After a strong four-game homestand, the Manitoba Moose hit the road for a tough back-to-back test in Cedar Park, Texas, taking on a Texas Stars squad that came in riding a five-game win streak. And while Manitoba brought the effort-and plenty of shots-they left the Lone Star State empty-handed, dropping both games in regulation as the Stars extended their heater to seven straight.
Friday, Feb. 6 - Texas 2, Manitoba 1
This one started fast-and not in the way the Moose were hoping. Texas made the most of limited chances early, striking twice in a 36-second span less than five minutes into the game.
Trey Taylor opened the scoring at 4:13, cleaning up a rebound for his sixth of the year. Moments later, Antonio Stranges buried his 10th of the campaign off a slick feed from Kole Lind, giving the Stars a quick 2-0 lead.
That would be all the offense Texas needed. Despite being outshot 6-3 in the first and 25-15 overall, the Stars clamped down defensively and leaned on goaltender Remi Poirier, who stood tall against a steady Moose attack.
Manitoba captain Mason Shaw gave his team life late in the third, finishing a sharp-angle feed from Parker Ford at 17:44 to cut the deficit in half. It was Shaw’s team-leading 13th goal of the season and his first of what would become a productive weekend.
But the comeback bid stopped there. Domenic DiVincentiis made 13 saves in the loss, as Manitoba saw its three-game win streak snapped and its record slip to 22-16-3.
Saturday, Feb. 7 - Texas 4, Manitoba 3
The rematch offered more pace, more offense, and another frustrating finish for the Moose.
Texas struck first again, this time courtesy of Kole Lind, who tapped home his ninth of the season at 13:53 of the opening period. Manitoba once again controlled the shot clock early, outshooting Texas 16-8, but headed into the first intermission trailing 1-0.
The second period, though, saw the Moose finally break through. Brad Lambert tied the game at 8:01, pouncing on a loose puck in front after Elias Salomonsson’s point shot was blocked. Lambert showed great patience and poise, backhanding it past Poirier for his sixth of the season.
Then, with less than a minute to go in the frame, Shaw struck again. After a relentless shift in the Texas zone, the captain found twine for the second straight night, giving Manitoba a 2-1 lead heading into the third. It was Shaw’s 14th of the year-and he wasn’t done yet.
But the third period unraveled quickly. A costly turnover behind the net led to the equalizer at 8:57, when Ayrton Martino intercepted a clearing attempt and fed Jack Becker in front to make it 2-2. Just under two minutes later, Justin Ertel redirected a point shot from Vladislav Kolyachonok to give Texas the lead back.
Michael Karow added insurance at 16:10, stretching the Stars’ lead to 4-2 and putting the Moose in desperation mode.
Shaw, once again, gave Manitoba a fighting chance. He completed his three-goal weekend with a late tally at 18:01-his 15th of the season-to bring the Moose within one. But Poirier, who was tested all night, shut the door in the final moments to preserve the win.
Despite outshooting the Stars 36-20, Manitoba couldn’t find the equalizer. Thomas Milic made 16 saves in net, and the Moose dropped their second straight to fall to 22-17-3.
Looking Ahead
“We had some good stretches, but at the end of the day, we couldn’t get the win,” said forward Danny Zhilkin. “Just gotta regroup, enjoy the break, and come back stronger.”
The Moose now get a breather before returning to action on Valentine’s Day, when they’ll kick off a four-game homestand against the Calgary Wranglers. Before that, the spotlight shifts to the AHL All-Star Classic in Rockford on Feb. 10-11, where goaltender Thomas Milic will represent Manitoba.
The break comes at a good time. After a pair of games where the effort was there but the results weren’t, the Moose will look to reset, reload, and return with the kind of form that helped them stack wins at home. With Shaw leading the charge and the team generating chances, the pieces are in place-they just need to start falling their way again.