After the Dallas Stars forced overtime with just 1:59 left in regulation, Brett Howden couldn’t help but think about the marathon four-overtime game between Florida and Carolina the night before. Fortunately for Howden and the Vegas Golden Knights, he quickly ensured there would be no repeat.
Just 1:35 into overtime, Howden scored from behind the net, banking the puck off Stars goalie Jake Oettinger to give the Golden Knights a 4-3 win in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final.
“I just threw it in there, got a little lucky,” Howden said. “I think Oettinger ended up putting it in himself.”
This was the third time in four meetings this season that Vegas and Dallas needed extra time to decide the outcome. The Stars had won two shootouts in the regular season.
Despite their experience with overtime losses—this being the third series in a row the Stars have dropped the opener in OT—Dallas knows how to bounce back.
Vegas seemed set to win in regulation until Dallas pulled Oettinger for an extra skater. Jamie Benn then scored with 6-on-5 to force overtime after the Golden Knights failed to clear the puck.
Despite the late setback, the Golden Knights remained calm and struck quickly in overtime to take the series lead.
“I joked with the guys, ‘Let’s get this over with so everyone can go home,’” said Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy. “Luckily, we capitalized on the first chance, and sometimes that’s all it takes.”
William Karlsson scored twice for Vegas, giving him seven goals in the playoffs, while Teddy Blueger also scored. Zach Whitecloud recorded two assists, and Adin Hill made 33 saves.
For the Stars, Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson each tallied a goal and an assist, with Hintz now sitting at 10 postseason goals. Joe Pavelski added two assists, and Oettinger stopped 33 shots.
Game 2 is set for Sunday in Las Vegas.
Dallas opened the scoring late in the first period after a quirky bounce off the boards put the puck on Hintz’s stick, who fired a shot that Robertson redirected for a 1-0 lead.
Vegas tied it up in the second period when Whitecloud’s shot from the point deflected off the boards to Karlsson, who finished the play.
Both teams had close chances in the second, with a Vegas shot sitting on the goal line behind Oettinger and Dallas’ Tyler Seguin hitting the post on a rush.
Karlsson gave Vegas a 2-1 lead early in the third, but Hintz responded just minutes later. Blueger scored at 9:20 after a crease scramble, but Benn’s late goal sent the game to overtime.
The Stars overcame a sluggish start, being outshot 11-1 early in the game.
“I thought we got better as the game went on,” said Stars coach Pete DeBoer. “Our third period was our best, but the first was our worst.”
NO CHALLENGE FROM DALLAS
Blueger’s goal nearly stood as the winner, but Benn’s late equalizer changed that. DeBoer opted not to challenge Blueger’s goal for goaltender interference, as a failed challenge would have given Vegas a power play.
“Our video guys saw that Miro’s stick might have tripped Kolesar into the goalie, and Suter could’ve pushed him,” DeBoer said. “After looking at it, it would have been a tough challenge.”