CHICAGO 2, MANITOBA 1 (SO)
Chicago tied the game late in the third period and went on to edge visiting Manitoba by a 2-1 count in a shootout on Tuesday evening at Allstate Arena. The Wolves bounced back from Saturday’s 10-8 loss to Grand Rapids and improved to 5-1-0-0 in their last six games.
This tilt was scoreless until the 14:01 mark of the second period, when Moose rookie Kevin Connauton scored on the power play for his fifth goal of the season. Sergei Shirokov and captain Nolan Baumgartner earned the assists.
The Wolves finally struck back courtesy of a power play goal of their own. Ex-Moose forward Jason Krog did the honors with only 2:25 to play in regulation, with assists going to fellow 2008 Calder Cup champions Darren Haydar and Andre Deveaux.
After the first four rounds of the shootout were scoreless and Manitoba failed on its fifth attempt, Haydar iced Chicago’s victory with a conversion on Moose rookie goaltender Eddie Lack, who finished with 17 saves.
Wolves netminder Peter Mannino, who made 25 saves through the first 65 minutes before his 5-for-5 shootout showing, won his fifth straight decision and improved to 6-3-0 on the season.
Manitoba suffered its second shootout loss in a three-game span. The Moose began the season 2-0 in shootouts but is 0-3 in three tries since.
TEXAS 5, OKLAHOMA CITY 2
Texas scored three times in the first period and cruised to a 5-2 win over visiting Oklahoma City at the Cedar Park Center on Tuesday.
Five different Stars found the back of the net, and Mathieu Tousignant led the way with the eventual game-winning goal and an assist for his first multiple-point performance of the season.
Luke Gazdic, Travis Morin, Colton Sceviour, and Francis Wathier also tallied goals for the Stars, and rookie goaltender Richard Bachman (8-3-0) stopped 29 of 31 shots between the pipes.
Texas improved to 7-2-0-0 in its last nine contests and will continue a seven-game homestand with weekend tilts against in-state rivals San Antonio and Houston.
Greg Stewart and Liam Reddox scored for the Barons, as Reddox (12-9-21) moved into a tie with Linus Omark (12-11-23) for the team lead in goals.
Coupled with Saturday’s 5-3 setback at Lake Erie, Oklahoma City (13-8-1-1) has now dropped back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 22 and 23.
