Johns, Morin Lead Stars to 4-3 Overtime Win

Boxscore

Photos



Shots:

Stars - 21

Rampage - 29

Stephen Johns Scores a Pair, Including the Game-Winner

SAN ANTONIO – In his season debut after being assigned from the NHL, Stephen Johns tallied a pair of goals to lead the Texas Stars to a 4-3 overtime win over the rival San Antonio Rampage on Friday in front of 6,385 fans in attendance at AT&T Center.

Trailing 3-2 late in the third, Travis Morin pulled Texas back to even to extend his point streak to six games, and Johns finished off a two-man breakaway with Brandon DeFazio at 2:15 of overtime to secure the Stars’ seventh win in their last 11 games. Maxime Lagace stopped 26 of 29 shots in net to earn his seventh win of the season.

The Stars (9-6-1-1) and Rampage (8-9-1-0) meet in a Saturday rematch at H-E-B Center at 7 p.m. CST that will feature a Stars Reusable Tote Bag giveaway, courtesy of HealthTronics.

After the Rampage mishandled the puck at the Texas blue line, Justin Dowling poked a loose puck out to center for DeFazio, who set up Johns on a crossing pass in tight to cap off their game-winning breakaway. Morin’s seventh of the season to tie the game came on a wrist shot from the left circle that beat San Antonio’s Kent Simpson with 7:28 to play.

Before Morin’s heroics, the Rampage scored twice in the opening five minutes of the third to take the 3-2 lead courtesy of Gary Nunn and Joe Whitney.

Dowling opened up the scoring at 7:06 of the second on a shorthanded breakaway for his third of the season, but Matt Lashoff’s power play goal from the point four minutes later knotted the score at 1-1. Remi Elie set up Johns for a one-time blast in the left circle at 16:48 of the middle period for the Stars’ second shorthanded goal of the game. It was the second time in their last four games Texas scored a pair of shorthanded goals, and their fourth time in franchise history.

Simpson finished 17 of 21 in net in the loss for the Rampage, and Texas improved to 5-0 in the first game of a back-to-back set against opponents this season.

The Stars went 0-for-4 on the power play. San Antonio finished 1-for-6.

Weekday home games (Monday-Thursday) are H-E-B night with the Texas Stars where fans can donate a non-perishable item at the box office and save five dollars on their ticket purchase. Every Saturday is a Texas Lottery Lucky Row Night where the first Stars player to score wins free scratch-off tickets for a lucky row of seats at H-E-B Center. Fans can also enjoy Coke Zero Family Four-Packs every Saturday with four tickets, four hot dogs and four soft drinks starting at just $16 per person.

The Texas Stars are the primary development affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, and are currently playing their eighth season at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Full season, 24-game, 12-game and six-game ticket packages for the 2016-17 campaign are on sale now. For more information, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStars.com.

Three Stars:

1. Johns (TEX)

2. Bourque (SA)

3. Morin (TEX) Goaltenders:

W - Lagace

L - Simpson



Photo Credit: Darren Abate/San Antonio Rampage