The Dallas Stars clinched a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night, with rookie Wyatt Johnston scoring the decisive shootout goal. This win held special significance for Stars” coach Glen Gulutzan, considering the Oilers were the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last May.
Johnston, who also registered three assists during regulation, capped off a remarkable performance by sealing the game in the shootout. This match marked the Stars” first encounter with the Oilers since their defeat in the Western Conference Final, where they were ousted for the second consecutive year.
Dallas has now extended their point streak to seven games, despite being without key players like captain Jamie Benn and forwards Roope Hintz and Matt Duchene due to injuries. The Stars rallied from an early 2-0 deficit and faced a 3-1 disadvantage in the third period before mounting their comeback.
“It was nice to get the extra point and then, you know, against them too, it”s even better,” Gulutzan remarked after the game. This was his first matchup against the Oilers since returning as the Stars” head coach this summer, having previously spent seven years as an assistant with Edmonton.
In a game filled with ups and downs, the Stars demonstrated resilience. Forward Mikko Rantanen notched career goals 300 and 301, contributing significantly to the team”s effort, including an assist on Miro Heiskanen”s equalizer that brought the score to 3-3 with 7:40 remaining in regulation. Rantanen, who joined the Stars via a trade last March, is now under a significant contract extension.
“Everyone knows what he”s capable of. We”ve played against him a lot. I”m glad he”s on our side,” Heiskanen said of Rantanen”s impact on the team. The Stars have won four of their last five regular-season games against the Oilers, although the Oilers eliminated them in the playoffs last season.
The Oilers, currently 6-5-4, have played three games in the past four days, struggling in back-to-back situations, finishing with a record of 0-4-2 in those games. Forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins voiced his frustration, stating, “There”s been too many of these games that happen to us, so we need to figure out how to close a game better.” Despite their recent struggles, the Oilers showcased strong performance in their last two outings but failed to secure the needed points.
