Hall hat trick leads Barons past Stars

5 4

(okcbarons.com) — Taylor Hall had a hat trick, two of those goals on the power play, as the Oklahoma City Barons held off the Texas Stars, 5-4, on Thursday at Cedar Park Center in Cedar Park, Texas.

Oklahoma City (15-10-1-3) has beaten Texas four of out five times this season and has won six straight at Cedar Park Center dating to last season.

Texas tied the score at 2-2 and 3-3, but Hall scored twice in the third to put the Barons in front for good as the Stars fell to 15-10-3-2.

The Barons scored twice on the power play in the first period. Jordan Eberle, the AHL’s goal leader with 20, snapped a short-side shot from the left wing circle past Texas goaltender Jack Campbell‘s stick side at 4:13, on setups by Justin Schultz and Mark Arcobello.

Hall added a power play goal with a one-timer from the right circle at 19:41 on a cross-ice feed from Arcobello. Schultz had the second assist; he leads the AHL in power play points with 19.

Texas scrambled back to tie the score briefly in the second period. Jamie Oleksiak raced up ice and put home an unassisted goal at 5:20 past Yann Danis (12-7-3).

Colton Sceviour tied the score 2-2 with a power play goal from a steep angle at 14:01, but the Barons re-took the lead 3-2 when Teemu Hartikainen beat Campbell (4-4-2) glove side from Anton Lander and Magnus Paajarvi at 15:17.

After Antoine Roussel tied the score on the power play at 5:39 of the third, Hall scored on a one-timer from Arcobello, who had a club record-equaling four assists, at 12:43. Hall scored his third goal on a breakaway pass from Arcobello at 14:13.

Sceviour concluded the scoring at 15:50 to make the final 5-4.