NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ The first round in the postseason went to the Stars in April. So did the first round of the regular season.
In a rematch of the first-round playoff series from last season and a prelude to next month's Winter Classic, the Stars used a four-goal second-period outburst to cruise by the Predators, 4-1, on Saturday night in Nashville. It was a surgical decimation of the Predators, with Dallas capitalizing on Nashville mistakes and showcasing their own skill.
Blake Comeau scored a short-handed goal _ a laser off the near post and in _ by slipping behind the Predators power play and receiving a long flip from Jason Dickinson. Roope Hintz beat Pekka Rinne between his legs with the quick release he's become known for this season.
Jamie Oleksiak _ after a strong effort from Alexander Radulov to keep the puck in the offensive zone _ scored his first goal since rejoining the Stars last season by tucking a backhand past Rinne. Andrew Cogliano pounced on a Ryan Ellis turnover, darted to the net, and roofed his own rebound.
It was a combination of jagged play from Nashville, and smooth finishing from Dallas. And it formed the latest chapter in a building rivalry.
"It seems like we've built a pretty good rivalry, especially with the playoff series we had last year and now the outdoor game this year," Comeau said. "We knew it was going to be a huge divisional game for us coming in to it."
"We know that we knocked them out of the playoffs last year," Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said before the game. "We know they're going to be coming hard, this is their first kick at us."
Radulov's two-point effort led the Stars on Saturday night, as he picked up assists on both Hintz and Oleksiak's goals. Since he was a healthy scratch last week against Winnipeg, Radulov has six points in four games.
"Rads was a hungry guy today," Bowness said. "When he's hungry, with his intensity, he's an effective player and he's hard to play against because he's just a dog on a bone. He won't let go. He's going to stay on that puck and keep fighting so give him credit."
Radulov added: "Sometimes it's clicking, sometimes it's going your way. It's a long season. There's going to be some times when things (are) not going to go your way. You just have to continue working, compete and win those little battles in the corners, in the zone, on the blue lines, on the boards. Simple as that."
While Radulov led the way for the Stars, depth scoring from Cogliano and Faksa was welcome, as were 37 saves from backup goaltender Anton Khudobin.
