Goaltender Anton Khudobin allowed three goals in the first period and two in the second on Thursday night to suffer his first loss after winning his first three starts with the San Diego Gulls.
The Gulls avoided the shutout on defenseman Andrew O’Brien’s power-play goal with six minutes, 46 seconds to play in a 6-1 loss to the Texas Stars in the Austin, TX, suburb of Cedar Park.
Khudobin made 26 saves over the first two periods. Coach Dallas Eakins replaced Khudobin with Matt Hackett at the start of the third period. Hackett made 12 saves and allowed a power-play goal by Gemel Smith with 57 seconds left.
Brendan Ranford, Jason Dickinson and Derek Hulak scored for Texas in the first period, before a crowd at Cedar Park Center announced at 4,387.
Dickinson’s goal was a short-handed goal.
Remi Eli and Smith scored in the second period for the Stars, the Dallas Stars’ American Hockey League affiliate.
The Gulls scored on one of four power-play opportunities and killed six of Texas’ seven power-play opportunities.
Stars goaltender John Muse made 26 saves.
The Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks AHL affiliate, will face the San Antonio Rampage, the Colorado Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, Friday in San Antonio.
The Gulls next game at the Valley View Casino Center will be Jan. 8 against the Charlotte Checkers, the Carolina Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate.
— City News Service
