Stars Slip Past Sharks Saturday Night

The Dallas Stars needed a third-period comeback and a shootout to down the San Jose Sharks 3 – 2 Saturday night. Jamie Benn, amid his most disappointing season production-wise, ended up as the hero, scoring the game-winner in the seventh round of the shootout.

Jason Robertson, with his 21st goal of the season, knotted the game up at two 4:08 into the third frame. Radek Faksa got the Stars on the board in the second, recording just his fourth goal in the campaign. In addition to the shootout winner, Benn added an assist on the game-tying goal by Robertson.

Jake Oettinger finished with 21 saves during regulation and overtime and stopped six of the seven shootout attempts he faced.

The Stars dominated territorially, finishing with a significant edge in expected goals for at 4.87 to 1.88, according to Money Puck.

William Eklund (10th) and Filip Zadina (9th) scored for San Jose. Luke Kunin assisted on both Sharks goals. Rookie netminder Magnus Chrona, making just his second NHL start and having allowed eight goals on 29 shots in his only two appearances before Saturday, gave the Sharks a chance, stopping 36 of 38 shots through overtime and five more in the shootout. Per Money Puck, Chrona’s performance was worth 2.87 goals saved above expected. It was good enough to steal the Sharks a point, even if they did fall short of the win.

Benn’s shootout winner was near perfection. He started slowly skating to his left, then cutting toward the middle on the backhand before going back forehand in the slot. As he approached Chrona, he faked a backhand to the glove side, which got the Sharks goalie moving. Benn then went back to the forehand and tucked the puck far side by Chrona as the San Jose netminder attempted a poke check, tripping Benn in the process.

The two teams are back in action Tuesday for a rematch in San Jose after the Sharks complete the second half of a back-to-back Sunday in Minnesota.

Race to the Playoffs

The win keeps Dallas two points clear of Winnipeg in the Central Division standings. The Jets completed an improbable third-period comeback against Carolina, scoring five goals to turn a three-goal deficit into a 5 -3 win. Winnipeg does have four games in hand on Dallas, which means the Jets do have the advantage via points percentage.
Colorado remains in third place, four points behind Dallas, after dropping a 5 – 1 decision to Nashville. The victory strengthens the Predators’ hold on the first wild card spot in the West. They currently reside seven points ahead of both Calgary and St. Louis, both of whom are on the outside looking in.

Pettersson Extension

Canucks superstar Elias Pettersson inked an eight-year extension Saturday with Vancouver with an AAV of $11.6M. Earlier in the week with extension talks at an impasse, it was reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sports Net that trade discussions between Vancouver and Carolina were ongoing. Friedman wrote that those discussions had “advanced to a stage where both the Canucks and the player needed to make serious decisions about where their relationship was headed.” Two days later, the contract tying Pettersson to the Canucks for the foreseeable future was signed, sealed, and delivered.

The extension doesn’t have much bearing on the Stars, whose top young players are locked in for at least the next couple of seasons, and frankly, even if they were nearing free agency, aren’t at the level Pettersson is and wouldn’t possess the same earning potential. Pettersson is an elite talent and a true franchise center, and he was paid accordingly.

It does, however, reinforce the notion that sometimes a game-breaking talent can quietly be made available at the drop of a hat. I suspect that after acquiring Tanev, Dallas is comfortable standing pat, aside from possibly some depth adds around the margins. Unless, of course, a true game-breaker becomes unexpectedly available. Then, all bets are off.