Over a five game stretch the Texas Stars have scored goals in bunches and a visit from the Abbotsford Heat didn’t change things Friday.
The Stars offense torched Abbotsford 6-1 in front of 5,661 fans at the Cedar Park Center.
The Stars scored a team record six goals by five different players as Texas improved to 26-13-3-4 on the season.
Matt Climie stopped 36 of 37 Abbotsford shots improving his record to 12-13-3-2.
The loss drops Heat goalie David Shantz’s record to 2-3-0-1. Shantz saved 20 of 26 Texas shots.
Texas got on the board first when Travis Morin snuck behind Abbotsford defensemen Keith Seabrook and John Negrin for a breakaway goal that Heat goaltender Shantz had no shot of stopping.
Morin’s 10th goal of the season made it 1-0 Stars midway through the first period.
Abbotsford’s leading scorer Jason Jeffery would take advantage of a Texas defensive miscue to tie the game.
Texas defensemen Maxime Fortunus’ failed clearing attempt found its way to Jeffrey’s stick. Jeffrey attempt was initially stopped by Texas goaltender Matt Clime, but the rebound snuck behind Clime and Jeffrey would put the puck just inside the far pipe.
Jeffrey’s 17th goal of the season came at the 12:35 mark of the first period.
It took Texas less than two minutes to take back the lead.
Defensemen Garrett Stafford took Morin’s feed and put a hard wrist shot on goal from the point that beat Shantz. Stafford’s fourth goal of the season put the Stars back on top 2-1 at the 13:54 mark of the first period.
It didn’t take Stafford long to break the game open in the second period and give Climie all the goal support he would need.
Stafford scored his second goal of the game 1:39 into the second when he threw a shot on net that bounced off Seabrook and into the net giving Texas a 3-1 lead.
Less than a minute later Heat defensemen Gord Balwin was whistled for a high stick and the Stars had a man advantage.
Texas scored a power play goal when center Aaron Gagnon pounce on an Ivan Vishnevsky slap shot rebound that Shantz couldn’t save. Gagnon’s 10th goal of the season gave the Stars a 4-1 lead 4:54 into the second period.
Climie withstood a Heat onslaught in the third period.
Abbotsford put three shots on goal against Climie in the first 2:30 of the third and 15 in the period, but couldn’t chip away at the Texas lead.
Texas’ second power play goal put the game out of reach for the Heat.
Left-winger Francis Wathier deflected Vishnevsky’s slap shot from the point past Stantz. Wathier 10th goal of the season put the Stars up 5-1.
Texas right-winger Sergei Korostin’s 11th goal of the year capped the scoring Friday.
The Texas win keeps the Stars in a second place tie with Rockford, two points behind Milwaukee in the AHLs West Division.
The two teams meet again Saturday to conclude their season series.
Texas is 5-0-1-0 in their last six games and have scored five goals in four of their last five games while Abbotsford has dropped six of the last seven games.
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