Photos by Dominic Ceraldi
The Dallas Stars were at home in the Lone Star State to finish their three-game homestand, facing off against the Arizona Coyotes, who are on a one-game jaunt east before heading back to the desert.
This is the second of four meetings between the two clubs. The first came just nine days ago in Arizona where the Stars eked out a win on a goal from Jason Robertson midway through the second.
The Coyotes have been on a freefall in the standings throughout the season, currently sitting at the bottom of the league with only 12 points and five wins in 24 games. The Stars more than twice the number of both points and wins, and yet their habit of echoing the ability of their opponent is never more apparent than when they’re playing a team like Arizona.
First Period
The Minutemen streak ended at 75 seconds into the period when Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, and Joe Pavelski couldn’t get it done in the opening minute of play.
The Coyotes opened the numerous trips to the penalty box with a tripping call against Travis Boyd. Even though the Coyotes penalty kill is currently worst in the league, the Stars didn’t manage a shot on goal with the man advantage. Seven minutes later and another tripping call, the Stars manage a shot on goal, but no actual goals.
Also, Jamie Benn took a high stick to the face on the opening face-off of the penalty, but no penalty was called.
Less than a minute after the power play time ended, Roope Hintz started what will hopefully be another point streak (he snapped it on Thursday against Columbus) off a beautiful centering pass from Jason Robertson.
Jason Robertson is currently on a six-game point streak.
The Stars should have had another power play after Alexander Radulov was tripped behind the net, but given the power-play percentage tonight, it may not have helped.
Score effects being what score effects are, the Stars certainly gave a lot of room on the ice to the Coyotes after Hintz’s goal. Through the end of the period, the Stars had zero shots on goal to the Coyotes’ five.
Shots: Stars 7, Coyotes 9
Goals: Stars 1, Coyotes 1
The Stars had another power play opportunity but couldn’t score, followed three minutes later by their first penalty kill of the night. They got a shot on goal on the penalty kill and kept the Coyotes to zero shots on the power play, but that was really the end of the excitement for the second.
Shots: Stars 15, Coyotes 14
Goals: Stars 1, Coyotes 1
Third Period
The Stars came alive in the third period when both they and the crowd that paid to see them remembered that a hockey game was going on. Jacob Peterson opened the scoring in the third period with a distinct kicking motion that was called a goal on the ice and then waived off under review.
Three minutes later, he was in the perfect place for a beautiful backhand centering pass from Alexander Radulov and this time, it was all on Peterson’s stick.
Loui Eriksson decided to celebrate his 1000th game with a trip to the penalty box and with three seconds left in the power play, Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn crashed the net. Denis Gurianov had a shot from the boards that Benn redirected and then caught his own rebound to backhand it past Coyotes goalie Scott Wedgewood.Less than two minutes later, while his first goal was still being announced, Jamie Benn scored his second of the game off a pass from Radulov, who stole the puck as the Coyotes attempted to exit their zone.
And that was the game. The Stars played down to the Coyotes’ level for large swaths of the middle but seemed to remember themselves after Peterson played soccer with the puck.
Shots: Stars 27, Coyotes 19
Goals: Stars 4, Coyotes 1
The Stars will be on the road in Nevada against the Las Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, puck drop is at 9:00 pm CST.
