Dallas Stars won 3-0 in a thrilling NHL game on Saturday evening. Tyler Seguin was the Stars’ dominant player, scoring twice. Jake Oettinger kept the Islanders away with 34 saves to earn his 11th career shutout.
Seguin’s Stellar Performance
Seguin smashed a wrister past Semyon Varillamov’s glove with just 8 minutes left in the first period. Mason Marchment, who positioned Seguin perfectly behind the goalline, set up this spectacular shot. Jamie Benn’s goal midway through second period widened Dallas’ lead. Benn swooped in to scoop up a puck that was loose between the circles. Neither Kyle Palmieri or rookie Maxim Tsyplakov had the ability to keep it under control. Marchment assisted Seguin with a final empty-net goal.
Oettinger’s goal-tending brilliance
Oettinger’s performance surpassed all expectations. His record for October games stands at a staggering 11-1-1. Varlamov blocked 24 shots for the Islanders. Dallas was hampered a little by the absence of Matt Dumba who only played six minutes of first period due to an injury in his lower body. Dumba’s health will be assessed by coach Pete DeBoer on Monday.
Take-away games
The Islanders killed two penalties. That’s a big improvement from the 0 for 2 performance they had in their 5-4 overtime opening loss to Utah on Thursday. Unfortunately, the Islanders still rank last for the previous NHL season. Benn and Seguin of the Stars showed no signs that they were slowing down. Benn, 35, is ranked second in the Minnesota-Dallas franchise’s career games played with 1,114. Seguin, 33 years old, is ranked eighth with 768.
Key Moments and Statistics
Five minutes into third period, the Islanders almost made it 2-1. Bo Horvat was denied by Oettinger at close range. Horvat had scored in New York’s last five games versus Dallas. Horvat also hit a post later in that period. The Stars proved that quality can be more important than quantity, despite being outshot both games.
What’s Next?
The Islanders will finish their three-game trip on Monday with a game against Colorado. Meanwhile, the Stars will be hosting the Seattle team on the night of Sunday.