The first ten minutes sure were pretty tonight.
The Dallas Stars, beneficiary of already having one game played out of the All-Star break, came out to another quick-paced start. Unlike against Montreal, the Stars were able to make that start count.
They scored three goals in the span of about four and a half minutes about mid-way through the first period.
At even strength, and on the power play. Not just one power play goal, but two. Yes, you read that right. Two power play goals in the first period.
So what was so different tonight that made them able to finally cash in? On the first one, it was Jamie Benn set up right in front of the net. It’s a spot we haven’t seen him take much, as he’s usually been out on the perimeter or on the opposing circle trying to funnel the puck towards Tyler Seguin on the right side for the one timer. The second was a great shot from Ales Hemsky from beyond the circle that picked Robin Lehner’s corner.
The Stars hadn’t scored multiple power play goals in a game for over a month. They’ve had plenty of opportunities in that time, too.
After the Stars went up 3-0, the Senators were able to shift the momentum back their way with two goals of their own. At even strength, and on the power play.
Both teams traded chances in the second period, but it was scoreless. Each team had power play chances that looked more like penalty kills, as the other was able to get prime scoring chances short handed due to turnovers and poor puck protection.
Neither found the back of the net, as Kari Lehtonen and Lehner stood tall.
It felt like just a matter of time before the Senators would find the tying goal, and it was none other than former Dallas Star Alex Chiasson that provided it early in the third period.
The Stars seemed to lose their focus a little bit through the second and into the third periods, making really poor decisions with the puck often in their own zone. There were also some questionable penalties taken that kept the Stars from really finding an offensive groove.
Both teams created — and committed — turnovers, which left us with some very north/south kind of hockey at times. The Senators seemed to get their skating legs under them as the game moved on, and the Stars’ offensive chances seemed to decline a bit because of it. They had more backchecking to contend with as the game wore on.
It seemed we were heading to another one of those ‘let’s see who can score the last one’ nights.
John Klingberg changed all of that. He jacked the puck at the blueline and went in on a breakaway against Lehner, who just stood as still as a statue as Klingberg put it right up over his shoulder and in.
A late penalty by Tyler Seguin gave the Sens a chance to pull the goaltender for a 6-on-4 advantage, but the Stars won a faceoff that Trevor Daley turned into a shorthanded empty net goal. Jamie Benn scored on the very next faceoff for another empty net shorthanded goal.
The Stars won 6-3 in Jason Spezza’s return to the Senators.
Two even strength. Two power play. Two shorthanded empty net goals.
It’s a good thing they don’t ask how, only how many, as that one capped off one of the weirdest scoresheets we’ve seen in quite some time.