Texas Stars lean on veteran experience, depth as AHL schedule tightens

The Texas Stars have leaned into a familiar recipe during the league's February stretch: rely on veteran experience, get timely contributions from depth players, and protect leads late." The AHL's synopsis fits Wednesday night's road test at the Milwaukee Admirals, a game framed as a microcosm of Texas' second-half identity.

Up 2-0 on the road against Milwaukee, the Stars allowed three straight goals to the Admirals. But Texas held in there, tied the game on defenseman Trey Taylor's third-period goal, and eventually outlasted the Admirals in a six-round shootout to pull out a 4-3 victory. The shootout length and the comeback finish underscored the Stars' late-game poise and resilience against perhaps their top rival and closest pursuer in the Central Division playoff race.

The night carried an added milestone: captain Curtis McKenzie celebrated his 800th professional game. That marker dovetailed with a broader team narrative, Texas began the season with significant early struggles, then "pulled themselves together and became one of the AHL's most dangerous clubs in this second half of the season." The Admirals win served as a tangible example of that turnaround, combining veteran leadership moments with depth contributions when they mattered most.

Experience on the roster is explicit and measurable. Texas forwards Cameron Hughes and Kole Lind "know what a special team feels like; both went to the Calder Cup Finals in back-to-back seasons with Coachella Valley before joining the Dallas organization last year." Hughes represented the Stars at last week's AHL All-Star Classic and leads the team with 44 points this season, a go-to offensive presence as the schedule tightens.

Depth pieces and returns have also factored into the push. Arttu Hyry, who had 24 goals last season, is back from injury and adds a proven scorer to the lineup. Defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok returned to the team last month after a detour to Boston via waivers, restoring defensive depth on the blueline. And the club has leaned on steadiness in net and minutes of composure, "Rémi Poirier has held tight many nights even when the team around him went through its early hard times."

Texas' mix of playoff-seasoned returnees, midseason returnees from injury, and clutch performances in games like the Milwaukee shootout gives the Stars a roster blueprint for a compressed, consequential stretch. With Cameron Hughes' 44 points and veterans such as Curtis McKenzie anchoring the locker room, Texas is positioned to rely on that familiar recipe as the AHL schedule tightens and playoff positioning becomes the primary currency.