As long as teams keep giving the Stars chances to win, they might as well take them.
The Stars picked up their second road win in a row, dispatching the Red Wings 5-4 in overtime on Friday night, boosted by a shaky performance from Detroit goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. It is the first time this season that the Stars won consecutive games away from the American Airlines Center.
Roope Hintz scored the game-winning goal with 2:09 left in overtime, a power-play tally after Robby Fabbri was called for tripping Hintz. Jason Robertson, Ryan Suter, Joel Kiviranta and Esa Lindell also scored for the Stars, who received 24 saves from Braden Holtby.
Robertson scored the game-tying goal with 63 seconds left in regulation, scoring a 6-on-5 goal from the slot and setting the stage for Hintz to win it in overtime.
“This is a very resilient group,” Stars coach Rick Bowness said. “Things haven’t gone great for us at times this season, but no one’s hung their heads. No one’s felt sorry for themselves.”
Tyler Bertuzzi had a goal and two assists for Detroit, which also received goals from Fabbri, Pius Suter and Dylan Larkin.
Nedeljkovic was leaky behind the Red Wings, and the Stars (20-16-2) were fortunate to benefit.
Ryan Suter’s goal came on a prayer of a shot from the bottom of the circle, clipping Nedeljkovic’s right pad and sneaking into the net. Kiviranta’s goal — his first of the season — was on a turnaround shot from distance that evaded Alexander Radulov at the net-front but still beat Nedeljkovic on the short side.
“Of course, I said I tried to score,” Kiviranta said with a smile. “I saw the little hole there and shoot it there and hope for the best.”
Lindell’s goal almost mirrored Suter’s goal on Nedeljkovic, another “Did he really score?” moment in a game full of them.
“I was really surprised,” Lindell said. “I didn’t expect that to go in, but I’ll take it.”
Hintz finished the job with his game-winning goal, dribbling home a feed from Joe Pavelski during a 4-on-3 power play.
“That was a great pass, I just tried to get my stick on it and it hit my stick,” Hintz said. “It wasn’t fast, but it went in, so that’s good.”
Bowness: “The puck’s coming to the right people, and we’re getting some puck luck. We haven’t had that in a while. But we can’t keep giving up four goals on the road, that’s for sure.”
One night prior in Buffalo, the Stars were beneficiaries of a generous Sabres penalty kill. Buffalo put the Stars on the power play five times, and Dallas scored a season-high four power-play goals, punctuated by Robertson’s game-winner in the final four minutes.
It hasn’t been like that all year for the Stars, as recent as this week.
During a loss to the Canadiens on Tuesday, the Stars repeatedly squandered scoring chances, skying pucks over the net, and banging them off the posts. They attempted 112 shots, and only found the back of the net three times in a loss to league-worst Montreal. The power play was 1 for 7. The Canadiens gave the Stars every chance to win the game. The Stars couldn’t capitalize.
Friday night was less lopsided that the Stars’ previous two games.
Dallas was once again porous in transition, allowing the Red Wings to create offense on the rush just as the Canadiens and Sabres had earlier in the week. Detroit tested Holtby by finding space in the slot.
The Stars understand the importance of their current four-game road trip.
They are out of a playoff position, but can jump into one with a good road trip through the Eastern Conference. Thursday’s win in Buffalo was a good step, and a win in Detroit could have been. Dallas plays in Philadelphia and New Jersey on Monday and Tuesday. A bad trip tips the Stars further from the postseason and closer to sellers at the trade deadline.
“It’s a resilient group and there’s a lot of fight left in us and we’re going to keep pushing,” Bowness said.
