Dallas edges Vegas, 1- 0, in Game 1 of Western final
EDMONTON, Alberta — John Klingberg scored on the Dallas Stars’ first shot, Anton Khudobin stopped all 25 the Golden Knights put on net and Dallas beat the Vegas Golden Knights, 1- 0, Sunday night in a hard- hitting, defensive Game 1 of the Western Conference final at Rogers Place.
Khudobin had his first NHL playoff shutout in the Stars’ first 1- 0 playoff win in regulation since 2000.
In true lock- down Stars fashion, the game had almost double the amount of total hits ( 96) than shots on goal ( 50). Two days after each team won a Game 7 in the second round to move on, Dallas had more jump from the drop of the puck and carried that to a series lead.
Klingberg’s goal 2: 36 in was all the offense coach Rick Bowness’ team needed. It looked like surprise Vegas starter Marc- Andre Fleury didn’t get reset after Dallas captain
Jamie Benn’s shot attempt was blocked, and Klingberg fired the loose puck past him into the net.
It was the Stars’ 55th goal this postseason, and the 52nd scored with either Klingberg or fellow defenseman Miro Heiskanen on the ice.
Playing with a lead allowed Dallas players to throw their bodies around, a style of game Vegas has no problem matching. Stars defenseman Esa Lindell appeared to injure his left hand on one hit in the first period but didn’t miss a shift.
Also in the first, Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson landed a legonleg hit on Roope Hintz and was on the other side of an earful from Stars veteran Corey Perry in the next TV timeout. The nastiness is already well established early in the West final and should grow as the series continues.
There likely will be will be more goals in the coming games though, even if Fleury and Khudobin did their best to keep the puck out. Fleury made 24 saves after allowing the Klingberg goal, and Khudobin was aided by his teammates forcing shots to the outside and helped himself with some excellent rebound control.
NOTES — Nick Cousins replaced Ryan Reaves in the Vegas lineup. Reaves was suspended a game for an illegal check to the head of Vancouver’s Tyler Motte in Game 7 of the previous round. … Mattias Janmark played for Dallas after leaving Game 7 against Colorado with injury. … Goalie Ben Bishop and defenseman Stephen Johns remained unfit to play for the Stars. … Forward Andrew Cogliano was a healthy scratch so Dallas could keep Game 7 hero Joel Kiviranta in the lineup. … Fleury started for just the fourth time in the postseason.