Heika’s Take: Stars answer bell with late rally, fend off Flames in overtime

Sometimes it’s good to be punched in the nose.

The Stars were – both figuratively and literally – on Tuesday night, and they responded well.

Dallas stumbled out of the gate against Calgary and found itself down 3-1 early in the third period against a Flames team that will miss the playoffs. However, the lads in Victory Green bounced back and ended up winning a 4-3 finish in overtime.

Forward Jason Robertson, meanwhile, was cross-checked square in the face to set up a four-minute power play in the extra frame. He was doctored after bleeding heavily from his nose and returned to the game, setting up Wyatt Johnston’s game-winner in a pretty heroic moment.

“Robo is a lot tougher than people think,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “He’s got a knack and he made a play.”

As did the Stars. They have come back from deficits on several occasions this year, and this particular one was pretty important. Dallas holds a two-point lead over Minnesota for the second seed in the Central Division. The two teams are going to play each other in the First Round of the playoffs and Dallas currently holds home ice in that series. But the Wild will be at American Airlines Center on Thursday for a huge head-to-head that could go a long way in securing home ice for either team, so getting the two points against the Flames was crucial.

“We didn’t put ourselves in the best spot, but I think that sometimes can bring the best out of us – just that desperation,” said Johnston, who finished with two goals and now has 43 on the season. “That’s not a situation we want to be in often, but it’s important to be able to build your game back up if you’re down.”

The dynamics of the game created an interesting classroom. Dallas had great opportunities early - including two first-period power plays – and didn’t execute. The Stars finished with two shots on goal in the first period and eight total through 40 minutes.

Calgary took a 3-1 lead in the first minute of the third period and disaster looked like a real possibility. But Gulutzan shuffled his lines, and four key players made key plays. Mikko Rantanen made a nice drive to the net and attempted a wrap-around shot. Johnston scored off the rebound at the 1:16 mark of the third period. And then Matt Duchene made a fantastic effort to keep control of the puck and slid it to the front of the crease where Robertson poked it in to tie things up four minutes later.

It was a quick response that allowed the Stars to really feel they answered the bell.

“It wasn’t a great game for us…we just were not good enough,” said Duchene. “I think we should be happy with the third and stick-to-it-iveness of it but not a great 60-minute effort.”

Gulutzan gave the Flames a lot of credit. Dallas rallied in overtime with a four-minute power play and tilted a lot of the final stats. The Stars finished with a 25-20 advantage in shots on goal, a 52-48 edge in shot attempts and almost twice as many scoring chances.

Still, things looked grim early and Dallas was 0-for-3 on its first power play attempts with no shots.

“I didn't like our first two periods, for sure,” Gulutzan said. “We weren't as dug in as we needed to be. We didn't keep it simple enough in the first two and didn't win enough battles, but our response in the third was encouraging.”

Duchene went 11-2 in the faceoff circle and Arttu Hyry went 11-3. That was a huge part of securing the puck during the comeback. After Robertson took the high stick and earned the four-minute man advantage, Duchene would go out on the power play, win the faceoff, and then change so that Robertson could get back on.

“I look at Dutchy today and his selfless faceoffs in 4-on-3,” Gulutzan said. “Between he and [Arttu Hyry], I think they were 22-5. He dug in and we're going to need all of that.”

Duchene said there was much to learn from Tuesday’s game. Yes, he knows the Flames are going to miss the playoffs. Yes, he knows the Wild are going to present a much tougher challenge. But he said the team has to focus on making itself the best team it can be heading into the postseason.

“I don’t really care who we have,” Duchene said. “I don’t think any of us really like a lot of the stuff we’re doing right now. We’re not connected like we were in our long point streak, and I think there’s a lot of things that go into it and we’ve got to get back to it.”

The scoring has evaporated to some degree. The puck possession is not as good. The faceoffs have flagged at times. That’s why the overtime was important. Getting the four-minute penalty was a huge boost, but it took them almost all four minutes to finally score. The Stars had 10 shots on goal in the overtime before Johnston’s goal went in.

“I think you’re always learning in this league,” Johnston said. “Every day we keep learning different things about ourselves. Keep trying to improve. Keep trying to build on periods, shifts and games. It’s on to the next, and it’s a big one on Thursday.”

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

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.