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The Dallas Stars dominated the second period, then held on very, very tight in a 5-4 shootout win against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday
Stars lines
- Hryckowian – Johnston – Rantanen
- Robertson – Hintz – Bourque
- Steel – Duchene – Benn
- Bäck – Faksa – Erne
- Lindell – Heiskanen
- Harley – Lundkvist
- Capobianco – Petrovic
- Oettinger
- DeSmith
Scratches: Nathan Bastian, Colin Blackwell, Ilya Lyubushkin (injured).
Top story
The announcement that came this very morning.
Earlier today, the NHL and Stars made it official; Dallas is set to host the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stadium Series game in February 2027 at At&T Stadium.
My initial reaction was a bit of disappointment. I thought perhaps the league would choose the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, or New York Rangers for a NFC East football draw in. Well, maybe not the Rangers because, let’s be honest, the Giants are awful. And that is coming from a New Jersey native. Maybe it should be the New Jersey Devils since the Giants play in Jersey? In a swamp, by the way.
Anyway… What were we talking about?
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Oh yeah.
I pictured the Stars in blue and silver and the Flyers in green and black. I thought that would be really cool and would pay tribute to the venue, which I thought would be important.
Before that, I strongly believed the Colorado Avalanche would be the opponent. Their rivalry with Dallas has been the biggest of recent past. Their playoff series have been epic, and the Mikko Rantanen trade only added to that fire. But then Colorado was announced as the opponent of the Utah Mammoth in their outdoor game at the University of Utah in the Winter Classic right around that time.
The more I thought about it, and the more we talked on our DLLS Emergency Podcast, the more I liked it.
These teams hate each other. These fans hate each other. There have been three entertaining and violent playoff series in the past five years. Jamie Benn cross checked Mark Stone in the head, left the building early, and was suspended two games because of it. Stone tackled Miro Heiskanen last season and knocked him out until into the playoffs with a knee injury.
Dallas knocked out Pete DeBoer’s Knights in the bubble. Vegas dominated the next series. Then Dallas beat them in dramatic fashion in seven games.
There will be some hatred. There will be theatrics. Maybe Stone will even have to make a massive walk of shame like Corey Perry did? You never know.
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Live game notebook
Period 1
- Sean Shapiro has reverse jinxed Matt Duchene, it has been decided. Since Sean went off about Duchene being cooked, the veteran has three goals in just barely over three periods. He has four goals in his past three games and really has started to look more like himself all over the ice. Confidence is huge for a skilled player like Duchene. He has it, and you can see it with his puck handling and how quickly he makes decisions. Duchene just doesn’t make this play a month ago. Simple as that.
- Dallas gave Vegas very little on its first power play. Their penalty kill is now 14-16 over the past eight games.
- Jason Robertson is a very underrated passer. He found Thomas Harley streaking down the high slot with a little saucer pass off the rush. Good save by Adin Hill.
- This game has settled in. Both these teams strive to defend well and counter strike off of it. Even when they aren’t doing that well heading into their matchups, they bring the best out of each other.
- That Rasmuss Andersson guy is pretty good, eh?
- Remember when Reilly Smith was a Dallas Star? He had some nice moments down in Big D. Did you know his brother is former Stars defenseman Brendan Smith?
- What a first period on the road for Dallas. Got out to an early lead, played sound defensively, didn’t make Jake Oettinger be great, and kept things simple. About as good as you could have asked for.
Stars 1, Golden Knights 0
Period 2
- Justin Hryckowian was nearly the beneficiary of another elite pass from Mikko Rantanen. Rantanen went full NHL 21, extending his stick out on his backhand to open up the passing lane behind the defender going down the right wall. Shea Theodore just got a piece, but Hryckowian crashed the far post and nearly tipped it in.
- Oof, a loose puck bounced right to Keegan Kolesar in the low slot, and he beat Oettinger to the blocker side. Heiskanen’s D-to-D rim attempt behind the net hit off Mitch Marner and skipped out to Kolesar for a quick wrist shot.
- Robertson passed up a couple of golden shooting chances, and Esa Lindell was stopped in right after a puck bounced off Robertson’s stick in the slot. Good response shift from Dallas.
- Stars give Vegas all sorts of trouble on the forecheck, eventually turning it over on a poke check by Robertson. Roope Hintz quickly collects the loose puck behind the net and fires a pass to Mavrik Bourque, who one times it past Hill. Tic-tac-toe starting with a poke check on the forecheck. Love that, and I have really liked this trio as a line. They have been very good on most nights.
- When Rantanen wants to do something with the puck, he does it. His body control, edges, and vision are absolutely ridiculous.
- After the power play finally got some good possession toward the end, Jeremy Lauzon came out of the box and was stopped by Oettinger on a breakaway. Dallas is getting away with some ugly puck play in the period, giving Vegas one good shorthanded rush and nearly a glorious chance on a poor drop pass.
- Harley did do this when Kolesar tried to hit him, though. Lol.
- Bourque is feeling it tonight. Sam Steel made a great pass across to Benn on a 2-on-1, but Benn was unable to get enough on it or he would’ve had an open net. But the Stars jumped on the forecheck, and Benn made up for it, getting a quick backhand saucer pass to Bourque, who dropped down to a knee and absolutely hammered a one-timer past Hill from the right circle. It’s Bourque’s first career multi-goal game.
- Dallas runs either the most or nearly the most faceoff plays of any NHL team. Vegas has struggled to handle them tonight, and this time, Wyatt Johnston got two chances and scores=d on his own rebound. The Stars now have a commanding 4-1 lead that feels commanding.
Stars 4, Golden Knights 1
Period 3
- Vegas didn’t take very long to make this game more interesting than it needs to be. As we chatted about earlier, Dallas had been getting away with some bad puck play and sloppiness, especially on the power play. Well, Smith converted a 2-on-1 for a shorthanded goal that completely flipped the storyline of the game. And odd-man rushes, especially up a man, always come from turnovers.
- The players Vegas has grabbed in trades is absurd. They go full video game mode every spring and bring in two or three superstars or at least players that are on the top of the trade market. Marner and Andersson are just the latest. Stone, Jack Eichel, Tomáš Hertl, Noah Hanfin, Alex Pietrangelo, and Ivan Barbashev. All on the same roster. And others who have since left, like Jonathan Marchessault.
- Dallas has done a really good job defending tonight. Vegas has only 17 shots with less than seven minutes to go in the game, and the Golden Knights have had a lot of trouble getting interior on the Stars D. Good checking, good coverage, blocking shots, and doing exactly that they needed to do.
- But one of those superstars, Barbashev just made this a one-goal game, assisted by another. Dallas did not do nearly enough in the neutral zone, and Vegas danced its way in and find the open slot.
- Did I mention Vegas leads the NHL with eight third-period comebacks?
- Rantanen drilled the left post on a breakaway after intercepting a horrible pass through the neutral zone. Rantanen nearly slipped the rebound out of mid air and in.
- Remember those comebacks…
- That’s the second consecutive game Dallas blew a three-goal third-period lead.
Stars 4, Golden Knights 4
Overtime
- Duchene just went crazy on the forecheck, stole the puck after a batter, and one-handed it to the middle of the ice. Robertson skated into it and went in all alone, but missed high. What a chance to end it and what a play by Duchene.
- Wowwwweee, Bourque just dangled between his own legs and nearly beat Hill on the glove side. His confidence may be at a career high in this game. He never makes those moves at this level. What skill.
- Now Stone barely missed the net on a backdoor 2-on-1 chance. It’s been a fun, albeit unnecessary, overtime period.
Shootout
- Don’t worry, Robertson scoring in the shootout is so back. He went five hole this time. So lethal.
- Oettinger stayed with Eichel, who made about 400 dekes in tight and beat the poke check. Good pad save using his length.
- Rantanen ENDS it under the glove. Perfect shot. Dallas hangs on. And I mean hangs on.
Final: Stars 5, Golden Knights 4 (SO)
And here’s this to end your night with a smile.
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