Stars Snap Moose Streak Despite Strong PK, Late Push Falls Short
The Manitoba Moose rolled into Cedar Park riding a hot streak-five wins in their last six, including three straight-but they ran into a Texas Stars team that’s been even hotter. Winners of five in a row coming into the night, the Stars extended their streak to six with a narrow 2-1 win, handing the Moose a tough-luck loss despite a gritty, penalty-killing clinic from Manitoba.
Lineup Shifts and Notable Absences
The Moose got some reinforcements on the blue line with Elias Salomonsson and Isaak Phillips returning to the lineup. That meant Dawson Barteaux and Dylan Anhorn sat this one out-tough break especially for Anhorn, who’s been quietly solid in recent outings. Up front, Walker Duehr remained out of the lineup for the fourth straight game as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury.
Moose Lines:
Forwards:
- Shaw - Gustafsson - Chibrikov
- Lambert - Ford - Di Giuseppe
- Julien - Yager - Anderson-Dolan
- Barlow - Zhilkin - Fagemo
Defense:
- Heinola - Salomonsson
- Phillips - Clague
- Sautner - Bauer
Goalie:
- Domenic DiVincentiis
A Rough Start and a Resilient Response
The game couldn’t have started on a worse note for Manitoba. Nikita Chibrikov took a high-sticking penalty just six seconds in, setting the tone for what would be a penalty-heavy night for the Moose. But if there was any silver lining, it was their penalty kill-ranked third in the AHL coming into the night-which absolutely delivered.
Despite the early PK success, the Stars struck quickly in the opening period, scoring twice in a 36-second span before the game was even five minutes old. That early burst proved to be the difference on the scoreboard.
But from that point on, Manitoba locked in defensively. They didn’t allow a single shot for the remainder of the first period-even while killing off a double minor for high-sticking and another Chibrikov penalty late in the frame.
The PK unit was relentless, and so was goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis. After the two early goals, the Jets prospect settled in and made several key stops to keep the game within reach.
Lambert Buzzes, Moose Push Back
Brad Lambert was flying all night. The Jets’ top forward prospect created multiple high-danger chances-at least six by the eye test-but couldn’t find the back of the net. He had a golden opportunity in the first and another in the second, but the puck just wouldn’t cooperate.
Through 40 minutes, the Moose were still chasing those two early goals, but they had successfully killed off five penalties, pushing their road penalty kill to an impressive 87.5%-second-best in the AHL.
And they weren’t done yet.
Early in the third, Mason Shaw took Manitoba’s sixth high-sticking penalty of the game (yes, sixth), and once again, the PK unit delivered. The Moose went a perfect 6-for-6 down a man, a testament to their structure, discipline, and goaltending.
A Late Push Comes Up Just Short
With time winding down, the Moose made it interesting. Captain Mason Shaw-who’s been a steady leader all season-netted his team-leading 13th goal with the goalie pulled, cutting the deficit to one with a 6-on-5 marker that gave Manitoba life in the final minutes.
And then, it was Lambert again. Twice in the final minute, he found himself with Grade-A looks to tie the game.
Twice, he came up empty. Sometimes hockey is a game of inches, and this one was just that.
Final Takeaways
The Moose outshot the Stars 25-15 and went a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill. Statistically, they did enough to win. But in the end, those two early goals held up, and Manitoba couldn’t cash in on their chances.
The loss drops the Moose to 22-16-3-0 on the season, with Texas now just one point behind them for third place in the Central Division-though it’s worth noting the Stars have played three more games.
What’s Next
The Moose won’t have to wait long for a shot at redemption. They’ll get a rematch with the Stars tomorrow night to close out the two-game set before heading into the AHL All-Star break. Puck drops at 7 PM CST.
This one had the feel of a playoff game-tight checking, special teams battles, and a frantic finish. If tomorrow brings more of the same, we’re in for another good one.