Calder Cup Blues - Texas Stars Head North Down 3-2

Things were looking pretty solid when the Texas Stars got back to the Austin area after after taking the first 2 games in Hershey, but 3 straight home losses later and the Stars find themselves on the brink. No team has ever lost the first 2 games at home in the Calder Cup and come back to win the series. The Hershey Bears are sitting pretty to write a little AHL playoff history.

Defending Big D attended game 5 at the Center Park Center and shares their thoughts. Interesting take there on the insta-tradition the Stars have built their first season in Cedar Park, Tx.

The Stars have ridden the back of 20-yr-old Dallas Stars prospect Jamie Benn throughout the playoffs, but the kid just has not been able to impact the score column much against Hershey. Between international competition, the NHL regular season and now the AHL playoffs, Benn has logged more games than the NHL champion Chicago Hawks did this year – over a hundred contests. The year before Benn only played about 50. Kid’s tired.

With Benn’s attack blunted and their best D-man, Andrew Hutchison, out injured the last few games, the Stars are playing hamstrung. Hutchison was Texas’ 3rd best playoff scorer. Take him out and add in Benn’s woes and you got an offense that’s struggling and a defense that’s missing it’s rudder.

Game 6 is Monday night at 6:00 in Hershey.  The home team hasn’t won yet in this series. Hopefully the Stars remember that, buckle down and force a game 7.