By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews.com
They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes the mood swings. Between the Rangers racking up wins in Arlington and the Stars giving us heart palpitations in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, last week was a rollercoaster of “let’s go!” and “oh no.”
🧢 The Rangers: Homestand Heroes with Just a Hint of Drama
The Texas Rangers spent the week playing host, and for the most part, they were gracious—but not to their guests.
They started off by sweeping the Rockies in a three-game set that reminded us all how fun baseball is when we’re not facing a bullpen implosion. Wyatt Langford launched a two-run bomb on Monday to seal a tidy 2–1 win, while the rest of the week saw the Rangers casually serve Colorado their own bats back on a silver platter. Wednesday’s 8–3 win? That’s just polite Texas hospitality with a little sting in the salsa.
Then came Houston. And like any awkward family reunion, the vibes got tense fast.
Thursday was a masterpiece. Jacob deGrom delivered eight shutout innings like a man with something to prove—and maybe a reminder to Astros fans that Arlington is still the grown-up table. The Rangers eked out a 1–0 win, and manager Bruce Bochy quietly crept past Sparky Anderson into sixth on the all-time wins list. Not bad for a guy who looks like he could also coach high school shop class.
Friday? Not so fun. The Astros bounced back with a 6–3 win that gave us flashbacks to that time in April we pretended we didn’t care about losing a series. But hey—Saturday’s 5–1 win and Sunday’s narrow 4–3 loss meant the Rangers still took the series and stayed strong at home.
Final tally: 5–2 for the week. Arlington slept just fine.
🏒 The Stars: Stress, Overtime, and One Very Earned Celebration
While the Rangers were giving us baseball with a side of brisket, the Dallas Stars were over here casually advancing to the Western Conference Final—for the third year in a row.
Game 4 on Tuesday was all Mikael Granlund, who decided it was hat trick o’clock. Three goals, one assist, and just enough swagger to make the Winnipeg Jets wonder if they’d taken a wrong turn into a different league. The 3–1 win put Dallas up 3–1 in the series and had fans planning parade routes just in case.
But then came Thursday. And let’s just say… we don’t talk about Thursday. The Stars got blanked 4–0, and the entire Metroplex let out a collective “ugh.” Connor Hellebuyck played like he was possessed by the ghost of Dominik Hašek, and the Jets stayed alive.
That set up a Game 6 showdown Saturday night that packed more emotion than a telenovela. Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele scored a heartfelt goal just hours after his father’s passing—an unbelievable moment of human strength and grace. But when overtime hit, Dallas’ Thomas Harley buried a power-play wrister and said: “Thanks for coming out, Winnipeg.”
Stars win 2–1 in OT, take the series 4–2, and punch their ticket to the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers. Game 1’s coming May 21 in Dallas. Bring TUMS.
💬 So What Did We Learn?
- Don’t sleep on the Rangers. Arlington’s crew may be streaky, but when they’re hot, they’re scorching.
- The Stars are built for the moment—and they may just be built for the Cup.
- Texas sports fans? We’re just here for the ride… and the stress.
Catch y’all next week. With any luck, the Rangers stay hot, the Stars stay clutch, and our collective blood pressure survives another round.