Gardner and Tufte Each Net Two as Texas Topples Rockford

Jan 21, 2022

ROCKFORD, IL – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, extended its point streak to three game Friday with a 5-2 win over the Rockford IceHogs at BMO Harris Bank Center. Rhett Gardner and Riley Tufte each scored twice for Texas in the victory.

Gardner, who was assigned to Texas earlier in the day by Dallas, opened the scoring 5:25 into the game when he fired a one-timer from low in the slot past Collin Delia. Eight seconds into Rockford’s first power play of the game, Michal Teply snuck a wraparound by Matt Jurusik to tie the game 1-1.

Tufte capitalized off an IceHogs turnover and ripped a shot past Delia from the left circle to give the Stars a 2-1 lead after one. Rockford received four power plays in the frame and six for the game, scoring on just one.

Early in the second period, Gardner redirected a slap pass from Joseph Cecconi for his second goal of the night and the eventual game-winner, giving the Stars the 3-1 lead at the time. But the IceHogs took advantage of a rare mistake from Jurusik behind his net, as Josiah Slavin took the puck from Jurusik and centered it to Kale Howarth. Howarth tapped it into the open net to cut Texas’ lead to 3-2 heading into the third.

Midway through the final frame, the Stars went on a seven-minute power play, when IceHogs forward Dmitri Osipov was given two minutes for instigating and five minutes for fighting. Early in that man-advantage, Tufte kicked the puck over to Fredrik Karlstrom who buried the power play goal to make it 4-2. The Stars now have a power play goal in five straight games and have scored on seven of their last 12 opportunities.

Tufte added an empty net goal to complete his three-point night with just over three minutes left and Texas cruised to the 5-2 win. Jurusik stopped 32 of 34 shots in his second victory for Texas on the team’s current road trip.

The Stars and IceHogs collide again Saturday at BMO Harris Bank Center at 7:00 p.m.

Photo Credit: Rockford IceHogs

Game Info	Shots	Goaltenders	3 Stars (Xerox Business Solutions Southwest)
Boxscore	TEX: 25	W: Jurusik (TEX)	1: Riley Tufte (TEX)
Photo	OPP: 34	L:  Delia (RFD)	2: Rhett Gardner (TEX)
Video			3: Fredrik Karlstrom (TEX)