Stars Defeat Penguins 4-1 in Lopsided Road Game

Pittsburgh Post Gazette

The Dallas Stars traveled to Pittsburgh for a one-game tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Stars defeated the Penguins 4-1 in a lopsided road game at PPG Paints Arena. Alex Nedeljkovic made 31 saves in a losing effort.

The Stars’ starting lineup featured Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz, Ryan Suter, and Jake Oettinger. Oettinger made 38 saves for a win.

The Penguins drew first blood. Bryan Rust tipped a wrist shot into the Stars’ net for a 1-0 lead at 19:22 of the first period. Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby collected the assists on Rust’s fifth of the season. Wyatt Johnston was penalized for tripping Jake Guentzel with seven seconds left in the first, and the Stars were short-handed on the 4-on-5.

The Stars trailed the Penguins 1-0 after 20 minutes. Pittsburgh outshot Dallas 18-9.

The second period began with the Stars on the penalty kill for 1:53. The Stars killed the penalty and returned to full strength.

The Stars finally got on the board nearly midway through the second period. Jason Robertson scored on a backhand shot that went into the Penguins’ net to tie the game 1-1 at 7:37 of the second. Craig Smith and Roope Hintz collected the assists on Robertson’s first of the season.

The Stars took the lead late in the second period. Evgenii Dadonov fired a wrist shot that went into the Penguins’ net for a 2-1 lead at 16:03 of the second. Matt Duchene and Thomas Harley collected the assists on Dadonov’s first of the season.

The Stars led 2-1 over the Penguins through 40 minutes. Pittsburgh outshot Dallas 30-20.

The Stars extended the lead early in the third period. Thomas Harley unleashed a snap shot for a 3-1 lead 5:22 into the third. Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson collected the assists on Harley’s first of the season.

The Stars expanded the lead late in the third period. Wyatt Johnston found the back of the Penguins’ net and scored on a backhand shot for a 4-1 lead at 13:51 of the third. Jamie Benn collected the lone assist on Johnston’s second of the season.

The Three Stars of the Game were all Dallas Stars players. First, Jake Oettinger had a 1.00 goals against average (GAA) and a 0.974 save percentage (SV%). Second, Jason Robertson recorded two points (one goal and one assist). Third, Thomas Harley recorded two points (one goal and one assist).

Notes
The Stars celebrated two legends, Ed Belfour and Ken Hitchcock, as they inducted them into the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame on Sunday. In his tenure in Dallas, Hitchcock led the Stars to raise the Stanley Cup in the 1999 Stanley Cup Final.

The Stars have two college nights this season. Texas Christian University Night will be held on October 26th, while Texas A&M University Night will be on October 30th. More information, including tickets, can be found here.

Up Next
The Stars will return home to host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Central.

ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing Inside The Rink

Join Conrad and Chris as the discuss Gavin McKenna making the jump to the NCAA, Pittsburgh and San Jose making additions, and the NHL season to begin on October 7, 2025.
  1. ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing
  2. ITR 46: Offseason Chaos
  3. ITR 45: Everything Is Happening
  4. ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again
  5. ITR 43: It's Winning Time

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Ana Kieu

Ana Kieu is a journalist by trade. Her love for sports shows in her writing, editing, and podcasting work. She writes about the NHL for Inside The Rink.

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