Morin Tallies 500th Career Point in OT Loss

Dec 27, 2017

Boxscore Photos Video Three Stars: 1. Morin (TEX) 2. Grimaldi (SA) 3. McKenzie (TEX) Shots: Stars - 36 Rampage -30  Goaltenders: W - Martin L - Bow

CEDAR PARK, Texas - The Texas Stars rallied from two goals down in the final minutes of the third to force overtime and grab a point as Travis Morin enjoyed a milestone night in a 5-4 loss to the rival San Antonio Rampage on Wednesday at H-E-B Center in front of 5,289 in attendance.

Curtis McKenzie's game-tying, hat-trick goal with 2:23 left in regulation came 35 second after Gavin Bayreuther scored and pushed the game to overtime. Morin tallied assists on McKenzie's first two goals of the night for his 500th career AHL point, becoming the 92nd player in league history to achieve that mark.

Rocco Grimaldi's wrist shot at the top of the slot two minutes into overtime won the game for the Rampage.

Texas (18-11-2-1) and San Antonio (17-12-2-0) face off again Friday at 7 p.m. CST at AT&T Center.

Despite being outshot 8-1 in the opening 10 minutes of the game, the Rampage struck first midway through period one when Dominic Toninato finished off an odd-man rush with his fifth of the season.

Texas knotted the score 38 seconds into the second as McKenzie slipped in a power-play goal from the right side of the goal crease. Morin tallied the assist, but things turned downhill from there. Later in the period the Rampage scored a pair of power-play goals from Nicholas Meloche and Grimaldi to take a 3-1 advantage.

McKenzie tapped in the puck off a Morin pass at 6:18 of the third to pull the Stars within one. San Antonio reclaimed their two-goal lead thanks to a Alex Belzile goal off a turnover at 8:31 in the slot. The Stars took command for the rest of the period, particularly during the 35-second span when Bayreuther and McKenzie scored to tie it at 4-4.

Texas had a chance to win it right off the overtime faceoff, but Spencer Martin came up big with a save on McKenzie's breakaway. 

Landon Bow stopped 25 shots in the loss, and Martin took the win with 32 saves.

Both teams finished 2-for-4 on the power play.

Photo Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars