In Los Angeles Saturday the Dallas Stars demonstrated why the rest of the Western Conference may be up for grabs come playoffs.
Jordie Benn scored the game-winner with less than five minutes left in regulation to send the Stars to a 3-2 win over the Kings in a tense contest.
“Those games, we’ve got to get used to them now,” Jordie Benn said. “They push pretty hard, they’ve got some heavy guys. If we can weather the storm and weather them coming at us like that, we can use our speed and come out like we did tonight.”
Jamie Benn scored in Dallas win over LA – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
Kari Lehtonen made 24 saves in the win.
“They’re a high-scoring team. I think they’re the highest-scoring team in the League by a long shot,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. “They’re not a team you want to trade chances with. They’re a big team and they’re a real strong team. I think we shot the puck into the stands to avoid their forecheck and it cost us a goal.”
Tanner Pearson and Jeff Carter scored for the Kings.
“Actually, I’m not quite sure how to categorize it,” Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi said. “We started slow and it probably should have been more than a tie game. We should have been in a hole probably. We started to come around, but we just didn’t get the job done, plain and simple. When the time came for them to make a play and execute and get some gritty goals, they did.”
Jonathan Quick took the loss on 36 saves.
“I thought we came out real good, played a heck of a first period and (Kings goalie Jonathan) Quick made some great saves,” Dallas coach Lindy Ruff said. “I thought both teams had a lot of intensity and it was a heck of a hockey game.”
Patrick Eaves and Jamie Benn also scored for the Stars.
“That was awesome,” Benn said. “Our forwards were battling down low and you never expect it to get to the top. Usually you just want to grind it down low and see what happens, but it came from down low up top and (Nemeth) slid over to me and I just tried to shoot it as hard as I could.”
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