Artem Shlaine tallied both goals, including a power-play tally early in the third period, to lift the Texas Stars to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Wolves in Game 1 of their Central Division semifinal Tuesday night. Rémi Poirier stopped all 16 shots he faced for his third career Calder Cup Playoff shutout. Texas leads the best-of-five series 1-0.
Shlaine broke a scoreless tie at 1:53 of the third period, redirecting a back-door pass from Matthew Seminoff on the power play. The Stars then clamped down defensively, holding Chicago to just five shots in the period. Shlaine sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 19.1 seconds left, his second of the game and 20th point of the postseason so far this year after tying for eighth in rookie regular-season goals with 19 tallies. Cameron Hughes picked up assists on both goals, extending his career playoff total to 52 helpers and moving into 12th place on the AHL's all-time list. In net, Poirier earned his third playoff shutout after facing minimal pressure late. Chicago's Cayden Primeau made 25 saves on 26 shots in the loss. Game 2 is set for Thursday night in Cedar Park, with Texas hosting. Subsequent games are scheduled in Chicago if necessary.
