DALLAS (AP) — Roope Hintz and the Dallas Stars are in contention for a Western Conference playoff spot, while it’s only a matter of time for Tampa Bay, a two-time defending Stanley Cup champion, in the East.
The Stars will take both points from a close battle between teams with some recent postseason history.
Hintz scored with 4:50 remaining and the Stars forced the Lightning to wait at least another day to clinch a playoff spot with a 1-0 win Tuesday night.
“That was great for our group,” said Luke Glendening, who almost had an empty goal late after creating several chances for himself in the second period. “I thought of a man, everyone really competed tonight. It’s fun to see when everyone is pulling the same rope.”
Dallas moved three points ahead of Las Vegas for the second of two wild cards in the Western Conference. The Stars have nine games left, one more than the Golden Knights, who lost to Vancouver 5-4 in overtime.
Tampa Bay could have clinched a fifth straight playoff appearance and eighth in the past nine years with a win. The first of those two Stanley Cup titles came against the Stars in the 2020 playoff bubble in Canada.
Dallas beat Tampa Bay at home for the second time in eight games and beat goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for the second time in 17 games. The Lightning have allowed two goals in regulation in the last three games but are 1-1-1.
“It is unfortunate that we only have three points to prove it. That’s tough,” coach Jon Cooper said. “Sometimes that can be frustrating. But if we’re going to give up zero and one goal per game, I’ll take my chances”.
Good scoring opportunities at both ends had been empty before a shot from Jason Robertson created a fight that ended with Joe Pavelski passing from behind the baseline to Hintz in the slot.
Scott Wedgewood stopped 25 shots for his first shutout since joining the Stars in a trade with Arizona. He was the fifth of his career.
Vasilevskiy made 28 saves.
After Glendening failed to win the race to a puck with an empty net in front of him, the Stars put up a crazy 6-on-5 fight in the final minute.
Tyler Seguin, stung by a blocked shot earlier, was hit again in the final 10 seconds when he blocked a Victor Hedman shot.
“It is very desperate. They were great in front of me all night,” said Wedgewood, whose only loss in four starts for Dallas came in overtime. “Probably the best structured game I’ve ever been a part of on both sides of the puck.”
With the game scoreless in the third, Glendening got away with a steal, but Vasilevskiy saved the glove. Just 36 seconds later, Ondrej Palat had a point-blank opportunity at the other end, and Wedgewood made a save from the bag.
Dallas defenseman Esa Lindell was penalized twice in the second period, but the Stars finished with better scoring opportunities than the Lightning on both penalties.
After Lindell was called for a crossover midway through the second, Dallas spent most of the second minute on their offensive end, and Vasilevskiy had to make two saves on Glendening’s shots.
Hintz and Nikita Kucherov of Tampa Bay collided near center ice in the second period, leaving both players stunned as they picked up loose sticks. Kucherov went straight to his bank. They both stayed in the game.
Glendening had another chance in the final seconds of Lindell’s high-stick penalty at the end of the second, but a backhand went just wide.
NOTES: Dallas’ Jamie Benn and Tampa Bay’s Nicholas Paul had a long fight with no significant punches thrown or landed midway through the first period. It finally ended when Paul lost his balance as Benn threw a couple of punches that went over him. … The Stars’ Vladislav Namestnikov did not return after the first period due to a lower-body injury.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Lightning: A five-game homestand, the longest of the season, begins Thursday against Anaheim. Tampa Bay is on a streak of 11 of 13 games at home.
Stars: Minnesota visits Thursday. The winning team has scored at least six goals in each of the three games this season. Dallas has wins 7-4 and 6-3. The Wild took the first matchup 7-2.
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