TEXAS 3, CHICAGO 2
Defenseman Dan Jancevski broke a 2-2 tie with his first playoff goal in nearly three years, and Texas held on for a 3-2 win over Chicago on Wednesday at the Cedar Park Center.
The Stars evened the West Division Finals at two games apiece and will host Game 5 on Friday night before the series shifts back to the Windy City for Game 6 on Sunday afternoon.
Jancevski’s game-winning goal came on the power play with 6:17 left in regulation and was assisted by Francis Wathier and Greg Rallo, who picked up his second helper of the evening.
A member of the Hamilton Bulldogs’ 2007 Calder Cup title team, Jancevski last tallied a playoff goal in Game 3 of the Finals vs. Hershey that year, on June 4, 2007.
Travis Morin, who ranked second on Texas with 21 goals during the regular season before going scoreless in the club’s first seven playoff outings, snapped out of it with a pair of tallies in Game 3.
Morin gave the Stars a 1-0 lead in the first period, but Brett Sterling answered for the Wolves on the power play less than five minutes later. After a scoreless middle frame, Morin and Sterling went tit-for-tat again in the third period, this time separated by just 2:31 of play.
Sterling, who paced Chicago with 34 goals during the regular season, has found his offensive touch again with three goals in his last two games after failing to score in his first three playoff contests.
Jancevski finished with a goal and an assist for the Stars, and goaltender Brent Krahn turned aside 21 of 23 shots in the winning effort.
West Division Finals – Series “L” (best-of-7)
W1-Chicago Wolves vs. W2-Texas Stars
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 30 – Texas 4, CHICAGO 3 (OT)
Game 2 – Sun., May 2 – CHICAGO 4, Texas 3 (2OT)
Game 3 – Tue., May 4 – Chicago 5, TEXAS 3
Game 4 – Wed., May 5 – TEXAS 3, Chicago 2
Game 5 – Fri., May 7 – Chicago at Texas, 8:30
Game 6 – Sun., May 9 – Texas at Chicago, 4:00
*Game 7 – Tue., May 11 – Texas at Chicago, 8:00
