Texas Stars Stankoven and Bourque Dominating the AHL

The Dallas Stars’ AHL team, the Texas Stars, have been hot and cold so far this February. But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel as Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque dominate in Cedar Park, Texas. Here’s how these two Canadian prospect forwards have been dominating in the AHL.

Wednesday, February 21 Highlights
The Texas Stars took on the Grand Rapids Griffins at the Van Andel Arena on Wednesday night. The Stars, however, got shutout 1-0 by the Griffins in what was supposed to be a slugfest between the two teams. Griffins goalie Sebastian Cossa stopped all 28 shots he faced for a hard-fought win.

Logan Stankoven was back in Texas’ lineup after the Dallas Stars loaned the prospect forward to Cedar Park on Tuesday. Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque didn’t record points in Wednesday’s game, but finished with four and two shots, respectively.

The Stars’ starting lineup featured Matěj Blümel, Oskar Bäck, Fredrik Karlström, Artem Grushnikov, Alex Petrovic, and Remi Pourier. Pourier made a whopping 32 saves in a losing effort.

The Griffins opened the scoring on home ice. Albert Johansson was set up by Austin Czarnik for an early 1-0 lead just 25 seconds into the first period. The Stars trailed 1-0 to the Griffins at the end of the first. Grand Rapids outshot Texas 13-9 after 20 minutes.

Neither the Stars nor the Griffins scored in the second period. The Stars continued to trail 1-0 to the Griffins at the end of two periods. Grand Rapids outshot Texas 27-16 through 40 minutes.

The Stars had third-period chances to tie the game at one apiece and force overtime but were unable to do so. The Stars pulled Remi Pourier for an extra attacker but got shutout 1-0 by the Griffins in regulation. Grand Rapids outshot Texas 33-28 after a full 60 minutes.

Positive Vibes
Logan Stankoven is reportedly focused on his game when he’s on the ice. Stankoven’s reported patience is a reflection of his professional hockey career’s philosophy in general. Patience is key, and Stankoven would rather have a tenure with the Stars than just play five NHL games in a brief stint for the team.

Like I’ve said before, Mavrik Bourque reminds me of a less flashy version of Logan Stankoven. Bourque’s flashy scoring episodes and speedy passing skills make him a desirable NHL forward, despite all of the options the Dallas Stars have. Bourque proves that one doesn’t necessarily need to be the top-ranked player to make it to the pros.

Final Thoughts
I think the chances of Logan Stankoven or Mavrik Bourque becoming the Dallas Stars’ next captain are slim, but we’ll see what happens. Stankoven is a consistent center and right winger who keeps calm under pressure, while Bourque is an under-the-radar center with a solid vision and passing skills.

As I wrap up my first Texas Stars op-ed, I want to add that it’s a good day when either Stankoven or Bourque scores in Cedar Park. Hopefully, the Dallas Stars fans will see one or both of them in Dallas soon.

Rick Crossman | Inside The Rink