Two of the NHL’s best teams, the Dallas Stars and the Florida Panthers, faced each other in the Metroplex Tuesday night. The Stars struck first, but the Panthers scored four straight goals to stun the home team in a 4-3 win at the American Airlines Center. Dallas fell to 40-18-9, while Florida improved to 45-17-4.
Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 27 saves for a win.
The Stars’ starting lineup featured Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski, Thomas Harley, Jason Robertson, and Jake Oettinger. Oettinger made 26 saves in a losing effort.
The Stars got on the board first. Joe Pavelski fired a wrist shot into the Panthers’ net for an early 1-0 lead at 3:53 of the opening period. Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston collected the assists on Pavelski’s 24th of the season. And, with his 44th assist, Robertson notched his 300th NHL point.
The Stars led the Panthers 1-0 at the end of the first period. Dallas outshot Florida 14-10 after 20 minutes.
The Stars scored two goals in just 23 seconds to take the lead in the second period. Dmitry Kulikov was called for hooking against Roope Hintz at 7:34. Jamie Benn capitalized on the man advantage and fired a wrist shot into the Panthers’ net to give the Stars a 2-0 lead at 7:48. Joe Pavelski collected the lone assist on Benn’s 23rd of the season. Wyatt Johnston then tipped in a shot to make it a 3-0 game at 8:11. Mason Marchment collected the lone assist on Johnston’s 24th of the season.
The Panthers finally got on the board to end the Stars’ shutout bid. Mason Marchment was called for roughing against Josh Mahura at 11:31. Sam Reinhart capitalized on the man advantage and fired a wrist shot into the Stars’ net to cut the lead to 3-1 at 12:52. Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk collected the assists on Reinhart’s 46th of the season.
The Stars brought a 3-1 lead to the locker room at the end of two periods. Dallas outshot Florida 23-21 through 40 minutes.
The Panthers made it a one-goal game as the Stars’ defense faltered in the third period. Jason Robertson was called for holding against Eetu Luostarinen at 10:53. Carter Verhaeghe capitalized on the man advantage with a wrist shot into the Stars’ net to cut the lead to 3-2 at 11:09. Brandon Montour and Matthew Tkachuk collected the assists on Verhaeghe’s 31st of the season.
The Panthers tied the game. Sam Bennett tipped in a shot to tie the game 3-3 at 14:00. Matthew Tkachuk and Gustav Forsling collected the assists on Bennett’s 16th of the season.
The Panthers took the lead in front of a stunned crowd at the AAC. Chris Tanev was called for tripping against Matthew Tkachuk at 14:28. Aleksander Barkov capitalized on the man advantage and fired a wrist shot into the Stars’ net to put the Panthers up 4-3 at 14:38. Carter Verhaeghe and Brandon Montour collected the assists on Barkov’s 17th of the season.
The Stars pulled their goalie for an extra attacker, but the decision didn’t make a difference. The Stars fell to the Panthers 4-3 in regulation. Shots were tied 30-30 after a full 60 minutes.
Notes
Three Stars of the Game
1. Matthew Tkachuk (2 points: 2 assists)
2. Sergei Bobrovsky (3.00 GAA and .900 SV%)
3. Jason Robertson (2 points: 1 goal and 1 assist)
Fiesta Time
The Stars hosted Hispanic Heritage Night at the AAC on Tuesday. Early arriving fans received exclusive ¡Somos Stars! scarfs.
Finland Bound
The Stars will head to Tampere, Finland, to take on the Florida Panthers in the 2024 NHL Global Series.
New Forward
The Stars signed Justin Ertel (forward) to a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday. Ertel’s contract will begin in the 2024-25 NHL season.
Up Next
The Stars will welcome the New Jersey Devils on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Central.
