Wyatt Johnston completed a natural hat trick just 20 seconds into overtime, leading the Dallas Stars to a thrilling 4-3 comeback victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
Johnston’s second career hat trick helped the Stars erase a 3-1 deficit in the second period and secure their fourth win in five games. His first three-goal performance came on March 5 of last season against San Jose.
Mavrik Bourque also scored for Dallas, while Roope Hintz contributed two assists. Goaltender Jake Oettinger made 25 saves in the victory.
For Vegas, Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev each registered a goal and an assist, while Tomas Hertl found the back of the net. Captain Mark Stone added two assists, and Adin Hill stopped 25 shots.
The Golden Knights lost defenseman Miro Heiskanen in the third period after Stone appeared to make contact with his left knee and thigh while potentially being tripped.
Hertl’s first-period goal extended his career-best point streak to 10 games, ranking second in franchise history behind Eichel’s 12-game streak in 2023. Meanwhile, Dorofeyev notched his 10th power-play goal of the season, just one shy of the team record shared by Eichel (2023) and Erik Haula (2017-18).
Johnston’s short-handed goal in the second period marked the fifth of his career, trailing only Brian Bellows (nine) for most in Stars history by a player 21 or younger.
Takeaways
Stars: Dallas faced a critical moment after Vegas capitalized on a 5-on-3 power play to take a 3-1 lead in the second period. However, Johnston’s short-handed goal gave the Stars momentum, setting the stage for the comeback.
Golden Knights: Vegas appeared in control early, dominating much of the game before letting their lead slip away. The Golden Knights were unable to shut down Dallas’ late surge.
Key Moment
Johnston’s game-tying goal with 8:06 left in regulation forced overtime, setting up his dramatic winner.
Key Stat
Stone recorded his 200th assist since joining the Golden Knights.
Up Next
The Stars return home to face Vancouver on Friday night, while the Golden Knights stay in Las Vegas to take on Columbus on Thursday night.
