Coming into Friday’s game, Texas was on a 5-game winning streak, while Tucson has yet to go on a significant run this year. Texas started the game strong, shooting early and going up 2-1 by the end of the first.
Defender Kyle Looft took on former Dallas Stars prospect Curtis Douglas, with a 5-inch height difference despite Looft standing at 6’4” (Douglas is 6’9”). Despite the ‘battle,’ Cameron Hebig and Josh Doan put on a show, with Hebig securing a hat-trick and Josh Doan putting up three primary assists.
While Magnus Hellberg wasn’t necessarily bad on Friday night, the back-to-back schedule and a tough 6-3 loss offered the chance for Remi Poirier to start his first game since December 14th. It’s been a relatively tough season for Poirier, but 2025 brings a fresh opportunity to re-invent yourself and prove your worth to Texas Stars fans.
Remi Poirier did just that, earning a shutout in a 5-0 bounce-back win for the Texas Stars.
The Stars had multiple offensive weapons for the Stars on Saturday, with five different goal-scorers and 14 players getting at least one shot on goal. The Power Play also looked quite strong, with fast passing and good looks, going 3/6. Tucson put themselves out of the game by taking penalty after penalty, allowing Texas to get significant momentum at home.
Gavin White scored his first AHL goal, which was an incredible moment with fantastic teammate reactions. The players care about each other and want to win for each other, which is a good sign as we move closer to the playoffs. The teams that play for each other will go far this season, so I’m excited about Texas’ potential.
Player of the week: Chase Wheatcroft
Week Stats:
GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|
2 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Season Stats:
GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|
31 | 5 | 11 | 16 |
When you win a game 5-0 and score eight goals in two games, many forwards seem involved and solid, but I would like to mention a few specific players who had a great start to 2025.
Justin Ertel, with good forechecking energy and playmaking abilities, looks like he belongs in the AHL. Playing in mostly 4th-line minutes, Ertel has already produced three assists in his first five AHL games despite only putting up 8 points in 21 ECHL games. I am excited to see how he fares over the next few weeks.
Chase Wheatcroft also came out with a lot of energy. His playmaking was also on display and I hope he continues to display confidence off the rush with the puck.
Say it with us, "RAWWWWRRRRR!!!" 🗣 pic.twitter.com/xJUo15j0nz
— Texas Stars (@TexasStars) January 5, 2025
Overall, despite splitting the series 1-1, Texas finished strong and dominated Saturday night’s game. The Texas Stars will score many goals in the second half of the season. With the skill-oriented system they've implemented and contributions from all over the lineup, the. Fans should be excited for what’s to come for the Texas Stars in 2025.
Week ahead:
- Wed Jan 8, 2024 @ Rockford
- Fri Jan 10, 2024 @ Milwaukee
- Sat Jan 11, 2024 @ Rockford