Texas, having lost two straight including a 3–1 defeat the night before in Milwaukee to open a three-game road trip, needed jolt offensively. Entering the game against Rockford, the Stars sat last in the league in scoring, with just 22 goals through 11 games. With goals at a premium, head coach Toby Petersen shuffled his lines in search of a spark, moving Samu Tuomaala and Cross Hanas to the top line.
The changes had the desired effect. As Texas outshot Rockford 34-23, including a 11-3 mark in the third period. This paved the way for Tuomaala's equalizer with just over two minutes remaining in regulation and eventually getting all two points in the shootout win.