TAMPA, Fla. – In an exciting matchup on Saturday night, the Dallas Stars triumphed over the Tampa Bay Lightning with a score of 4-2. Matt Duchene and Roope Hintz each scored during the crucial third period, contributing significantly to the team’s performance. Goaltender Jake Oettinger had a strong showing, making 27 saves, which brought his season record to 11 wins and 3 losses.
On the other side, Tampa Bay’s Anthony Cirelli impressed with two goals, continuing his solid form. Despite the loss, the Lightning had managed to maintain a five-game point streak in their recent games, with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal saving 24 shots throughout the match.
The first period saw Tampa Bay initially taking the lead with scores of 1-0 and 2-1. However, Dallas responded quickly, with Evgenii Dadonov and Miro Heiskanen finding the back of the net to level the scoreboard at 2-2.
The decisive moment came in the third period, where Duchene and Hintz put the Stars ahead with goals just 58 seconds apart. A critical turnover in the offensive zone by the Lightning allowed Dallas to capitalize on a fast 3-on-1 break, culminating in Duchene scoring the game-winning goal from a tight angle.
In terms of overall season performance, the Stars have shown impressive defensive capabilities, allowing two or fewer goals in 12 out of their 19 games thus far. Their recent form has seen them win five out of their last six games.
For the Lightning, despite the strong performance from Cirelli, their power play continues to falter at home, failing to score in three attempts and marking only two goals out of 25 chances over nine home games.
This game also marked a historical milestone for the Dallas franchise, as they celebrated their 2,000th win, which encompasses their previous history as the Minnesota North Stars. This achievement places the Stars amongst an elite group in NHL history as the 10th franchise to reach this milestone.
Looking ahead, the Stars have a matchup against Carolina on Monday, while the Lightning will be facing off against Colorado on the same day.