The Texas Stars allowed three goals in the third period to fall to the Rampage in their preseason opener on Thursday night. It was really a game in which the coaching staff were able to get a read on some players who could help out the AHL club down the line but will spend a lot of time with the Steelheads this season.
The players to watch closely were Riley Tufte, Tony Calderone, and Emil Djuse. None made much of an impact, but Tufte did draw a penalty with his speed in the first period. It was a positive sign to see Reece Scarlett play top pair minutes on defense after suffering a season-ending ACL injury last year.