NEWARK, N.J. — The Dallas Stars secured a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night, highlighted by first-period goals from Evgenii Dadonov and Thomas Harley. Goaltender Casey DeSmith played a pivotal role, making 31 crucial saves throughout the game.
In the first match following the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament pause, the Stars also saw scoring contributions from Matt Duchene and Wyatt Johnston. New Jersey’s Jack Hughes was notable for his two goals, with Jesper Bratt and Dougie Hamilton providing assists on each of Hughes’ scores.
Dadonov struck first, netting his 16th goal of the season at 3:58 of the opening period, setting the pace for Dallas. Just a little over two minutes later, at 5:44, Harley increased the lead to 2-0 on a power play with his 10th goal of the season, solidifying his position as the leading scorer among Stars defensemen with a total of 30 points.
As the contest unfolded, Hughes put New Jersey on the board with a power-play goal at the 10-minute mark of the third period, breaking DeSmith’s bid for a shutout. Nonetheless, Duchene quickly responded for Dallas, restoring a two-goal advantage just 35 seconds later, marking his 23rd goal of the season.
Hughes added his second tally, reaching a total of 26 goals for the season at 11:40, pulling the Devils closer at 3-2. However, before the final buzzer sounded, Johnston capped the scoring by sending the puck into an empty net at 19:50. In the losing effort, Allen stopped 22 shots on goal.
Key observations from the match indicated that the Devils fell to 15-10-4 when playing at home, and they’ve struggled recently with a record of 2-4-1 over their last seven home outings. New Jersey now faces a tough stretch of five consecutive road games, including a matchup against the Stars in Dallas on March 4.
Meanwhile, Dallas improved its performance on the road, now holding a record of 16-11-1. One pivotal moment in the game came from Dadonov’s initial goal, which sparked energy for the Stars, currently positioned second in the Central Division with 74 points.
DeSmith’s solid performance also stood out, as he improved his record to 10-6-0 since joining the Stars as a free agent in July, providing critical support behind starting goaltender Jake Oettinger. Notably, he made a crucial stop against Bratt from close range near the end of the third period.
As for the upcoming schedule, both teams are set to take the ice again on Sunday, with New Jersey traveling to face Nashville, while Dallas is headed to take on the New York Islanders.
