VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Mikael Granlund opened his scoring account for the Dallas Stars, helping secure a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night.
Granlund, alongside Cody Ceci, joined Dallas from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for first- and third-round draft picks back on February 1.
The Stars saw contributions from Thomas Harley, Jason Robertson, and Mikko Rantanen in their scoring efforts. They were rebounding from a narrow 5-4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Both Ceci and Matt Duchene played pivotal roles by assisting twice each.
Casey DeSmith, now the Dallas goalie but formerly of the Canucks, was impressive in net for his former team. He managed to stop 22 of 23 shots faced upon his return to Vancouver.
On the Canucks’ side, the lone goal came courtesy of Derek Forbort, marking his first score since February 16, 2023, during his tenure with the Boston Bruins. Kevin Lankinen provided the Canucks with 15 saves, though the absence of captain Quinn Hughes, who missed his third consecutive game due to a lower-body injury, was felt.
Takeaways
Stars: Absent from the lineup was star center Roope Hintz, who sustained a facial injury against the Oilers. Head coach Pete DeBoer shared that Hintz had returned to Dallas for further medical evaluation.
Canucks: With this defeat, Vancouver’s push for a playoff position remains strained. The team continues to compete fiercely with the Calgary Flames, Utah Hockey Club, and St. Louis Blues for the second wild-card slot in the Western Conference.
A crucial moment in the game occurred as time was winding down in the second period. Lankinen managed a significant block against Ceci, but Granlund swiftly capitalized on the rebound, firing a shot past the goalie with just 25.9 seconds left, giving the Stars a 2-1 edge. This marked Granlund’s first goal in 13 games.
An essential statistic from the game was Robertson’s continued point streak. He has now amassed eight goals and seven assists in eight consecutive games.
Looking ahead, the Stars are set to face Winnipeg on Friday, while the Canucks will conclude their current four-game homestand against Montreal on Tuesday.
