Saturday in Nashville was supposed to be the salvage half of a back-to-back. Friday had already gone sideways: a 4-0 shutout at American Airlines Center against St. Louis. The Dallas Stars answered with an early goal at Bridgestone Arena, then spent the rest of the night chasing a one-goal deficit they never closed.
Nashville won 2-1. The Predators scored both of their goals on the power play in the first period. Dallas owned the third-period shot clock, 12-6, and still left without a point, NHL.com reported. That is the shape of a hangover night: enough late pressure to feel competitive, not enough finish to change the standings line.
Opening spark, then the grind
Miro Heiskanen scored 47 seconds in after Mikko Rantanen found him in the right face-off circle following a Juuse Saros save in a scramble. Casey DeSmith was sharp enough afterward to keep Dallas within reach, stopping 24 shots. Saros stopped 29 at the other end and, as Steven Stamkos put it afterward, made big saves late while Nashville held a one-goal lead.
The problem sat between that early goal and the late push. Stamkos tied the game at 4:46 on the power play. Nils Hoglander made it 2-1 at 15:49 when Jack Ahcan's point shot caromed in off Hoglander's skate. From there, Dallas had to climb a hill on tired legs against a Predators group that had the night off Friday.
Coach Glen Gulutzan told NHL.com the Stars did not get going in the first, needed time to slow Nashville's momentum, and finally found their game around the middle of the second. The third, he said, was better. The scoreboard stayed stuck.
