Stars Lock it Down in Third Period, Get Win Over Sharks

The Dallas Stars continued their strong start to the 2026-27 NHL season Saturday night, defeating the San Jose Sharks 4-3 at American Airlines Center. Behind a three-point performance from defenseman Thomas Harley and three power-play goals, Dallas built an early advantage and held on through a competitive final two periods to secure its 10th victory of the season.

The win improved Dallas to 10-5-2 and extended its recent success to three wins and a shootout loss over its last four games. Meanwhile, San Jose dropped to 7-11-1, suffering its fifth consecutive defeat. 

Although the Stars controlled much of the opening period, the Sharks made things interesting at 7:22 of the first period, Michael Misa opened the scoring, giving the Sharks an early 1-0 advantage. Macklin Celebrini created the opportunity with an excellent pass across the offensive zone, while Will Smith also picked up an assist on the play. 

Dallas responded less than two minutes later with a power-play goal from Roope Hintz. During a four-on-three advantage, Hintz found the rebound near the left post after a Wyatt Johnston tip attempt and buried it past San Jose goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to even the score at 1-1.

The Stars continued building momentum as the period progressed. At 15:17, captain Jamie Benn gave Dallas its first lead of the evening. Hintz recovered the puck below the goal line and delivered a pass into the slot, where Benn fired a shot into the far corner. The goal was particularly noteworthy for Benn, who entered the evening approaching the milestone of 1,000 career NHL points, all with the Dallas Stars organization. This goal marked point 999 and his third goal of the season. 

Just over a minute later, Dallas struck again. Jason Robertson scored on another power play at 16:51, converting a pass from Mikko Rantanen with a shot over Nedeljkovic's glove. After trailing 1-0 early, Dallas headed into the first intermission with a commanding 3-1 advantage.

The Sharks weren't ready to go quietly. Just 2:47 into the second period, rookie Ivar Stenberg cut the Dallas lead to 3-2. Celebrini helped create another scoring opportunity with a two-on-one rush, finding Stenberg for the goal. Defenseman Eric Pohlkamp also earned an assist, recording his first NHL point in just his third career game. 

Dallas eventually found its answer through its most productive player of the night. At 14:30, Harley blasted a one-timer from the point on the power play, beating Nedeljkovic to restore the Stars' two-goal advantage. Johnston and Rantanen picked up assists on the goal, giving Harley his third point of the evening.

However, San Jose continued pushing. With Dallas facing a five-on-three penalty-kill situation, Will Smith capitalized at 17:02. Mason Marchment delivered a cross-crease pass to Smith at the back post, where he found the open net to make it a one-goal game at 4-3.

With only a one-goal lead separating the teams, the third period became a test of Dallas' defensive discipline and ability to protect its advantage. The Stars managed to keep San Jose off the scoreboard throughout the final period, preventing the Sharks from completing their comeback. Jake Oettinger played an important role in preserving the victory, finishing with 20 saves on 23 shots. His ability to make key stops helped Dallas withstand San Jose's attempts to generate a late equalizer.

Despite the Sharks' efforts, the Stars maintained their defensive structure and protected the middle of the ice when it mattered most. Dallas ultimately closed out the 4-3 victory.

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