Photo Credit : Tony Gutierrez / AP Photo
Game One of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs trended in the direction most first games in a playoff series have gone for the Dallas Stars in recent memory, with the team falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in a matchup reminiscent of last season’s Western Conference Final. Despite outshooting Vegas 30-15 in the game, Dallas struggled to shut down the Knights power play, which was responsible for half of the team’s goals, while also failing to convert while on the man advantage.
The Golden Knights set the tone quickly, going on the first power play of the night just 26 seconds into the first period when Dallas’ Sam Steel headed to the box for high sticking Vegas’ Nicolas Roy.
Just over a minute into the power play, Vegas captain Mark Stone, who hit the ice for the first time in 31 games because of a lacerated spleen, put the Knights on the scoreboard. Vegas defenseman Noah Hanifin took a shot from the Dallas blue line that Stone tipped down and behind Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, who was being screened by Golden Knight Tomas Hertl.
The Stars got their first look at a power play advantage two and a half minutes later when Roy was called for slashing Stars captain Jamie Benn, but the Knights killed off the penalty.
With 12:43 on the clock, Dallas defenseman Ryan Suter nearly tied the game with what would have been his first playoff goal since 2017, but the preceding play was challenged by Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy for being offside, and within seconds of the review, the referees agreed, and Dallas’ first goal came back off the board.
The Knights doubled down on their lead just one minute later. Vegas center Ivan Barbashev took control of the puck in the neutral zone and skated it into the Dallas zone along the boards to Oettinger’s left. As he reached the middle of the faceoff circle, Barbashev passed to Jonathan Marchessault who had advanced to the front of the net, and unimpeded, sent the puck through the legs of Oettinger, putting the Knights up 2-0.
With 3:53 remaining in the period, Dallas’ captain definitively, and without challenge, cut Vegas’ lead in half. Stars center Wyatt Johnston took control of the puck in the Dallas zone and sent it through neutral ice to Benn, who was speeding into the Golden Knights zone on a breakaway. Benn skated the puck through the zone and as he approached Golden Knights goalie Logan Thompson, tipped it forward and directly through the goaltender’s legs.
The Golden Knights went on the man advantage yet again with 2:12 remaining in the period when Dallas’ Mason Marchment was sent to the box for hooking Vegas’ Shea Theodore.
Three seconds into the Vegas power play, Hertl regained the Knights’ two-goal lead. Hanifin took a shot from the blue line that Hertl redirected into the pads of Oettinger. Oettinger couldn’t control the puck and it bounced onto the ice in front of him where it was recovered by Hertl who slid the puck around and behind Oettinger, into a wide-open net.
With just 1:31 left in the period, Dallas closed the scoring gap yet again. Dallas’ Logan Stankoven took control of the puck from Stone in the neutral zone before turning and skating it into the Vegas zone. Behind him, Stars left winger Jason Robertson sped into the zone undefended. Stankoven passed the puck through three Golden Knights to Robertson who flew toward the net through the center of the zone and took a shot that sent the puck sliding through the legs of Thompson, bringing the score to 3-2.
The start of the second period seemed a repeat of the first, with the Golden Knights scoring just one minute and six seconds into the period. Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb took a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle that soared over the left shoulder of Oettinger and into the top of the net, doubling Vegas’ lead yet again.
The Stars went on the man advantage with 13:02 left in the period when Vegas defenseman Zach Whitecloud headed to the box for holding Tyler Seguin, but the Knights continued to hold the Stars off on the advantage.
With 8:14 remaining in the third period, Marchment took wrist shot from along the boards to Thompson’s right that reached the Vegas goaltender and bounced off the glove of Thompson before bouncing into the net, putting the Stars back within one at 4-3.
With 2:30 remaining in the game, Dallas pulled Oettinger to add an extra attacker in the Vegas zone, but the empty net advantage, much like Dallas’ power play throughout the night, wouldn’t register the Stars a much-needed point on the scoreboard.
Game Two will take place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. CST.
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