The Texas Stars are rolling like a giant stone heading downhill towards a town.
In Friday’s game, Texas and Cleveland went back and forth in an exciting start, with 25 total shots between the two teams in the first 20 minutes, albeit with no goals scored. Jack Becker broke the ice in the second period. He has been a solid bottom-six option for the Stars this season. Justin Hryckowian added to the lead just over a minute later to put Texas up 2-0, but a quick response 90 seconds later from Cleveland made it a one-goal game again.
Fortunately, we have Matej Blumel, who had another fantastic weekend, scoring to put Texas up 3-1 going into the third. Looking for insurance, Emilio Pettersen scored just over four minutes into the third period, and Texas closed it out with a 4-1 win. Remi Poirier was outstanding, making 38 saves in the victory.
In Saturday’s rematch, it was another high-shot game, with 68 shots between the two teams by the end of the game. Texas went down 1-0 mid-way through the first but fired back with a Chase Wheatcroft goal to end the first period. Of note, Matej Blumel finished this game with nine shots.
Of those nine shots, Blumel scored a Power Play goal 46 seconds into the second period, a Power Play goal to make it 4-2, and the game-winning goal with 46 seconds left to help Texas win 5-4. This was Blumel’s first AHL hat-trick, and his torrid scoring pace continues with 31 goals through 51 games.
BLU! BLU! BLU! 🧢🧢🧢 pic.twitter.com/DDKhGSqUyb
— Texas Stars (@TexasStars) March 16, 2025
Player of the week: Matej Blumel
Week Stats:
GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|
2 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
Season Stats:
GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|
51 | 31 | 25 | 56 |
Of note, Antonio Stranges was healthy-scratched on Saturday’s game (Justin Ertel came in and played on the fourth line). If you remember the start of Antonio Stranges’s 2024-2025 season, he was healthy-scratched a few times, and I was happy to see him rebound from this with a strong fall. In recent weeks, the consistency that was present with Stranges has faded.
I wonder if this is in example of a prospect who may thrive through validation, whether positive reinforcement, opportunities with top linemates, or an NHL call-up. There were moments when Hryckowian and Hyry were getting NHL call-ups this season, and I was unsure why Antonio Stranges wasn’t considered for even just a day of NHL pay and interaction.
I can understand why it wouldn’t make sense to call Stranges up to play him in an NHL bottom-six based on his playstyle, but does that mean he has no NHL future? It seems gloomy if that is justification for a point-per-game player in the AHL for most of this season until the last month.
Because of this, I empathize with someone like Stranges who may be slightly discouraged during the depths of the ‘grind’ hockey season. I hope he continues to feel motivated because he is a great hockey player and exciting to watch when he’s at his best. I wonder how long he stays in a Texas Stars uniform, as 55 points in the AHL (his 2025 pace) for a 23-year-old prospect is relatively uncommon and can be desirable as a hockey asset for pro clubs in a 'change of scenery' or 'greater opportunity' scenario.
The next one to two years will be crucial in deciding Stranges’s pro hockey career, and I wish him the very best.
Week ahead:
- Tue Mar 18, 2025 vs. Ontario
- Wed Mar 19, 2025 vs. Ontario
- Fri Mar 21, 2025 @ Chicago
- Sun Mar 23, 2025 @ Chicago