The Dallas Stars took down the Utah Hockey Club 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night, continuing an impressive streak of games over the last month and climbing up the NHL Western Conference standings.
Although neither team managed to score a goal in the first period of the game, the two teams combined to score four goals during the second period. A quiet third period led the two teams into an overtime matchup.
Dallas and Utah competed for three minutes in overtime before Stars defenseman Thomas Harley snuck the puck into the goal during a three-on-three overtime period to give Dallas a victory.
The player of the game for Dallas on Saturday night was superstar goalie Jake Oettinger, putting together one of his best games of the season with 33 saves and keeping 94.3% of shots in front of him.
Defenseman Thomas Harley said Oettinger is “awesome” and deserves more recognition for his performances this season, which have kept Dallas alive in games. He cited his ability to keep the team in close games when the offense struggles to score.
“He’s a top goalie in the league. He proves it every night. He proved it tonight. We just got to put one more past the other guy,” Harley said, per The Dallas Stars.
The Stars have now won four straight games and have an impressive record of 7-2-1 in their last 10, leading the team to sixth in the Western Conference standings and only two points behind the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers for fourth place.
Stars forward Jamie Benn discussed the winning streak and said it was “huge” after some struggles to begin the season. He noted that his team can compete against anyone when playing at its best.
“We want to get two every night here, even when we aren’t playing our best. It was nice to get two before we get on the road here,” Benn said, per The Dallas Stars.
Dallas is now set to begin a five-game road trip that will likely play a major role in the standings at the end of the season. The Stars have a chance to extend this winning streak against lower-ranked teams.
The only team Dallas will face during this road trip within the top seven of the standings is the Toronto Maple Leafs, with every other matchup coming against teams currently ranked eighth or lower in their conference.