Dallas Stars Prospects: Texas Stars Heading Home In Good Position

While the Dallas Stars worry about the hype surrounding their new head coach, the Texas Stars are rolling. They picked up a win in game two of the second round and now head home with a tied series.

The Dallas Stars hired Jim Montgomery as their new head coach on Friday morning. And while all of the Stars news seems to be centered around that and the World Championship, we cannot forget about the hockey going on in Cedar Park.

The Texas Stars began their Calder Cup Playoffs run on April 19 and have been in the thick of it ever since. Now, they are in round two and in search of gaining an upper hand to push to round three.

The Dallas Stars’ AHL affiliate has qualified for the postseason in five of the past six seasons. After missing the playoffs for just the second time in team history last year, the Stars are bouncing back in a big way.

Texas closed out their 2017-18 season on a high note, picking up points in 10 of their final 12 games. The Stars secured the second spot in the Pacific Division and prepared to face off with the Ontario Reign in a best-of-five first round series.

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And through the first round, Texas seemed to have very little trouble with handling the Reign. Behind well-timed opportunities and the stellar goaltending of Mike McKenna, the Stars finished the series in four games and were the first team to advance to the second round.

Now they are in round two facing off with the Tucson Roadrunners, who won the Pacific this season. And through two games, they are in pretty good shape.

After narrowly dropping a 2-1 finish in overtime in game one, the Stars bounced back in game two. Texas defeated Tucson 4-1 in the second game on the road and now heads home for games 3,4,5 in Cedar Park.

Brian Flynn is leading the charge in the series so far with three goals in two games. McKenna is still carrying the load in the crease, posting a .957 save percentage through the first two games.

And now, the Stars have a chance to do something big. With the next three games coming in Cedar Park, Texas could use home ice to their advantage and seal the second round off. It’s a long stretch, but with home ice on their side, anything is possible.

2017 second-round pick Jason Robertson is joining the team on an ATO contract while defenseman John Nyberg made his debut in game two. These two join an already stacked and talented mix of Dallas and Texas regulars to make an even more entertaining and competitive squad.

The Texas Stars aren’t the no. 1 team in this year’s playoffs, but they are putting up one impressive fight. They are looking good through the first six playoff games and now have an opportunity in front of them to do something big.

Games 3 is scheduled for May 7, while games 4 and 5 will take place on May 9 and 11 respectively.

Next: Montgomery's Coaching Style Could Fit Stars Well

So make sure to keep up, Dallas Stars fans, as Texas continues their push for Calder Cup number two.

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