DALLAS -- The Dallas Stars emerged from a 17-day hiatus the same way they entered it: With an offensive barnburner. And with a win.
In their first game since Dec. 20, the Stars beat the Panthers 6-5 in a shootout on a wild night at the American Airlines Center, when neither team had a two-goal lead and the score was tied at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The normally offensively challenged Stars scored at least four goals for the third straight game, and continued their dominance on home ice and vs. the league’s top teams.
Jason Robertson scored the game-deciding goal for Dallas in the second round of the shootout, after Jonathan Huberdeau sent the game to overtime by scoring a 6-on-5 goal with 28.5 seconds left in the third period.
Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Jason Robertson, Gurianov and Michael Raffl also scored for the Stars. Aleksander Barkov scored twice, while MacKenzie Weegar and Patric Hornqvist each tallied once.
Stars goaltender Braden Holtby made 37 saves to earn the win.
Entering Thursday night’s game, it was unclear what type of game would unfold.
The Panthers had a four-game win streak while averaging six goals a game. The Stars hadn’t played since their 7-4 win over the Minnesota Wild due to a COVID-19 outbreak among its players and staff, both in the NHL and the AHL. As 11 players shuttled in and then out of COVID-19 protocol, the Stars practiced nine times, so would they be rested or rusty?
Dallas weathered the first-period push from the Panthers, who put 19 shots on goal, not including the three posts they kissed. Barkov scored a power-play goal, Raffl responded by tipping John Klingberg’s point shot. Florida was unlucky to enter the break tied at 1; the Stars, blessed by iron.
Each team scored three times in the second period. Gurianov’s goal came after Benn’s shot squeaked past Bobrovsky and sat in the crease. Robertson’s point shot deflected off a Panthers defender and in. Seguin finished a pretty goal on his backhand all by himself in front of the net.
Dallas is now 10-1-0 when scoring at least four goals. It is 2-9-1 when allowing at least four goals.
Finding conclusions from one game is a foolhardy errand, especially for a team playing for the first time in 2022.
The Stars proved again they can win at home. We already knew that. They proved that they step their game up against the league’s best teams. We already knew that — the Stars are now 6-1-0 against the 10 teams that entered Thursday atop the NHL standings. The Panthers are less intimidating on the road. We already knew that, as Florida has won just four of its 13 road games.
While it may be tough to fully evaluate the Stars until they get back on the road, encouraging signs emerged nonetheless for Dallas.
The second line of Gurianov, Benn and Gurianov was electric. Seguin was constantly around the puck and around the net. Gurianov was the dynamic skater that the Stars have seen in the last few seasons. Benn was strong at the faceoff dot, and in creating chances for his linemates.
The Stars needed depth scoring to complement the top line of Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski. The second line provided it on Thursday night.
John Klingberg was creative in the offensive zone and a key to the Stars transition game. He picked up two primary assists for the first time this season.
Jumbo hits 1,700: Panthers forward Joe Thornton played his 1,700th career NHL game on Thursday night, becoming just the sixth player in league history to reach the milestone. After Thursday night, Thornton will be 31 games behind Ron Francis (1,731) for fifth all-time.
Patrick Marleau is the all-time leader in games played at 1,779 games.
Stars forward Joe Pavelski played with both Marleau and Thornton during his time in San Jose, as the trio were key pieces to a Sharks franchise that was perennially a contender.
“To think you’ve played with Patty Marleau at one and Jumbo at sixth, it’s incredible,” Pavelski said. “You just don’t realize when you come into the league how important those players around you are, and your teammates: the experience, how much they love the game and how much you can learn from them. What an awesome number [for Thornton] to get to, and it’s someone that just loves this game so much.”
Pavelski and Thornton took the opening faceoff against each other.
Harley in: Stars defenseman Thomas Harley played his fourth straight game, as he is paired with Jani Hakanpää on the third pair.
After playing four games in November, Harley was sent down to AHL affiliate Texas for a month prior to his recall ahead of the Stars’ game in St. Louis on Dec. 17. The former first-round pick is searching for his first NHL goal and first NHL point.
