Kevin Boyle stopped 37 of 38 shots and fellow rookie Keaton Thompson had a goal and an assist for his first multi-point game as a professional as the San Diego Gulls defeated the Texas Stars 3-1 Saturday in Cedar Park, TX.
Boyle stopped a penalty shot in the second period and made 14 saves in the third period holding the Stars scoreless to record his second victory in three nights after an 0-2-2 start.
Thompson assisted on Chris Wagner’s game-tying goal six minutes, 56 seconds into the second period and put a slap shot from the point past Texas goaltender Maxime Lagace for a power-play goal 1:31 into the third period to give the Gulls a 3-1 lead.
The Gulls (13-11-2-1) took a 2-1 lead when Stefan Noesen tipped in a pass from Corey Tropp at 11:28 of the second period, capitalizing on a five-on- three advantage. The goal was Noesen’s second in two games since being assigned to the Gulls by the Anaheim Ducks, their NHL parent team, on Thursday.
Texas (15-13-1-1) opened the scoring 6:29 into the second period when Brendan Ranford’s wrist shot from a sharp angle trickled past Boyle for his fifth goal of the season.
Caleb Herbert was awarded a penalty shot when he was tripped by Gulls defenseman Jaycob Megna 4:29 into the second period. Boyle denied Herbert’s penalty shot, keeping the game scoreless.
The Gulls killed all four of the Stars power-play opportunities and scored on two of their seven.
The Gulls are 3-0 against Texas and 10-0-1 when leading after two periods.
Lagace made 20 saves for the Stars, the Dallas Stars American Hockey League affiliate before a crowd announced a 4,569 at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.
Gulls right wing Austen Brassard and Stars center Austin Fyten both drew five-minute major penalties for their second-period fight.
The Gulls will resume play Friday against the San Antonio Rampage, the Colorado Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, at the Valley View Casino Center.
— City News Service