The Dallas Stars won 2-1 against the Las Vegas Golden Knights in Game 7 of the first round of the NHL Playoffs on Sunday to progress to the next round against the Colorado Avalanche.
Both teams chose to play a physical game in Game 7, but the Stars never fell behind and took an early lead in the final period, which they held onto to secure the win.
The Stars had an early chance to take the lead during a power play, which came after Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar was penalized for holding Stars left wing Jason Robertson.
However, Dallas couldn't take advantage of the opportunity, as they failed to get a shot on goal and the power play ended without a score with 13:38 remaining in the first period.
Stars Head Coach Pete DeBoer commented that the teams seemed to be cautiously sizing each other up early in the game, and there weren't many opportunities for the offense to shoot.
Eventually, Dallas found an opening to shoot when center Wyatt Johnston intercepted the puck from the Knights and scored past goalie Adin Hill, giving the home team a 1-0 lead with 5:26 left in the first period.
The rest of the period was evenly matched, and the Stars went into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.
The defensive battle continued into the next period, with the Stars being the first to reach 10 shots on goal after nearly 30 minutes of play, with a shot by defenseman Miro Heiskanen saved by Hill with 10:54 left.
Vegas quickly became more aggressive, getting several shots on goal that resulted in a goal by center Brett Howden, assisted by right-wing Michael Amadio and center William Karlsson, with 4:35 remaining in the period.
Howden’s first goal of the game led the teams to be tied 1-1 at the second intermission.
Dallas started the final period strong, as left-wing Radek Faksa put the Stars ahead 2-1 with a backhanded shot less than a minute into the period.
The Stars remained on the offensive despite taking the lead, sending five shots on goal in a two-minute span shortly after Faksa’s goal, but Hill blocked each one.
Vegas had the opportunity to equalize after a two-minute penalty on Stars right-wing Evgenii Dadonov, following a tripping penalty on goalie Jake Oettinger.
Dallas held on to their 2-1 lead during the penalty, maintaining it with 9 minutes left in the game.
The Knights tried to tie the game late in the match, pulling their goalie and adding an extra offensive player with just 1:50 remaining.
However, the additional player didn't make a difference for the Knights, as Dallas prevented any goals during this time and secured a 2-1 victory.
Game 7 showcased physicality from players on both sides, with the two teams totaling 86 hits over the 60 minutes of play.
Oettinger played a crucial role in the Stars’ win, saving 95.7% of the 23 shots on goal from Knights players. saved Dallas will host Game 1 of the second round against the Colorado Avalanche, who easily beat the Winnipeg Jets in just five games in their first-round matchup.
Game 1 will take place on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. CT at the American Airlines Center.
The Dallas Stars won 2-1 against the Las Vegas Golden Knights in Game 7 of the first round of the NHL Playoffs on Sunday to move on to the second round against the Colorado Avalanche. Both teams chose to play a physical game in Game 7, but the Stars were never behind and took the lead […]
