Jack Eichel scores in the first period for Vegas Chalk up another epic showdown between the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars. On the heels of ending a four-game losing skid with a 4-2 win over the Blues in St. Louis on Thursday, the Golden Knights dropped a 4-3 decision to the Stars on Friday, evening the regular-season series at 1-1. Jack Eichel scored twice, including one midway through the third period to make it a one-goal game, while Shea Theodore also scored for the Golden Knights. And while Vegas netminder Adin Hill made 23 saves, it was Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger stealing the show with four monster saves inside the final moments during a 6-on-5 advantage for Vegas to preserve the win. Vegas outshot the Stars in the first and third periods, but Dallas' whopping 15-5 edge in the second period led to a 3-1 scoring advantage in the middle stanza, which was the difference in the game. The Golden Knights have been outscored 52-48 in the second period this season. Here are three takeaways from Friday night: MORE POWER: Despite the loss, the Golden Knights continue to impress on the power play. With Eichel's first goal in the opening period and Theodore's in the second, the Golden Knights have scored on the power play for the eighth consecutive game. Despite a 2-5-1 slide since Jan. 11, the Knights rank No. 1 with a man advantage, converting on 10 of 23 (43.5%) power-play attempts in that span. Vegas returns home from its three-game road trip with the league's best road power play (18 of 56, 32.1%). FADIN' HILL: After enjoying a 10-2-1 stretch from Nov. 13 through Dec. 27, Hill has seemingly hit a snag over his last seven starts, going 2-4-1 since Dec. 31. During the seven-game stretch his goals-against average is 2.75, while his save percentage is a paltry .885. To compare, during the 13-game span from mid-November to late December, he had a 2.14 GAA and .921 save percentage. INTENSE RIVALRY: Since former Knights coach Peter DeBoer took over in Dallas, and Bruce Cassidy arrived in Vegas, the teams have established quite a rivalry. Vegas beat Dallas in the Western Conference Final en route to winning the Stanley Cup in 2023. The Stars returned the favor by eliminating the Golden Knights last May in the first round of the playoffs. Dallas swept the three-game regular-season series two seasons back, while Vegas swept the regular-season tilts last season. The Stars assured us there would be no regular-season sweep this season with Friday's win. The teams meet Tuesday once again, this time back in Vegas.
