In Dallas, Jason Robertson drifted across the offensive zone from right to left, finding a seam to take a shot from near the blue line that was blocked down.
The puck came back to his stick and he wristed home a power play marker at 16:32 of the middle frame to give the Stars a 3-2 lead over the Vegas Golden Knights.
“Knowing how we’ve been over the years as far as losing streaks, as far as the character in this room, we didn’t feel like we were going to lose three in a row. We just wanted to start with one and go from there,” Dallas’ Tyler Seguin said. “Our intent is to try to [win] the next one.”
Jake Oettinger made 25 saves in the game, and protected the slim lead for the final score.
Dallas leads the series, 3-2 headed to Vegas for Game 6 on Friday night.
“I think the resilience, obviously being down 2-0 is not the spot you want to be in going into Vegas (for Game 3),” Dallas’ Wyatt Johnston said. “Still got a lot of work to do. Getting the job done will be the toughest, but I think it’s been great how we’ve been able to battle back.”
The loss leaves the defending Stanley Cup Champions on the precipice of elimination in the first round.
The two teams skated to a 2-2 tie after the opening 20 minutes of play.
“I still think these last two games we were right there in the second period late again,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Got away from us for puck management and discipline and allowed them to get going. We’re the defending Stanley Cup champions. There’s lots of resolve in that room, lots of winners in that room, lot of pride in that room. We have to go home and win one game at home in the playoffs. That’s something we’re certainly capable of. Will it happen? Dallas will have a lot of say in that. It’s not this obstacle that we can’t do.”
Mark Stone staked Vegas to a 1-0 lead with a power play marker at 4:00, scoring off a deflection of a shot by Noah Hanifin.
“That’s the playoffs. You have to win the special teams battle, you have to win the goaltending battle,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “This isn’t something we’ve turned on. We’ve got top-10 penalty kill and power play all year, just like our defensive game. This isn’t something we’ve dialed up for the playoffs. We’re playing a very good opponent, but it’s been good all year. It has to be. You don’t just crank that stuff up in the playoffs.”
Dallas replied with a strike by Evgenii Dadonov 62 seconds later to tie the game, 1-1. He scored off a shot/pass by Logan Stankoven to right side of the cage.
Dallas kept the pressure on, and Matt Duchene pushed the Stars into a 2-1 lead at 8:04, also scoring off the power play. He scor4d off a rebound down low.
“I’ve had some looks so far after Game 2, a few in Game 3 there last game,” Duchene said. “I think our power play has been doing a good job. [Seguin] made a great play into [Johnston] there, had a good tip, and it’s just one of those ones you just fire to the net and it finds its way in. Going to the right places, going to the net, and every now and then you get one of those.”
William Carrier responded for the Golden Knights at 12:31, scoring off a wraparound effort.
“We said before the game there’s going to be momentum shifts throughout games and throughout series,” Vegas’ Alec Martinez said. “You’ve got to handle that with composure. I think we let our emotions get the best of us in the second there. Obviously [some] penalty trouble, but we got away from our game. Had a little too much panic in our game, too much of a fire drill. We’ve got to handle the emotional side of it.”
Adin Hill made 22 saves in the loss.
“I think it’s been a real tight series, back and forth a lot,” Hanifin said. “Every game’s a battle and close, so our focus has to shift on getting the win at home. We can’t lose three in a row at home. We have to push it to a Game 7. That’s where our mindset is.”
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