Heika's Take: Stars' shutout victory over Lightning is a statement

DALLAS --The Stars played a playoff game Tuesday.
Well, not really, but pretty close.
In beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 1-0, Dallas received an exceptional goaltending performance from Scott Wedgewood, a gut-check goal from the top line, and a level of intensity throughout the lineup that we haven't seen this year.

In doing so, they earned two huge points in the battle for a Western Conference playoff spot and a big boost in confidence that they can play with anyone.
"That was playoff hockey," said Stars coach Rick Bowness. "That was probably the best game of the year. It's a 1-0 game with plenty of scoring chances at both ends, great goaltending. Great second efforts tonight. You saw guys diving in front of shots and taking hits to make plays. That's what it's all about. We talked this morning about how it's 'all-in' now. We're all-in, everybody, and everybody was all-in tonight."

The Stars and Lightning have had some pretty good battles over the past few years. They went six games in the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, with Tampa Bay winning. They battled eight times in an oddly formed division last season, with the Lightning going 6-1-0 with one of the wins in overtime. Earlier this year, Dallas lost a 3-1 game in Tampa with an empty netter at the end.
It's been a tough rivalry for the lads in Victory Green, and it was clear in this game they wanted a little bit more. While the score stayed tied until the 15:10 mark of the third period, Dallas had the better of play for much of the game. The Stars started fast, challenged goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, and shut down a Tampa team that has some of the best offensive players in the league.
And, for Stars fans, that can be a little scary. Too often this season, Dallas has done just that and then found a way to let things slip away. A muffed play here, a missed assignment there, and a lot of good can end up laying on the cutting room floor.
But this game didn't turn that way. Wedgewood was great when he had to be. The 29-yearold goalie acquired from Arizona at the trade deadline moved his record to 3-0-1 with his new team, including wins over the Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes.

"Outstanding," said Bowness. "If you're going to beat that team, your goalie has to be one of your better players. He was fantastic. He's given us four really good games. He's got seven out of eight points. He's done a fantastic job for us. I'm very happy for him."
And when Wedgewood wasn't saving the day, the team effort was tangible. Luke Glendening had a fantastic night killing penalties and also created several great scoring chances. Joel Hanley dished out three hits and was in the face of the opposition all night. Roope Hintz was in scrums, John Klingberg was in scrums, Tyler Seguin was in scrums. Jamie Benn had three blocked shots (and a fight), Glendening had three and Seguin had two. They were crucial in holding on at the end of a game that had a playoff feel.
When it was over, players were laying on the ice, exhausted and ecstatic.
"It's huge," said Wedgewood. "From a structure standpoint, what you need to win, how you're going to win, guys missing shifts with injuries and blocked shots, there's a crazy amount of desperation. In the first period, we had three or four guys just eat pucks. That's what it's going to take to win."

The Stars have forged a pretty nice rivalry with the Lightning, but Tampa Bay has shown a lot more poise in key moments over the past two seasons. When the Lightning needed a save in the past, they got it.
On this night, though, the Stars got the save and then also got the goal. The top line was buzzing for much of the night and put together a fantastic shift with six minutes to go. They created several scoring chances, got Tampa Bay running around in its own end, and finally scored when Pavelski found Hintz open for just a second. Hintz banged in his 32nd goal of the season, and that was the difference in a game that could be very important down the stretch.

Dallas is three points ahead of Vegas for the second wild card spot, and just one point behind Nashville for the first wild card spot. At 42-27-4, it's a very solid place with nine games remaining.
"It felt great," said Hintz. "There wasn't much time left, and the fans were going crazy. It was nice to score, and there was some emotion, too."
Just like a playoff game.
Don't miss your chance to see the Stars continue their homestand Thursday against the Minnesota Wild at 7 p.m. Get your tickets now!
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.