Photo Credit : WFAA
For the first time since the 2006-2007 season, the Dallas Stars swept the Los Angeles Kings, closing out the third and final matchup of the season 4-1 at American Airlines Center.
The night’s victory was only moderately overshadowed by the unveiling of Dallas Stars hall-of-famer Mike Modano’s “Immortalized” statue in PNC Plaza. The state took up residence across from Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, cementing Modano’s place of honor within the organization, within the hears of Stars fans and within the ever-growing hockey community in Dallas.
Dallas kicked off scoring early tonight, as has seemingly become the norm for the Stars. Just two and a half minutes into the first period, fourth line center Radek Faksa won a faceoff in the Kings zone, sending the puck behind him to defenseman Thomas Harley at the blue line. Harley skated the puck into the center of the zone before launching a shot toward the net that bounced off the mask of Kings goalie David Rittich, sending the puck into the glass behind the net. The puck bounced off the glass and dropped back into play, landing on the left shoulder of Rittich, who drifted backward into the net in an attempt to prevent Faksa from batting the puck into the net, but sending the puck across the goal line himself.
With 11:11 on the clock, Dallas’ fourth line struck again. The Stars took control of the puck in the neutral zone with a tap of the puck from Harley to defenseman Miro Heiskanen, halting a Kings attempted advance into the Stars zone. Heiskanen passed the puck to Stars center Craig Smith at center ice, who slid across the Kings blue line to allow Ty Dellandrea to race into the zone in front of him. Smith took a series of stutter steps further into the zone and took a seemingly unassuming wrist shot from the middle of the blue line that sailed into the net behind Rittich, putting the Stars up 2-0.
Dallas went on the penalty kill first in the night’s matchup, with Wyatt Johnston heading to the penalty box for holding Los Angeles’ Pierre-Luc Dubois with eight and a half minutes remaining in the period, but the Stars killed the penalty.
Four minutes later, Johnston would extend the Stars lead yet again. Dallas rookie Logan Stankoven took control of the puck in the Stars zone before tapping it forward to defenseman Ryan Suter. Suter sent the puck to Johnston, who skated it through neutral ice and across the Kings blue line unimpeded. When he reached the top of the right faceoff circle, he sent a wrist shot toward the net that flew over the left shoulder of Rittich and closed out the first period with the Stars up 3-0.
The Stars got their first look at a power play just two minutes into the second period when Los Angeles’ Dubois headed to the box for hooking Faksa.
Just 22 seconds into the power play, Stars captain Jamie Benn landed Dallas’ fourth, and final, goal of the night. Joe Pavelski skated the puck into the Kings zone before sending it across the ice to an advancing Benn who launched a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle that soared over the left shoulder of Rittich.
The Stars went on the power play again just two minutes later when Kings center Phillip Danault headed to the box for slashing Dallas’ Sam Steel, but the Kings held off the Stars on the team’s second power play opportunity.
The much-desired Stars shutout dream was dashed just one minute and 11 seconds into the final frame. Benn lost a defensive zone faceoff against Dubois, dropping the puck behind him. Kings left winger Kevin Fiala, who leads the team in goals and in points, grabbed the puck before launching a quick shot from the top of the left faceoff circle that flew over the right shoulder of Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
The Stars push forward into the fourth of five games in the current homestand on Wednesday night, taking on the Arizona Coyotes for the second time this season at 7 p.m.
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