The Dallas Stars sputtered out of the gates in their Black Friday home game against the Utah Mammoth. Dallas trailed, 1-0, before the game was a minute old. Glen Gulutzan’s team was a 2-0 hole before they started to find their bearings.
An all-Finn power play goal (Roope Hintz from Mikko Rantanen and Miro Heiskanen) got the Stars’ on course late in the first period. Thereafter, Dallas struck three times in the second period — once apiece by team captain Jamie Benn, the scorching hot Jason Robertson, and a Wyatt Johnston power play marker at 5-on-3 — to forge ahead in the middle frame.
Thereafter, Jake Oettinger (27 saves overall, nine in the third period) and company closed the door on a 4-3 victory. The two power play goals loomed large in the end, as did 24 Utah turnovers (18 giveaways, six Stars takeaways).
Stars lineup
Jamie Benn – Wyatt Johnston – Mikko Rantanen
Jason Robertson – Roope Hintz – Tyler Seguin
Oskar Back – Justin Hryckowian – Mavrik Bourque
Sam Steel – Radek Faksa – Colin Blackwell
Esa Lindell – Miro Heiskanen
Lian Bichsel – Alex Petrovic
Kyle Capobianco – Vladislav Kolyachonok
Jake Oettinger
[Casey DeSmith]
Notes
- The Stars debuted their 1998-99 inspired new third jerseys.
- Dallas went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill, and 2-for-5 on the power play.
- Benn, who recently returned from a collapsed lung, looked like his old physical, feisty self at times.
- Heiskanen and Rantanen notched a pair of helpers, including the setup of Johnston’s game-winning goal.
