The Texas Stars didn’t take the 4-1 loss against the Bakersfield Condors on Friday too kindly, and on Saturday, they didn’t leave the sold-out arena guessing who was dominating the game.
The Stars defeated the Condors 6-2 in an explosive showing of offensive strength and efficiency. Bakersfield registered 39 shots on goal, with only two finding the back of the net, both late in the game.
“It was great to see our guys come out, and we definitely challenged them,” Stars head coach Toby Petersen said. “It was not a great game last night for us, and we’re happy we came back and got the result we wanted.”
Meanwhile, Texas utilized its 28 shots to elevate its record to 28-24. Texas’ goaltender, Rémi Poirier, was able to hold off a Condors goal for most of the game, so even when Bakersfield scored its pair of goals, it was inconsequential.
Poirier did not leave the H-E-B Center wishing for any more action. The first 10 minutes of the first period saw the Condors launching the puck at Poirier 17 times, all with no success.
The Stars maintained a comfortable lead throughout the whole game, so when Poirier surrendered two goals in the final two minutes of the third period, there was still no question on who dominated the game.
“There were some big performances tonight for sure, but none were bigger than Remi,” Petersen said. “He was just awesome all night, and especially in the first, when it was still tight like that, he made some unbelievable acrobatic saves.”
It didn’t take long for the Stars to take a commanding lead, with forward Cameron Hughes scoring the first goal just 22 seconds into the game, and a mere 55 seconds later, forward Antonio Stranges gave Texas some breathing room with his insurance goal, pushing the score to 2-0.
While the first period only saw one attempted shot for forward Matthew Seminoff, the second period was his game. Seminoff sent the puck into the net twice, both power-play goals, and picked up an assist on defenseman Michael Karow’s lone goal of the night for an impressive three-point performance.
“When we’re attacking, and we’re threatening every time we catch the puck, we’re way more effective that way,” Seminoff said.
The two teams did not hesitate to be physical, with each team spending equal time in their own territory playing defense and then quickly transitioning to the offense. The Condors and the Stars also did not spare a punch, with multiple fights breaking out in each period, ensuring the penalty box was never without butts in the seats.
The penalties didn’t help the Condors in their quest for a comeback, with a third of Texas’ goals against Bakersfield coming from two separate power plays.
With just under eight minutes left in the third period, a scrum broke out between everyone but the two goaltenders. In the end, a pair of game misconduct penalties left both teams with a player headed to the locker room, and a different duo of penalties left both penalty boxes occupied, each with a player.
The Texas Stars return to the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park on March 17 to take on the Chicago Wolves at 7 p.m. CT.