Stars roll with punches in dramatic Game 2 win over Flames

The Stars got punched in the nose Thursday.

They probably needed it.

Down 1-0 in a best-of-seven series with the Calgary Flames and battling to find any kind of positivity in the playoff bubble, Dallas allowed a goal 19 seconds into Game 2.

It was the ninth straight game the team had allowed the first goal against, and with Game 3 on Thursday, there was a real opportunity for the Stars to panic and fold.

Instead, they played their most fierce hockey of the season, bounced right back with a tying goal and battled to a 5-4 win.

"This is playoffs, so you've got to manage the highs and the lows," said goalie Ben Bishop.

Thursday's game had plenty of them. Not only did Dallas get a gut punch on that opening goal -- which they met with an incredible shift by the top line -- they also watched as Calgary made up a two-goal deficit in the third period and tied things up with 2:49 to play. So when Corey Perry made an incredible pass to Jamie Oleksiak in the final minute, and Oleksiak scored the game-winning goal, it was a pretty proud moment.

"l don't think we panicked at all when they scored that fourth goal," said defenseman John Klingberg. "Obviously, we're very happy that Jamie scored that goal, but if we went to overtime, we would have played the same way, and I think we dictated most of the game tonight."

The Stars finished with a 36-26 advantage in shots on goals and double Calgary up in scoring chances, but it was a game that tested the mettle of some of the team's best players. Klingberg finished with two assists in 23:16 of ice time, but he also allowed a shorthanded goal in the third period that opened the door for the Calgary comeback. Alexander Radulov had a goal and an assist, but also took a penalty that allowed Calgary the chance to tie the game on the power play. Ben Bishop made some big stops in his return to action, but allowed four goals on 26 shots, including a seeing-eye goal in the second period that came from nowhere.

"That was a good game for 60 minutes," said Stars interim coach Rick Bowness. "It was unfortunate that they got that shorthanded goal, it's unfortunate that they got the power play goal, but that's hockey. That's a good hockey club over there. They're not going to dominate us for 60 minutes and we're not going to dominate them for 60 minutes. We played a good solid hockey game. That's playoff hockey, and we responded in every situation -- especially at the end with that big goal."

The game really was like a boxing match. The Flames threw a big opening punch, the Stars countered with several flurries, the Flames tried to work the body, and the Stars ended up with the knockout punch late. Both sides even tried to up the physicality from Game 1, as forwards were wearing down defensemen with big hits.

Klingberg said the defensemen don't mind if Milan Lucic and Sam Bennett are trying to lay hits on the defensemen, because he said it takes them out of their offensive game.

"We know that they're going to come hit us as much as they can. We're trying to do the same thing to them," Klingberg said. "Heavy bodies like Lucic and Bennett, they're going to waste energy running around like that. It's not a problem for us, we can handle it. If they want to run around like that, we're going to get offensive chances the other way."

The Stars did that, counter-attacking and possessing the puck for long stretches of the game. Still, the Flames were able to get some key goals and were able to scare the Stars late. Blowing a two-goal lead to go to overtime when you have a game the next day? Well, that could have been bad.

But, tying up the series, playing their best game since they hit the Edmonton bubble and getting huge confidence boost for players like Miro Heiskanen (two goals, plus-3 in 25:20 of ice time), Oleksiak (a goal and plus-2 in 20:51) and Corey Perry (a goal and an assist in 16:53)…well, that was a pretty important response.

Oh yeah, and the line of Radulov with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin made a huge statement by tying the game so quickly after that first punch. By flexing their muscles (Seguin finished with seven hits), the top line showed a ton of leadership.

"Giving up that early goal didn't rattle us at all," Bowness said. "Those guys have got to lead the way, and they did. They did a great job. We needed a big game from all of them, and they responded."

It was an impressive night for that.

Game 3: Stars vs. Flames (series tied 1-1)

Friday, 9:30 p.m. CT

Where:Rogers Place, Edmonton

TV:FOX Sports Southwest, NBCSN

Radio: The Ticket 96.7-FM, 1310-AM

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.