FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Stars - Game 80 - 2023

FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Stars – Game 80 – 2023

Franchise Sports Media

Vegas Golden Knights (49-22-9)  | Dallas Stars  (44-21-14)

The Golden Knights fall short in a shootout against the Dallas Stars 2-1 but still clinch home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

The Golden Knights vs Stars start of the first period.

The Vegas Golden Knights have everything in their hands, with the season almost at a close. The playoff spot has already been clinched and still first place in the Western Conference. The last goal for the Golden Knights is to clinch the Pacific Division.

But that goal was derailed, unfortunately, losing to the Dallas Stars in a shootout 2-1 at the American Airlines Center.

Roope Hintz scored the only goal in the shootout to give the Dallas Stars the win and move them into first place in the Central Division.

“Two good teams, we’re both at the top of the West for a reason, and we want to play [the Golden Knights] at some point in the playoffs,” Oettinger said. “They’re a great team, and it’s going to be tight like that in the playoffs. It’s a good little way to show us what we have ahead of us.”

Despite the loss of the game, the Golden Knights were able to clinch home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“We went to training camp; this team missed the playoffs the year before. That’s the first box we wanted to check,” first-year Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We would like to do that, conference, all those things. But at the end of the day, I think we want health going into the playoffs.”

Brent Howden scored the only goal for the Golden Knights, Jonathan Quick finished the game with 25 saves, Joel Kiviranta scored the only regulation goal for the Dallas Stars, and Jake Oettinger finished with 19 saves.

“Got lucky. God gave me long legs, so thankful for that,” Oettinger said of that final stop of Paul Cotter’s shot. “Just felt it on the end of my foot there, so I was hoping it stayed out and happy it did.”

The Golden Knights vs Stars ended the first period.

The Golden Knights took the lead in the first period after a Brent Howden goal, but the Stars made things even in the second.

The Golden Knights vs Stars start of the second and third periods.

Brent Howden scored on a breakaway after an assist from Keegan Kolesar.

“That was a tight-knit game,” Vegas defenseman Ben Hutton said. “It was almost like a playoff-like feel out there. There were some hits, some big blocks. We were doing what we could win. A bounce here, a bounce there, and it could have been a different story, but it was a good game.”

Vegas went into the second with the lead, but Dallas tied the game 1-1 after Joel Kiviranta fired a wrist shot past Jonathan Quick.

In the third period, Vegas experienced an injury scare after Zach Whitecloud left the game after his leg buckled awkwardly under him.

The injury happened after Hintz fell on Whitecloud after being pushed by defenseman Brayden McNabb as the teams fought for the puck in the corner.

Cassidy said after the game; he should be ok, “hopeful it looked worse than it may turn out to be.” Whitecloud will be evaluated the next day.

The Golden Knights still have a chance to clinch the Pacific Division, but they must win their last two games in the regular season.

The Golden Knights vs Stars final score was 2-1, Dallas.

On Tuesday, the Golden Knights will play against the Seattle Kraken at T-Mobile Arena. The puck drops at 7:00 pm. The game can be seen on AT&T SportsNet (channel 313 on Cox Cable), ABC (channel 13 on Cox Cable), or heard on 98.9 FM, FOX Sports Las Vegas 1340 AM.