Texas Stars Report: Looking to Establish Rhythm with Three-Game Weekend

The Texas Stars (1-1-1-0, 3 pts, #12 Western Conference) somehow only had one game this week, an eight day gap between contest that saw much of the league advanced up the standings around them. They will make up for that this weekend with a three-in-three back in the Lone Star State.

Recall shuffles

Texas practiced with pretty much the same squad all week until they fell victim to some injuries in Dallas with the recall of Jack Campbell being the most obvious impact. The Stars now feature Cristopher Nilstorp and AHL-contracted Josh Robinson in net. Robinson is likely to get a start this weekend if Dallas does not return Jack Campbell before the weekend. It would be his first AHL start.

Aaron Rome, whose first game as a Texas Star is discussed below, pushed Ryan Button and Hubert Labrie to the Idaho Steelheads and William Wrenn to the press box. The assignment of Chris Mueller put speedy center Taylor Vause in Idaho as well. Mueller replaced Curtis McKenzie on the first line and McKenzie dropped out of the lineup with an unspecified injury.

Brendan Ranford figured into his first game of the season, getting third line minutes. Austin Smith is back from injury and got fourth line minutes against OKC.

Rome struggles in first game back

Aaron Rome, playing his first game of the season, had several mental lapse penalties in the game. He took a boarding call in the second, was the sixth man on the ice in the third for a too many men call and then had an interference call with less than two minutes left in the third period. While the Omark goal in OT didn't count as a power play goal, it came just four seconds after the penalty expired. The Barons were already rushing up the ice as Rome made his way out of the box and he was unable to make a difference on the play.

Texas Stars Weather Third Period Barrage, Earn Point in 2-1 OT Loss

The Oklahoma City Barons' (Edmonton Oilers) Linus Omark ended things less than a minute into the overtime period after Texas survived a barrage of shots in the third period to earn a single standings point tonight at the Cox Convention Center. The Stars came into the third down 1-0 and were outshot 16-3 in the final frame. One of those shots, off the stick of Colton Sceviour, found twine behind former Star Richard Bachman to even things up.

The Week Ahead

The Stars will play their first three game in three night stretch this weekend with two at home and one on the road. On Friday they will travel to San Antonio to face the Rampage (Florida Panthers). They will turn right back around and host them on Saturday night in Cedar Park. They close the weekend with a game at home against the division rival Abbotsford Heat (Calgary Flames) on Sunday.

Injury Report

Curtis McKenzie missed his first game with an injury on Tuesday night. Austin Smith came back from injury but recorded no shots in the loss.