The Rampage closed the book on their six-game home stand with a 3-0 loss to the Texas Stars on All Hallows’ eve at the AT&T Center.
Entering Friday evening’s matchup on a three-game winless streak, the Rampage were unable to attain their goal of salvaging a victory and two standings points in their only tilt of the weekend.
The Stars entered Friday’s contest ranked tied for first among AHL clubs in penalty kill percentage, but ironically it was their power play that propelled Texas to an early lead in the first period.
Texas opened the scoring with less than six minutes remaining in the first after Rampage left wing Brett MacLean was whistled for a hooking penalty. Utilizing the extra stick-handling room to their advantage, the Stars quickly established puck control in the San Antonio zone until Texas defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy worked a give and go with fellow Stars defenseman Brad Lukowich high along the left boards. Upon receiving the return pass from Lukowich, Vishnevskiy fired a shot from the left point that was tipped by Texas left wing Francis Wathier past Rampage netminder Al Montoya.
The Stars added to their lead on another power play with 25 seconds remaining in the first. Following a dump-in by Lukowich, Vishnevskiy pounced on the loose puck in the right corner of the Rampage zone and began to drive behind the San Antonio goal before connecting on a one-timer with Texas center Greg Rallo between the hash marks to put the Stars up by a 2-0 score heading into the first intermission.
However, to the dismay of the 4,003 Rampage faithful in attendance, the third and final goal of the game emerged from the stick of yet another Texas Star near the midway point of the second period. After a scrum for the puck in the right corner of the San Antonio zone, Stars center Mathieu Beaudoin beat a Rampage defender to the front of the net and sent a pass through another San Antonio defenseman’s stick to Texas right wing Sergei Korostin. Receiving the puck in the slot, Korostin quickly beat Montoya low to the stick side to increase Texas’ lead to 2-0.
Despite outshooting Texas by a 15-8 margin in the third and 34-28 overall, San Antonio was unable to solve Stars goaltender Brent Krahn in the third and final session. The shut out marks the third time the Rampage have been blanked in their last four games.
The Rampage will return to action on Wednesday as they travel to Illinois to take on the Rockford IceHogs in a 7:05 p.m. contest at the Rockford MetroCentre.
