A dramatic OT Victory keeps the Stars Alive to force a Game 7 Wednesday Night

Thanks to a 51 save night from Matt Climie and a huge OT Goal by Aaron Gagon, the Stars were able to comeback from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to be able to force a 7th and decivise game tomorrow night up in Hamilton, Ontario for the Western Conference Championship. The winner will take on the defending Hershey Bears as the Bears look to win back-to-back Calder Cup Titles and the club's 11th overall, which is a league best in the league's 75 year history.

In addition to Gagon, it was Shawn Mcculloch and Garrett Sanford who each had goals to tie the game at 1-1 and 2-2 in the 2nd period and early portion of the 3rd period for the Stars. Hamilton was able to keep a 1-0 & 2-1 leads with a couple of unlikely goal scores in Belle and Gabriel Dumont.

Texas has gone to 5-2 in this year's playoffs in OT and have won all 3 games of this series against the Bulldogs in the extra frame. So it's showing the league that the Stars turn up the pressure in the extra period despite 13-8 last night.


From the Texas Stars Website: www.texasstarshockey.com

In Hamilton, Ontario: The Texas Stars defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs 3-2 in OT on Monday Night in front of 2,613 fans at Copps Coliseum in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. Center Aaron Gagon scored the game winning goal 18:32 into overtime, tying the best-of-7 series at 3-3 focring a Game 7 on Wednesday Night in Hamilton. Goalie Matt Climie made 51 saves, including 28 in the third period and overtime combined to preserve the OT Victory. Bulldogs goalie Curtis Sanford stopped 35 Texas Shots in his third OT Loss of the playoffs. All of Sanford's OT Losses in the playoffs have been to Texas. Stars forward Scott Mcculloch and defensemen Garrett Stafford also scored the win. Game 7 will be in Hamilton on Wednesday Night, May 26 at 6:30 PM CDT.

In the 1st period, Hamilton opened the scoring with a goal at 16:58. Hunter Bishop played the puck to the net from the right wing circle and Matt Climie made the inital save, but could not control the rebound. Bulldogs forward Gabriel Dumont scooped up the rebound and backhanded the puck past Climie for his 2nd goal of the playoffs and a 1-0 Hamilton lead.

In the 2nd period, the Stars countered with a power-play goal at 9:04, tying the game at 1-1. Texas worked the puck with quick passes from Lindgren to Morin, who finally set up Garrett Stafford in front of the Hamilton net. Stafford snapped his third of the playoffs over the glove of Bulldogs goalie Curtis Sanford for the Stars goal. Hamilton would score a power play goal of its own before the end of the period. Bulldogs winger Brock Trotter found defensemen Shawn Belle in front of the Texas net. Belle fired a wrist shot at 17:51 past the outreached glove of Stars goalie Matt Climie, scoring his first goal of the playoffs and pushing Hamilton ahead 2-1.

In the 3rd period, Texas tied the game at 2-2 at 5:56. Righ wing Greg Rallo pitched the puck to the Hamilton net as left wing Scott Mcculloch snuck down the wing towards the Bulldogs net. Mcculloch redirected the puck past Curtis Sanford for his second goal of the playoffs. Travis Morin added an assist on the play and tied the game at 2-2 and forced Sudden Death OT.

Texas broke through with 1:28 left on the clock in the first OT. Jamie Benn played the puck to the Hamilton net, the puck rolled behind Curtis Sanford to the goal-line. Aaron Gagon reached and poked the puck over the line for his sixth of the playoffs and to win the game 3-2 at 18:32 of the extra frame.


Western Conference Finals Update

Game 1: Texas Stars 2 Hamilton Bulldogs 3 (1-2, 1-0, 0-0, 0-1) (OT)
http://theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1007311

Game 2: Texas Stars 1 Hamilton Bulldogs 3 (0-0, 1-2, 0-1)
http://theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1007312

Game 3: Hamilton Bulldogs 4 Texas Stars 5 (OT) (1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 0-1)
http://theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1007313

Game 4: Hamilton Bulldogs 1 Texas Stars 2 (OT) (0-0, 1-0, 0-1, 0-1)
http://theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1007314

Game 5: Hamilton Bulldogs 3 Texas Stars 0 (1-0, 2-0, 0-0)
http://theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1007315

Game 6: Texas Stars 3 Hamilton Bulldogs 2 (OT) (0-1, 1-1, 1-0, 1-0)
http://theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1007316

Game 7, 5/26: Texas Stars VS. Hamilton Bulldogs 6:30 PM CDT


To purchase tickets for the Calder Cup Playoff Games, check out the links

Ticketmaster: 1-800-745-3000 or at www.ticketmaster.com

Texas Stars Boxoffice: 512-GO-Stars


Series Tied 3-3


Game Boxscore

Texas Stars 3 Hamilton Bulldogs 2 (OT) (0-1, 1-1, 1-0, 1-0)

0-1 HAM: Gabriel Dumont (Bishop) 16:58 1st

1-1 TEX: Garrett Stafford (PP) (Morin, Benn) 9:04 2nd

1-2 HAM: Shawn Belle (PP) (Trotter, Desharnais) 17:51 2nd

2-2 TEX: Shawn Mcculloch (Rallo, Morin) 5:56 3rd

3-2 TEX: Aaron Gagon (Benn, Stephenson) 18:32 OT


Game Stats

SOG: TEX 38 HAM 53

PP: TEX 1/1 HAM 1/2

PIM: TEX 4 Minutes on 2 Penalties HAM 2 Minutes on 1 Penalty

Goalies: TEX Matt Climie 51 SVS on 53 Shots HAM Cedrick Deshardins 35 SVS on 38 Shots

ATT: 2613

3rd Star: Matt Climie (TEX)

2nd Star: Shawn Belle (HAM)

1st Star: Aaron Gagon (TEX)