The Dallas Stars had to scramble, after all. But after taking two road losses against real Stanley Cup playoffs contenders, they got back in the win column — just in time, as it were — with a 4-3 overtime victory against the Anaheim Ducks.
Stars senior staff writer Mike Heika writes about how the Stars managed to get out of their own way, and how important last night’s home win was for the team:
“It was huge,” said center Roope Hintz, who helped set up the goal in overtime. “You can’t worry about that stuff too much, so we tried to find a way. Sometimes, you need to work harder. It was big we got the win tonight.”
Mikael Granlund stepped up in an especially big way with two goals, including the game-winner:
“It’s big for us,” [Thomas] Harley said. “We knew that if we played our best, five-on-five, we would come out on top in this game. We stuck to it in the third period. We’re a veteran team in here. We know that if we play our game, we’re going to have a chance to win every game. We’ve been down before. It’s nothing new. We’ve just got to keep working.”…
“Patience is a big thing in overtime,” Granlund said. “You just try to find your spots to score.”
There’s more at Mike’s place. [Dallas Stars]
Stars Stuff
We’ll be talking about this a lot more, but we need to make sure we’re all on the same page.
In On The #Kill Taker
It was an eventful night in the Murder Death Kill Division. Let’s catch up:
- The Nashville Predators’ star-crossed season suffered another hit with a 4-1 loss to Central cellmates the St. Louis Blues. [The Tennessean]
- Speaking of star-crossed, the Chicago Blackhawks endured their second 6-2 loss in a row, this one at the hands of the Seattle Kraken. [Second City Hockey]
- Utah Hockey Club set the wrong kind of franchise record with a 7-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers — officially its worst in history (so far). [Deseret News]
- And the Winnipeg Jets got careless against the Vancouver Canucks, and came away with a 6-2 loss to show for it. [Arctic Ice Hockey]
Around The Leagues
It’s been a painstaking process, but the NHL’s big bosses say the video review system is working most of the time — and this is after they’ve reviewed the video themselves.
Blues GM Doug Armstrong says salary constraints have kept even the basement dwellers near-competitive — but a rising cap could lift the richer boats higher. Mike Zeisberger has the interview.
The #MensWorlds will be here before you know it. If you’re planning a very early summer vacation, Avicii Arena is right there….
Greetings From Scenic Cedar Park!
It’s game day in Austin Metro. Texas Stars, take it away.
Oh hey, there’s an extra dose of North Texas in the Idaho Steelheads’ arena tonight.
Finally
Let’s hear it for the boy. Good job, Granny!