(Dallas) Radek Faksa scored the winning goal in his return to the Dallas Stars lineup, Wyatt Johnston scored in another final game and the Stars beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights , 2-1 in the seventh game on Sunday.
Out of 27 players, the Golden Knights had 22 from last year’s winning team.
Absent since leaving the second game of the series, Faksa was back for the ultimate duel and he hit the target just 44 seconds into the third period. His backhand shot, in the faceoff circle to Adin Hill’s left, made it 2-1.
Jake Oettinger made 21 saves for the Stars. He received his team’s only penalty, for tripping Ivan Barbashev in front of the net, midway through the third period.
PHOTO BRANDON WADE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wyatt Johnston, center, celebrates his first-period goal
“The third period was a lesson in hockey,” said Oettinger. I’m so proud of how the guys responded. It’s a long playoff series and you need different players contributing at different times. There’s a lot of hockey left to play, so let’s hope for several more heroes. It’s going to be a pleasant journey. »
The Stars will face the Colorado Avalanche in the second round. The series will begin Tuesday evening in Dallas.
The Avalanche haven’t played since last Tuesday in Winnipeg, after eliminating the Jets in five games.
Brett Howden scored the Golden Knights goal. Hill blocked 22 pucks, having played the last three games of the series. Logan Thompson had played the first four games.
Stars head coach Peter DeBoer is now 8-0 in the seventh and final game of a series with four teams.
Johnston scored his fourth goal of the series with a wrist shot from the slot with 5:26 remaining in the first period.
Michael Amadio passed to Howden, who pushed the puck past Oettinger to tie the score late in the second period.