Photo credit: (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
Three games into the 2023-2024 season, the Dallas Stars notched their first victory in 60 minutes, beating the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in Anaheim.
The Stars struggled early, with the Ducks taking the first lead of the night just five minutes into the first period. Jake Oettinger denied Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras of the night’s first tally, stopping Zegras’ shot from just inside the Stars blue line, but wasn’t able to hold on to the puck, giving Ducks forward Troy Terry a chance at a rebound on his stick side. Terry grabbed the rebound and shot the puck over Oettinger’s arm, putting the Ducks up 1-0. The Ducks continued to dominate on offense in the first period, outshooting the Stars 17 to seven and shutting down the Stars power play, leaving Dallas without a goal and 0-and-2 on the power play at the end of the first period.
The Stars were quickly on the defensive again early in the second period, when Jani Hakanpää was sent to the penalty box just 30 seconds in, called for interference against Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano. The Stars held the Ducks power play at bay for the third time, however, and the tide began to turn in the Stars’ favor.
With 10:14 left in the period, Anaheim took a too many men on the ice penalty; the team’s 15th bench minor of the season and the most of any team in the NHL. After winning a face off in their own zone, the Ducks sent the puck down the ice and deep into the Stars zone. Oettinger left his net to retrieve it and sent it up the ice to Miro Heiskanen who passed it to Joe Pavelsk at the center ice red line. As Pavelski entered the Ducks zone, Roope Hintz sped into play to his left, streaking between Anaheim’s Vatrano and Radko Grudas. Pavelski sent a quick pass to Hintz who shot it within seconds and landed the Stars first goal just 16 seconds into the power play.
The Stars continued the offensive onslaught during the period, pulling even with the Ducks in shots on goal. With just over two minutes left in the second period, Hintz drew a tripping call at Anaheim’s blue line, putting the Stars on the power play for the fifth time. Only 14 seconds in, Heiskanen launched a shot into the center lane of Anaheim’s zone, past Ducks Vatrano and Bo Groulx, to Pavelski, who deflected the shot past Ducks goalie John Gibson to give the Stars their first lead of the night. The Stars shut down the Ducks offense in the second, holding Anaheim to only one shot on goal and overtaking the Ducks 19 to 18 in the metric.
Just one minute and one second into the third period, though, Ryan Suter got caught chasing Anaheim’s Troy Terry at the Ducks blue line, leaving Heiskanen alone to face down a two-on-one offensive push between Terry and Leo Carlsson. Terry sent a quick pass to Carlsson who lobbed it over the back of a sprawled Oettinger, tying the game at two.
Seven minutes into the third period, Dallas’ Sam Steele sent a pass from neutral ice to Heiskanen as he entered the Ducks zone. Heiskanen drove past Anaheim’s Tristan Luneau in the offensive zone, looking to send the puck back to Steele who was pushing for position in front of the net. Instead, Heiskanen bounced the puck off the skate of Anaheim’s Cam Fowler, sending it sliding under the arm of Gibson, and putting the Stars back in the lead.
With slightly over two minutes left in the game, Anaheim pulled Gibson from the net and sent an offensive assault toward Oettinger, who denied numerous attempts by the Ducks to tie up the match, and closed out the Stars first regulation win of the season. With the victory in Anaheim, Oettinger has only allowed five goals on the 87 shots he’s faced in the first three games of the season.
After their week-long trip out West, the Stars will return to home ice on Saturday to take on the Philadelphia Flyers, who currently sit at the top of the Metropolitan division.
Photo credit: Ryan Hadji (ryanhadji.com)
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