RESTED DALLAS DOWNS TIRED TAMPA IN GAME 1

The well-rested Stars took it to the banged-up Tampa Bay Lightning hard and early and goaltender Anton Khudobin closed it out with 22 thirdperiod saves as Dallas won Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final 4-1 on Saturday night.

Joel Hanley and Jamie Oleksiak continued the Stars’ postseason trend of getting goals from defensemen, and second-round Game 7 hat trick hero Joel Kiviranta scored late in the second period to provide some breathing room. Khudobin continued to shine in his first playoffs as the starter, making 35 saves, some of them in spectacular fashion.

Khudobin was at his best in the third when the Lightning found their legs and tilted the ice toward him. He came up big on two penalty kills and strengthened his case for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

“We obviously got in a little penalty trouble there in the third,” Stars forward Blake Comeau said. “He was there to bail us out.”

Game 1 started out looking every bit like Dallas had four days off since winning the Western Conference final and Tampa Bay just one after clinching the East. The Stars, who grinded their way through the playoffs with tight-checking toughness, came out hitting, knowing the Lightning are not fully healthy.

“They were right on top of us,” said Yanni Gourde, who scored Tampa Bay’s only goal. “They were on top of us right from the get go, so we’ve got to adjust and do a better job.”

Lightning vs. Stars Series: Dallas leads 1-0

Game 2: Monday, 5 p.m., NBCSN

Stars 4, Lightning 1

Comeau hit 6-foot-6 Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman on one of the first shifts, and Kiviranta crushed top center Brayden Point into the boards to set up Hanley’s first NHL goal of any kind. Defenseman Esa Lindell also got into the action early with Point, cross-checking him and leveling him in open ice.

Notable

Commissioner Gary Bettman raised the possibility of next season beginning after the tentatively planned Dec. 1 start date, even while the plan remains for each team to play 82 games and the league to hold a full playoffs.

Much like its plan to resume this season, the league hopes to adapt to the pandemic circumstances in the U.S., Canada and worldwide and is open to adjusting on the f ly as the situation evolves. Acknowledging there are factors like the U.s.-canada border and local jurisdictions out of his control that could affect travel and attendance, Bettman indicated he wouldn’t be surprised if the season begins later in December or in January but would like to avoid playing deep into next summer.