Dallas Stars lose OT crusher in Las Vegas; playoff series will be a joy and pain soufflé
Jason Robertson finally scored a goal, Jamie Benn did what The Captain should do, and the Dallas Stars still lost.
They lost Game 1 of the NHL’s Western Conference Finals series against the Las Vegas Knights for no reason other than one of these will lose.
They are built, and play, differently but in the end there is virtually zero difference between these two teams.
The same for the remaining teams in the Eastern Conference. Any of the NHL’s Melting Final Four are worthy Stanley Cup winners.
On Friday night in Vegas, one good team played another good team and a good team won.
This series will be decided by some crazy shot scored by someone who shouldn’t score a goal.
The Las Vegas Golden Nuggets defeated the Stars 4-3 in overtime on one of those shots that requires multiple replays to see just how the puck went in.
After watching that, most Stars needed multiple shots of their favorite beverage to wash down the disgust.
At the 1:35 mark of the first overtime, Vegas center Brett Howden banged in a shot that should never be a goal, but ... it’s hockey. These things happen in hockey, especially the playoffs.
Howden was behind the net and slapped a shot that deflected off the back of Stars goalie Jake Oettinger’s leg, and into the net.
How do you exactly coach that one?
Howden immediately celebrated the game-winner, while seemingly everyone else wasn’t sure exactly what the hell just happened. Howden, who scored six goals in the regular season, won the game.
The Vegas Golden Knights (who should be the official team of Medieval Times) lead the series 1-0; Game 2 is 2 p.m. on Sunday in Vegas.
Unless you like setting fire to money, do not bother betting on anything in this series other than the start of the game. Even that doesn’t feel like a safe bet. Anything else is a coin toss. Remember coins?
The Stars will feel that they blew Game 1. They did. And they didn’t.
They led 1-0 in the first period when Robertson scored his first goal in what felt like eight years but was actually eight games.
No player remaining in the playoffs could have felt the need to score a goal more than Robertston; he scored 46 goals in the regular season.
Vegas tied it in the second period. Vegas took a 2-1 lead in the third period.
The Stars tied it on Roope Hintz’s 10th goal of the postseason.
The Golden Nuggets (sorry, The Strip references are too easy) scored the apparent game-winner at the 9:20 mark.
With just under two minutes remaining in regulation, and the Stars playing with an extra skater after they pulled Oettinger, The Captain knocked in the tying goal.
Jamie Benn, who is no longer the top winger on this roster, did what a veteran who “gets it” is supposed to do. He was around the net, and picked up a loose puck after a rocket shot by defenseman Miro Heiskanen was made available.
Whatever momentum the Stars had by tying the game so late, it didn’t look like it in the start of overtime.
The Stars weren’t quite as flat to open OT as they were to start the game, when they were out-shot 11-1.
By the end of the game, Vegas had one more shot than the Stars. The teams were a combined 0-for-3 on the power play. Both teams had 18 blocked shots.
Maybe Vegas was a bit more physical, but the final score is an accurate reflection of how close these teams are; the difference is a lucky shot that banged in off the back of the goalie’s leg.
The Dallas Stars are down 1-0 in a series that reeks of Game 7 overtime misery, drama and joy.
Try to enjoy it.
