didn't allow a goal on the minor. They fought from behind in the 3rd and overcame excellent goaltending to get the win. The win broke the Stars' three game losing streak.

Texas opened the scoring in the first with a power play goal from Jordie Benn but trailed in the third. Tomas Vincour collected his 9th of the year to send things to OT. Raymond Sawada collected the game winner 90 seconds into the extra period.  Richard Bachman had 21 saves on 23 shots against in the win.

Houston Outworks Texas for 5-1 Final

Texas got outworked, outhustled and ultimately outscored in Saturday's game against the Aeros in Cedar Park. Texas was down one after the first period but gave up two in the second and only managed one shot on goal in the period. "It was probably one of our worst periods of the year."

The Aeros tacked on one more in the third to set Texas below .500 at 7-8-0-1 on the season. Texas's only goal of the night came from Tomas Vincour, his 10th, and Texas's first shorthanded goal of the year. Vincour collected a rebound from Ryan Garbutt's breakaway chance.

The Week Ahead

The Stars play a heavy schedule over the Thanksgiving break with three games on the docket.  The Chicago Wolves (Vancouver Canucks) come to town for their first visit of the year on Wednesday.  Then, the Aeros and Stars play another home and home on Friday and Saturday starting in Houston and returning to the CPC.

Injury Report

None.

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