Photos by Dominic Ceraldi
n the final game of their three-game homestand, the Stars grinded out a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks to earn two key points in their quest for a playoff spot.
Jake Oettinger returned to form and the PK tandem of Luke Glendening and Michael Raffl delivered with a big-time shorthanded goal to give Dallas 91 points with seven games remaining.
Here are the five takeaways of the game.
STRIKING EARLY
The Stars didn’t waste any time getting on the board on Saturday, pouncing just 5:55 into the game on a greasy goal from Tyler Seguin. His 23rd goal of the season came off a great feed from Ryan Suter, who spotted Seguin backdoor.
BACK-TO-BACK SAVES
Holding a 1-0 lead midway through the middle frame, Oettinger made sure it stayed that way with two key stops minutes apart.
His first save came off a partial breakaway from Noah Gregor, who cut to the inside of Suter before coming inches away from tying the score. Oettinger managed to get a skate on the puck, which precariously slid past the right post.
Then, he denied Rudolfs Balcers on a 2-on-1 chance point blank.
EXTRA SAUCE
Glendening’s backhand saucer pass to Raffl majestically soared through the air over a sprawling Brent Burns before reaching its intended destination. It was a thing of beauty, and the only way he was going to get the pass to Raffl.
From there, Raffl went down on a knee and one-timed it past Kaapo Kahkonen for his seventh goal of the season and his first since Feb. 27.
Glendening’s been on a tear over the past handful of games, and probably should’ve had at least two goals in the win over Tampa Bay earlier in the week. His work on the penalty kill has been outstanding all season, and he’s one of four players to appear in every game of the 2021-22 campaign.
ONE-GOAL GAMES
Close games are nothing new for the Stars, and their record this season proves they’re more than comfortable in those types of contests.
With the win, the Stars improved to 26-6-5 in one-goal games this season. And we all know that once the playoffs begin, the games get even tighter.
FINDING WAYS TO WIN
It wasn’t pretty, but the Stars found a way to earn two points. Oettinger made key saves at crucial times and the Stars scored an enormous shorthanded goal that served as the game winner.
With every game the Stars win, the better their odds are of making the postseason. Keep this wave going, and you’ll see the Stars in the big dance.
Courtesy Kyle Shohara
