DALLAS – Logan Stankoven emerged as a standout performer with two goals, while Roope Hintz notched a personal best by assisting on four goals, propelling the Dallas Stars to a decisive 6-2 triumph over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night.
In front of their home crowd for the first time in nearly a month, the Stars saw Jason Robertson contribute significantly with his 25th goal of the season and an additional assist. Matt Duchene and Wyatt Johnston capitalized on power plays, with Sam Steel adding a goal while short-handed.
Dallas took control after Duchene scored his 24th goal of the season in the opening period, stretching their lead to 2-1 following a deft pass from Hintz, assisted further by Robertson.
Jake Oettinger played a critical role between the posts, thwarting 29 shots, securing his 28th victory—placing him among the NHL’s top goaltenders. Meanwhile, Los Angeles goalie Darcy Kuemper managed 26 saves, with the Stars hitting the posts twice alongside their offensive efforts.
The Kings found the back of the net with goals from Warren Foegele and Trevor Moore, the latter slipping a wraparound attempt past Oettinger’s extended skate.
In review of the game:
Kings: The sole regulation defeat marked the Kings’ February run, ending an impressive streak with a record of 5-1-2, with other losses confined to a shootout and overtime.
Stars: Having not played at home since early February, Dallas began a busy home stretch, hosting four games in a week at the American Airlines Center, improving their home record to 21-7-1. Prior to this, they navigated three road games before and after the 4 Nations break.
A decisive moment occurred when Oettinger defended the Stars’ lead by denying a short-handed breakaway attempt by Foegele after a mistake by Matt Dumba. This critical save occurred just before Stankoven extended the Stars’ advantage to 3-1, minutes after a power play.
Statistically, the game saw Dallas exploiting a rare vulnerability in the Kings, who had maintained the league’s lowest allowance of 34 first-period goals. Dallas edged this figure to 37, still trailing slightly behind Winnipeg while having played three additional games.
Upcoming games see Los Angeles facing St. Louis on Saturday, with the Blues set to journey to Dallas for a clash with the Stars on Sunday.
