Stars Survive Wild Vegas Rally, Win 5-4 in Shootout Thriller
In a game that had everything from early dominance to late-game chaos, the Dallas Stars walked out of T-Mobile Arena with a 5-4 shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night. But it wasn’t without drama - not even close.
Dallas built a commanding three-goal lead in the second period, only to see it evaporate in the third as Vegas stormed back to force overtime. It took shootout goals from Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen to finally put the game away and give the Stars their fourth win in five games.
Bourque’s Breakout Night
Let’s start with the breakout performance of the night: Mavrik Bourque. The 2020 first-round pick (30th overall) had his first career multi-goal game, and both came at pivotal moments. Bourque showed off his scoring instincts with two second-period goals that helped Dallas pull away - or so it seemed at the time.
With the Stars up 4-1 after Bourque’s second, it looked like Dallas was going to cruise. But the Golden Knights had other plans.
Vegas Rallies Late
Mitch Marner, who was all over the ice in the third period, played hero for Vegas. First, he kept the puck alive in the offensive zone with less than a minute to play, then rifled a shot from the left point that beat Jake Oettinger and tied the game at four with just 48.7 seconds left. That capped a furious three-goal third period for the Golden Knights, who clawed back from a 4-1 hole.
Keegan Kolesar and Ivan Barbashev also found the back of the net during the comeback, and Reilly Smith chipped in with a short-handed goal - the 13th of his career with Vegas, putting him just two behind William Karlsson’s franchise record.
Shootout Struggles Continue for Vegas
Despite the rally, the shootout continues to be a sore spot for the Golden Knights. They dropped to 1-6 in shootouts this season, unable to solve Oettinger in the extra session. Meanwhile, Robertson and Rantanen made their chances count, sealing the win for Dallas.
Oettinger finished with 17 saves and held strong when it mattered most, while Adin Hill turned away 23 shots for Vegas in the loss.
Early Momentum, Milestone Moments
Dallas wasted no time getting on the board - for the third straight game, they scored in the opening two minutes. This time it was Matt Duchene capitalizing on a vacated net to notch his fourth goal in three games, continuing a hot streak for the veteran forward.
Wyatt Johnston also added a goal and hit a career milestone in the process. Thursday marked his 300th NHL game - a remarkable feat considering he hasn’t missed a contest since making his debut on October 13, 2022. That makes him just the fourth player from the 2021 draft class to reach the 300-game mark.
Adam Erne also hit a milestone of his own, skating in his 400th career game.
Jamie Benn and Sam Steel each recorded two assists, helping drive the offense during Dallas’ second-period surge.
What’s Next
The Stars will look to keep the momentum rolling Saturday when they visit the Utah Mammoth. For the Golden Knights, they’ll try to regroup at home against the Seattle Kraken, hoping to snap out of a stretch that’s seen them drop five of their last six.
If Thursday night was any indication, both teams have plenty of firepower - but for Vegas, closing out games and solving the shootout puzzle remain top priorities.