Stankoven Scores in Overtime, Stars Defeat Firebirds

Jan 26, 2024

CEDAR PARK, Texas – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, took down the Coachella Valley Firebirds 4-3 after Logan Stankoven scored with 5.3 seconds remaining in overtime on Friday night.

 

The Stars skated in front of their sixth sellout crowd of the season as 6,778 fans were in attendance to witness an overtime thriller on Star Wars Night at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.

 

The Firebirds scored first at 7:12 when Jimmy Schuldt fired a shot from the top of the left circle through Remi Poirier’s legs. Then at 8:06, Shane Wright snapped a second shot past Poirier, which made it 2-0 Coachella Valley and led Texas to make a goaltending change as Matt Murray entered the game. Keaton Mastrodonato scored his first career AHL goal at 10:24 when he followed up on a rebound to cut the deficit to 2-1. Mavrik Bourque then tied the game 2-2 by tapping in a cross-crease pass from Gavin White past Chris Driedger at 18:08.

 

At 10:56 of the second period, the Firebirds reclaimed a 3-2 lead when John Hayden scored a goal shorthanded by lifting a shot over Murray near the crease. Kyle McDonald tied the game 3-3 with 51.3 seconds remaining in the middle stanza by firing a shot into the top-right corner right as a power play expired.

 

The game remained tied throughout the third period and needed extra time to determine a winner. Stankoven was the hero for Texas with 5.3 seconds remaining in overtime after he picked up a stray puck in the slot and fired it between Driedger’s legs for his team-leading 20th goal and 50th point of the season.

 

Murray picked up the win in goal for the Stars and is now 9-7-1 on the season after turning aside 15 of the 16 shots he saw in relief of Poirier, who made five saves on seven shots. Driedger came down with the overtime loss to fall to 10-5-2 on the campaign after allowing four goals on 31 shots.

 

The Stars take on the Firebirds again on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. back at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park to wrap up the two-game weekend series.

 

Photo Credit: Andy Nietupski / Texas Stars

 

Game Info	Shots	Goaltenders	3 Stars (Ubeo Business Services)
Boxscore	TEX: 31	W: Murray (TEX)	1: Stankoven (TEX)
Photo	CV: 23	L: Driedger (CV)	2: Mastrodonato (TEX)
Video			3: Hayden (CV)