NASHVILLE, Tenn._As Ryan Hartman pumped his arms during his second-period trip to the penalty box on Saturday night, the Nashville Predators forward ignited a record crowd at Bridgestone Arena, whipping 17,722 fans into a frenzy.
He flicked a match into the straw of a possible Stars-Predators rivalry. The rest of the players happily poured the gasoline in an eventual 3-1 Stars win. The Stars left Nashville with not only two points, but also a new rival to their east.
Blake Comeau scored the game-winning goal with 4:13 left in the third period, breaking a 1-1 tie and extending the Stars' win streak to four games. Tyler Seguin and Mattias Janmark also scored for the Stars, who remained in third place in the Central Division and pulled within eight points of Nashville.
The goals were only part of the story. The shoulders and fists, trips and spears told the rest.
The Stars and Predators have not been natural rivals despite being in the same division. Nashville has risen to become one of the league's best teams, while Dallas missed the playoffs the last two seasons and is on their third coach in as many seasons with Jim Montgomery behind the bench.
They haven't met 100 times in the regular season (Saturday was just the 82nd time they've ever played). They've never met in the playoffs. The animosity formed in a seven-game series hasn't materialized. But this season may be the year for a rivalry to form.
As the Western Conference stands, the Stars and Predators would meet in a first-round playoff series. Next year, they'll face off in the Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl. They even meet for a rematch in Nashville next week.
"These are fun ones to be a part of," Comeau said. "Kind of felt like a playoff atmosphere tonight. As a player, those are the games you like to be a part of."
Hartman's fight with Esa Lindell and his exchange Anton Khudobin highlighted the animosity between the two teams. After he was bumped by John Klingberg in front of the net, Hartman fell into Khudobin. When Hartman was skating away, Khudobin tripped him with his stick and then got in his face.
Hartman speared Khudobin with his stick before Lindell rushed in to drop the gloves. Lindell and Hartman were given five minutes for fighting.
"My point is if you see the first period, he hit me really, really slightly and fell down," Khudobin said. "I don't like diving in hockey. He speared me a couple times, too. I didn't answer, but you spear me again. And (he) dove. I'm like 'What are you going to do?' Diver. That's it. But it's hockey, it's always going to be like this. If I need to drop the gloves, I will. But guys stepped in for me and I hope it's not going to happen again."
The undercard featured altercations with Comeau and P.K. Subban. After Comeau delivered a hard hit into the boards behind the net at one of the ice, Subban rushed to approach Comeau after the whistle. The two shoved and Subban was issued an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
"I'm sure he was mad about that, he's an emotional player," Comeau said. "I'm an emotional player. When you get in these division games, especially us two guys who played against each other in the playoffs last year. We both play hard games. We both want to win. That's just what happens sometimes. You get a little bit heated."
Jamie Benn was given a two-minute minor for roughing Hartman, and also exchanged pleasantries with Subban.
Stars coach Jim Montgomery said he asked his team to play with emotion, and liked how the intensity built in the second and third periods. Now, is Dallas-Nashville a budding rivalry?
"It's just going to continue to build," Montgomery said. "We're not close to them in the standings, but we've tightened it."
