Stars battled back from a third-period scare, securing a vital road win and finishing January strong.
Going into the third period with a 3-1 lead, the Dallas Stars had the perfect opportunity to rid the demons of their previous two games.
The Stars had blown a three goal lead in the third period against the St. Louis Blues Tuesday and against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, but had managed to win both games despite the meltdowns. Now, with a two goal lead, the team had a clear goal to achieve in Utah.
Utah Mammoth defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) dives in front of Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) to block a shot during third period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn ImagesThe Mammoth rattled one home just before the halfway mark of the third period to cut the Stars lead to 3-2, but prior to the goal Dallas had controlled the game for the most part. After the goal went in, the Stars buckled down even more, not allowing Utah any clear cut chances to tie it up, and handled the empty net situation well. Nick Schmaltz had an open look but could not corral the puck with around a minute left, and the Stars milked the clock with several clears after that.
It was a monumental night for the Stars power play, scoring two goals with the man advantage once again. Thomas Harley scored the first power play goal and opening goal of the game. Harley interchanged with Mavrik Borque, roaming around like a forward in the upper slot while Borque manned the point, firing off a shot that rebounded to Harley for the easy put-back.
Wyatt Johnston scored the second power play goal in the first period, making history by tying Mike Modano for the most power play goals in a Dallas season with 18. Johnston tipped a shot in from the slot to put the Stars up 2-0.
Kailer Yamamoto added a goal for Utah in the first period to make the score 2-1. Then, Matt Duchene answered it with just over three minutes left to intermission, extending his goal streak to four games.
The score held 3-1 until the third period, and even with the second Utah goal, the Stars played a great road game and dictated the play. The win now puts Dallas 5-1 in their last six games, even though they looked shaky in several of those wins. It also means despite the seemingly calamitous play in January, the team finishes with a winning record at 7-6-2.
Now, the team comes home for an extended stretch of time. For those not going to the Olympics, the next game away from Dallas won't be until March 2 in Vancouver. Overall, the team only has nine road games left for the entire season. The Stars have more home games remaining than any team except the New York Rangers, and will look to lean heavily on that home slate to regain their footing in the standings and finish strong after the Olympics in the push to the playoffs.
The Stars have two games left before the Olympic break against Winnipeg and St. Louis.
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