The Dallas Stars defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-1 in Game 3 of the second round of the NHL Playoffs, giving the Stars a 2-1 lead in the series.
Dallas took the lead in the first period and never looked back. The team never once trailed in the game and maintained its lead throughout to secure the series advantage.
The Stars could not get anything going for almost the entirety of the first period, but a goal by right wing Logan Stankoven with just 1:21 remaining helped guide them into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.
The teams played even throughout the second quarter as Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen made the score 1-1 after a goal with 9:36 remaining.
However, the tied score did not last long. Less than five minutes later, Stars right wing Tyler Seguin sent the puck past Avalanche goalie Alexander Georgiev to put Dallas at 2-1 to start the final period.
The final period of the game belonged to the Stars, with Seguin and Stankoven each scoring their second goal of the day on an empty net, securing the 4-1 victory for the Stars as they head into Game 4.
“We knew they going to come out guns blazing in the first period. You knew their home record. They had challenged their best players, their coach had, after the last game,” Stars coach Peter DeBoer said after the game, according to ESPN.
“So, we knew we were going to get a lot thrown at us early in that game. And our composure throughout the night I thought was outstanding,” he added.
Another emphasis for the team seemed to be limiting the number of giveaways. The Stars had just five, while the Avalanche logged 12 total giveaways during the game.
This defense allowed the Stars to play at their preferred pace, which helped many of the players get into a rhythm and perform at their best.
Stars goalie Jake Oettinger was arguably the biggest reason for Dallas’ commanding Game 3 win. He made 28 saves and prevented 96.6% of shots on goal from getting past him.
While speaking to reporters after the game, Oettinger said he was proud of the team for taking control of the game, noting that the team had “one of the best third periods we’ve played the whole postseason.”
“Just being smart and not taking penalties. I don’t think they had many scoring chances in the third so we learned from our mistakes in Games 1 and 2,” he added, per ESPN.
Dallas will now prepare for Game 4 on Monday at 8:30 p.m., where the Stars will look to extend their series lead before traveling back to the American Airlines Center for Game 5.