Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger made a sprawling save to secure a victory, extending his right leg to stop the puck and clinch a 2-1 shootout win against the Vegas Golden Knights in a clash of division leaders on Saturday night.
Oettinger stopped all three shots in the shootout, including the game-ending attempt by Paul Cotter, while Roope Hintz scored the lone goal in the tiebreaker. Hintz was a game-time decision but delivered when it mattered.
“Got lucky. God gave me long legs, so thankful for that,” Oettinger said of his final save. “Just felt it on the end of my foot there, so I was hoping it stayed out and happy it did.”
The victory brought Dallas to 102 points, putting them atop the Central Division with three games remaining. Vegas, leading the Pacific Division, clinched home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs by earning a point for the 14th time in their last 16 games. The Golden Knights have 107 points, two more than Edmonton.
“We went to training camp; this team missed the playoffs the year before. That’s the first box we wanted to check,” said first-year Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy. “We would like to do that, conference, all those things. But at the end of the day, I think we want health going into the playoffs.”
Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud had to be helped off the ice in the third period after his left leg buckled awkwardly. Cassidy said Whitecloud was doing OK and would be evaluated after the team returned home.
Hintz, who was limited by a lower-body injury earlier in the week, was a game-time decision but played through the pain.
“Ground it out. It was a question mark going into pregame skate at probably 50-50,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “He wanted to be out there with our group and knew the importance of the game.”
Vegas goalie Jonathan Quick made a key glove save on Jason Robertson’s shot in the shootout, but Hintz scored on a 20-foot wrister in the second round to give Dallas the edge.
Each team managed only one shot on goal in overtime, with Vegas’ Reilly Smith hitting the post with two minutes left.
Joel Kiviranta tied the game 1-1 for Dallas in the second period with a wrister from the top of the circle. Brett Howden had given Vegas a 1-0 lead in the first period with a breakaway goal over Oettinger’s left shoulder. Oettinger made 19 saves, while Quick stopped 24 shots for Vegas.
Game Notes
- The five-game goal streak for Stars center Joe Pavelski was snapped. Pavelski remains one point shy of becoming the 11th U.S.-born player to reach 1,000 NHL points.
- Vegas forward Phil Kessel had a goal disallowed in the first period for using his hand to knock the puck into the net.
Up Next
- Golden Knights: Play their home finale Tuesday against playoff-bound Seattle.
- Stars: Monday night at playoff-eliminated Detroit.
