After some much-needed time off, the Dallas Stars welcomed the Arizona Coyotes to the American Airlines Center and hosted the team’s annual Pride Night. The Dallas Stars Foundation sold some Pride Night-themed pucks and hosted a Pride Night Happy Hour for the fans.
The Stars defeated the Coyotes 5-2 on Wednesday night. Dallas improved to 42-19-9, while Arizona fell to 28-36-5.
The Stars’ starting lineup featured Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski, Thomas Harley, Jason Robertson, and Jake Oettinger. Oettinger made 23 saves for a win.
Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram made 28 saves in a losing effort.
The Stars had a lot of good looks and high-quality chances but didn’t score in the first period. The Coyotes’ leading goal scorer, Clayton Keller, got the road team on the board first. Keller fired a snap shot into the Stars’ net for a 1-0 lead at 19:45. Nick Bjugstad and Nick Schmaltz collected the assists on Keller’s 28th of the season.
The Stars trailed the Coyotes 1-0 at the end of the first period, despite outshooting Arizona 10-6 after the opening 20 minutes.
The Stars opened the second-period scoring. Logan Stankoven returned to the goal-scoring department with a goal off a poke check to tie the game 1-1 at 7:34. Nils Lundkvist and Jason Robertson collected the assists on Stankoven’s sixth of the season.
The Stars took a one-goal lead. Stars captain Jamie Benn tipped in a shot to give the Stars a 2-1 lead at 11:55. Nils Lundkvist and Ryan Suter collected the assists on Benn’s 13th of the season.
The Stars grabbed a two-goal lead and welcomed back Tyler Seguin. Seguin fired a wrist shot into the Coyotes’ net to extend the lead to 3-1 at 12:24. Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment collected the assists on Seguin’s 21st of the season.
The Stars brought a 3-1 lead to the locker room at the end of two periods. Dallas outshot Arizona 22-12 through 40 minutes.
The Stars snatched the largest lead of the game in the third period. Jason Robertson deflected a shot to make it a 4-1 game at 4:12. Thomas Harley and Roope Hintz collected the assists on Robertson’s 24th of the season.
The Stars quickly extended the lead. Craig Smith fired a wrist shot past Coyotes goalie Connor Ingram to extend the Stars’ lead to 5-1 at 5:25. Radek Faksa and Chris Tanev collected the assists on Smith’s tenth of the season.
The Coyotes ended the Stars’ five-goal run. John Leonard blasted a snap shot past Stars goalie Jake Oettinger to cut the Stars’ lead to 5-2 at 8:50. Jack McBain and Dylan Guenther collected the assists on Leonard’s first of the season.
The Stars defeated the Coyotes 5-2 in regulation. Dallas outshot Arizona 33-25 after a full 60 minutes.
Notes
Three Stars of the Game
1. Tyler Seguin (1 point: 1 goal)
2. Nils Lundkvist (2 points: 2 assists)
3. Jamie Benn (1 point: 1 goal)
Cheers to 1100
Stars captain Jamie Benn played in his 1,110th NHL game on Wednesday night.
New Recall
The Dallas Stars recalled Matt Murray (goaltender) from the Texas Stars on Wednesday. With Texas, Murray 26, recorded a 13-13-2 record with a 3.05 goals-against average, .895 save percentage, and one shutout in 28 appearances this season. He earned his fifth AHL shutout on November 4, 2023, with a 4-0 shutout at Iowa, and recorded wins in each of his four starts from November 10-29, 2023.
New Contracts
The Stars signed Justin Hryckowian (forward) to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2024-25 season. Hryckowian, 23, registered 43 points (13 goals and 30 assists) in 32 games with Northeastern University during the 2023-24 season. He led in assists (30) and points, ranked third in goals (13), and was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award for the NCAA’s top Men’s Ice Hockey Player of the Year.
The Stars signed Luke Krys (defenseman) to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2024-25 season. Krys, 23, registered 17 points (six goals and 11 assists) in 35 regular-season games for Providence College during the 2023-24 season. Among team defensemen, Krys ranked first in goals (6), shared second in assists (11), and ranked second in points (17).
Up Next
The Stars will welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to the AAC on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Central.
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