CEDAR PARK, Texas -- Despite taking an early lead, the Grand Rapids Griffins fell 5-2 to the Texas Stars on Wednesday at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, surrendering four unanswered goals. 

Carter Mazur collected a short-handed tally, extending his point streak to four (2-2—4). Mazur has accumulated seven points in his last seven games (4-3—7). Amadeus Lombardi found the back of the net for his fifth point in the last five (3-2—5), increasing his point streak to four (2-2—4). Shai Buium also secured a three-game point streak (0-3—3) and Joe Snively earned an assist in his 300th professional game. Former Texas Star Jack Campbell saved 21 shots between the pipes for Grand Rapids.

Lombardi kicked off the scoring for Grand Rapids just 3:50 into the opening period. Buium fired a one-timer toward the goalmouth and the puck ricocheted off Magnus Hellberg’s pads. Snively’s rebound attempt trickled wide, but Lombardi cleaned it up, giving the Griffins an early lead. However, Matej Blumel tied the score with 6:31 left in the first when his wrist shot from the right circle found paydirt. With 2:33 remaining in the period, Texas obtained the game’s first power play. Just 40 seconds into the man-advantage, the Griffins stole the puck and broke into the Stars' zone. Mazur swam through Texas defenders and backhanded a shot past Hellberg, securing the short-handed tally.

The Stars tied the game at two 6:38 into the second period when Kyle Looft scored his first professional goal on a 2-on-1 breakaway. Both sides remained knotted late into the frame. With 1:10 remaining in the stanza, Kole Lind fired a shot in on Campbell and he deflected it wide. Yet, the rebound sailed right back to Lind and he wrapped around the net, trying to sneak the puck over the line. However, Campbell dove across the crease, laying out to make the save and maintaining the 2-2 tie through the first 40 minutes.

At 5:25 in the final period, the Griffins acquired their first power-play chance. Grand Rapids took early possession on the man-advantage but turned it over and the Stars broke into the Griffins’ zone shorthanded. Arttu Hyry sent a shot toward Campbell, who thought he snagged the puck in his pads, but the disc leaked out to his side and Hyry shoveled in the rebound, giving the Stars a 3-2 lead with 14:11 remaining. Then, Hyry tallied his second of the frame at 15:33 with a strike from the right circle. Grand Rapids pulled Campbell with 2:15 left, attempting to cut into the lead, but Curtis McKenzie scored on the empty net at 18:37 and the Griffins fell, 5-2. 

Notes

• The Griffins have outshot their opponents in nine of their last 13 games, sporting a 29-26 advantage tonight.

Box Score

Grand Rapids 2 0 0 - 2
Texas 1 1 3 - 5

1st Period-1, Grand Rapids, Lombardi 12 (Snively, Buium), 3:50. 2, Texas, Blümel 26 (Hryckowian, McKenzie), 13:29. 3, Grand Rapids, Mazur 6 (Danielson), 18:07 (SH). Penalties-Snively Gr (slashing), 17:27.

2nd Period-4, Texas, Looft 1 (Ertel, Romano), 6:38. Penalties-No Penalties

3rd Period-5, Texas, Hyry 21 (Blümel), 5:49 (SH). 6, Texas, Hyry 22   15:33. 7, Texas, McKenzie 12 (Hryckowian), 18:37 (EN). Penalties-Capobianco Tex (elbowing), 5:25.

Shots on Goal-Grand Rapids 11-7-11-29. Texas 8-8-10-26.
Power Play Opportunities-Grand Rapids 0 / 1; Texas 0 / 1.
Goalies-Grand Rapids, Campbell 2-5-1 (25 shots-21 saves). Texas, Hellberg 19-8-1 (29 shots-27 saves).
A-4,227

Three Stars

1. TEX Hyry (two goals); 2. TEX Blumel (goal, short-handed assist); 3. TEX Looft (goal)

Record/Next Game

Grand Rapids: 28-20-4-1 (61 pts.) / Sat., March 1 vs. Iowa 7 p.m. 

Texas: 29-17-3-0 (61 pts.) / Sat., March 1 vs. Chicago 7 p.m. CST

Photo by Texas Stars