This season’s team is built to go on a Calder Cup run, and it showed after their 2-0 Game One win over the Chicago Wolves.
The Texas Stars are starting the Calder Cup Playoffs red hot like the weather in the Lone Star State. Game One was a 2-0 win over the higher-seeded Chicago Wolves and proved that in a series that should be a battle, they can have the edge.
This is a team that has come a long way since the American Hockey League season began. The slow start is a distant memory now, and the Stars look like a great team, and it’s reflected in how they play.
Texas is Winning From The Net Out
Remi Poirier has been a standout AHL goaltender for a few years but this season is when the 24-year-old goaltender has hit his stride. His .912 save percentage (SV%) is a career best, and he’s only allowed 21 goals in his last 10 starts. The recent game showed that when he needs to make the big save, he can, as he shut out the Wolves in the 2-0 win.
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Game One, however, wasn’t about Poirier. It was about the defense in front of him. The Stars shut down a Wolves offense that has been great all season and limited them to only 16 shots. They made the job easy for Poirier and set the tone in a defensive battle.
One of the questions heading into the series was whether the Stars and their much-improved defense could handle the Wolves' forwards. Chicago comes at teams with plenty of skill from Bradly Nadeau to Ryan Suzuki to rookie Evan Vierling. One game in, and the Stars have an answer by controlling the puck and keeping it out of their zone.
The Elite Forwards Are Fueling the Offense
There wasn’t much offense from either team in Game One. It’s why the first goal of the game felt like the dagger, and it ultimately was as the Stars took the game 2-0. When the Stars needed offense, their top forwards delivered.
Artem Schlaine is a 24-year-old AHL rookie who has become a key part of the offense with a 19-goal season. He took advantage of the extra space on the power play and found the back of the net off great puck movement from Matthew Seminoff and Cameron Hughes. To wrap up the game, Schlaine fired the puck into the empty net to seal the victory.
It’s been the story for the Stars all season. They find offense in their veterans. Hughes had 68 points while Seminoff scored 24 goals. The Stars built a winning culture with veterans setting the tone, and it’s allowed the younger players to hit their stride, especially late in the season.
The Stars Still Have a Tough Path Ahead of Them
The Wolves won’t go away easily. They had the second-best record in the Central Division and put up a fight on the road in Game One. They can steal Game Two on the road and then turn the series to their advantage as they’ll head back to Chicago for three home games in a split series.
The Stars will have their hands full with the Wolves, and the series is far from over. Even if they advance, their next likely matchup is the Grand Rapids Griffins, who were the best team in the division. That said, the Stars are playing the right way down the stretch and look like a Calder Cup caliber team.
They were close last season, losing to the Abbotsford Canucks in the Western Conference Final. That team looked like the peak form of the Stars and as good as it would get. Their head coach, Neil Graham, was promoted to the NHL team that summer, and Toby Pederson had big shoes to fill. But he’s impressed in his first season behind the bench, and more importantly, the team has bought into his style of play.