Toronto hands Stars 10th straight defeat

The Texas Stars have lost a few close ones during their 10-game losing streak. That wasn’t the case Saturday as they fell to the Toronto Marlies 8-4 in Toronto.

Kenny Agostino scored a hat trick and Jeremy Bracco had three assists to lead the Marlies. Pierre Engvall and Nicholas Baptiste each scored two goals for Toronto.

Michael Mersch scored twice for the Stars, and Emil Djuse added two assists. Ben Gleason and Joel L’Esperance had the other two goals for Texas.

Landon Bow had a rough outing in net for Texas, making 21 saves on the 28 shots he faced. Jake Oettinger finished the game, making 16 saves on 17 shots.

Joseph Woll picked up the win, saving 25 of the 29 shots sent his way.

Agostino got started early, scoring 4 minutes, 29 seconds into the game on a power play. The Marlies finished 1-for-5 with an extra attacker. Texas went 0-for-3 with an advantage.

Engvall made it 2-0 at 7:26 of the first period, but Mersch scored his first to cut the lead in half five minutes later.

Mersch added the tying goal before Toronto ran off six straight in the middle period. Baptiste scored twice in a row before Agostino did the same. Tanner McMaster made it 7-2, and Engvall netted his second later in the period.

Gleason and L’Esperance each scored in the final period, but that was well short of completing a comeback.