Stars' Second Period Rally Falls Short in Lake Erie, 4-3

Coming in on a two game losing streak, Texas needed a good start and a good game to set the ship right. The first period saw three goals against as that "Here we go again" feeling set in on the Stars' bench. Texas decided to make it interesting in the second period though, scoring three straight in just five minutes to even things up at three. However, living up to the consistently inconsistent moniker, Texas allowed Patrick Rissmiller's eventual game winner just 45 seconds into the third period. Tyler Beskorowany had a good, if disappointing, game with a baffling 40 saves on 44 shots.

Lake Erie dominated the first period. As Texas struggled to get things rolling, the Monsters potted three goals on eighteen shots. Greg Mauldin went first on the power play, snapping a shot through traffic that beat Tyler Beskorowany glove side high. Five minutes later, Brad Malone slipped down the right wing side, beating Dan Spang and sliding a pass under a sprawling Jace Coyle to find Justin Mercier, who put it home for the 2-0 lead. Lake Erie finished off the period with a tip goal by Dean Strong from a Mark Olver shot. Texas finished the period down 3-0 with a shot deficit of 18-8.

Beskorowany kept the Stars in the game through the first fifteen minutes of the second period, then Texas's offense took off. Francis Wathier got the first one at 14:27, finding the net off a repurposed puck from Angelo Esposito's initial shot. Three minutes later, Colton Sceviour potted his 12th of the year with another rebound goal off a mishandled puck by Gerald Coleman. The Stars completed the comeback with a power play goal in the final minute, another rebound goal this time from Scott Glennie, his 11th of the season. After two, Texas was tied at three but was being outshot 35-24.

Just 45 seconds into the third period, Patrick Rissmiller's backhander, the first shot of the third, found twine and set the LE lead at 4-3. Gerald Coleman settled back in for the rest of the period after fighting the puck a bit in the second.

The Stars play again this weekend with a two game set at home against the San Antonio Rampage.

Tonight's lines:
Sceviour-Garbutt-Wathier
Fraser-Morin-Hedden
Glennie-Tousignant-Esposito
Gazdic-Schultz-Godard

Benn-Dillon
Fortunus-Lukowich
Coyle-Spang

Beskorowany

Injuries, scratches, and notes:
Sawada, Labrie (injury)
Hauswirth (scratch)

Today's attendance was 8,933.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at Lake Erie - February 15 2012

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