On Thursday, the Vegas Golden Knights (25-14-14) kicked off a two-game homestand against the Dallas Stars (31-14-9). After a dreadful second period, they entered the third down 4-1. They fought back and rallied to tie the game, but fell 5-4 in a shootout.
The Stars got on the board just 1:37 into the first period. Matt Duchene found Jamie Benn all alone in front of the net; Adin Hill came out to challenge, and Benn’s shot went wide. Duchene corralled the puck and fired it home before Hill had a chance to reset.
The Golden Knights found the equalizer at 4:07 in the second. Sam Steel turned the puck over to Mitch Marner behind the net, and Marner found Keegan Kolesar all alone in the slot.
However, Kolesar’s goal did little to rally the Golden Knights. The Stars outshot them 9-3 in the following 16 minutes and generated 17 total scoring chances. Dallas’ work manifested in three goals in less than eight minutes.
The Stars regained the lead at 8:46 in the second period. Keegan Kolesar turned the puck over behind the net, and Roope Hintz found Mavrik Bourque all alone in the slot.
The Stars took a two-goal lead at 14:16 in the second. Sam Steel worked Rasmus Andersson off the puck, and Jamie Benn found Mavrik Bourque in the right circle for his second of the night.
The Stars added to their lead just 2:27 later. Mikko Rantanen won an offensive zone face-off to Wyatt Johnston, who went on to pot his own rebound.
As has been the case many times this year, the tide turned in the third period. The Golden Knights slowly wrestled control of the game away from Dallas, and it eventually paid off. They only outshot the Stars 7-6, but generated 11 scoring chances.
The Golden Knights cut into Dallas’ lead while shorthanded at 4:04 in the third. Keegan Kolesar stripped the puck from Jason Robertson in the defensive zone and raced up ice on a 2-on-1 with Reilly Smith. Kolesar’s pass got through Miro Heiskanen, and Smith ripped it home.
The Golden Knights made it a one-goal game at 13:54 in the third. Rasmus Andersson carried the puck into the zone and threaded a pass into the slot; Ivan Barbashev fired a shot past Jake Oettinger to snap a 16-game goalless skid.
With 1:46 remaining in regulation, Adin Hill went off in favor of the extra attacker.
The Golden Knights found the equalizer with just 49 seconds remaining in regulation. Tomáš Hertl won the face-off cleanly back to Mitch Marner at the point. Marner walked the line, dusted off the puck, and fired a shot that found its way into the Stars’ net.
The Golden Knights controlled most of overtime, but passed up scoring chances and didn’t manage a single shot on goal. The Stars recorded three shots, but Adin Hill was up to the task.
In the shootout, Jake Oettinger turned aside both of the Golden Knights’ shooters. Adin Hill denied Matt Duchene, but Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen scored, and the Golden Knights fell 5-4.
They are now 1-6 in games this season decided in the shootout.
