Pittsburgh finally stopped its skid, but it took extra work after Dallas erased a third-period deficit in the final half-minute. The Penguins outlasted the Stars 2-1 in a shootout Saturday at PPG Paints Arena, with Arturs Silovs closing the door when it counted.
Quick facts
- Pittsburgh moved to 3-2-1 after ending a three-game winless stretch (0-2-1).
- Dallas fell to 2-2-1 after its goaltender and team defensive streaks were snapped.
- Connor Dewar scored Pittsburgh’s regulation goal at 1:57 of the third period.
- Tyler Seguin forced overtime by tipping in Jason Robertson’s shot with 30 seconds left.
- Silovs made 24 saves and stopped Robertson in the opening shootout round.
The game stayed scoreless through 40 minutes before Dewar broke through early in the third. He drifted into the slot and put a backhand toward the net that fluttered in off Dallas defenseman Lian Bichsel.
That goal ended Jake Oettinger’s shutout run at 188:52, the longest of his NHL career. It ranks third in Stars history, trailing Ben Bishop’s 233:04 stretch in 2018-19 and Ed Belfour’s 219:26 mark in 2000-01.
Dallas had carried a club-record 206:08 scoreless defensive streak into the night. Oettinger had shut out San Jose 5-0 on Monday with 13 saves, then made 26 stops in a 4-0 win at Buffalo on Thursday. He finished Saturday with 19 saves.
The Penguins had a first-period goal wiped out at 19:34. Kris Letang was working at the crease after Tommy Novak’s pass, and Dallas forward Justin Hryckowian eventually knocked the puck into his own net, but the Stars challenged the sequence.
Video review determined Pittsburgh forward Hendrix Lapierre had played the puck with a high stick earlier in the rush, nullifying the apparent goal.
Silovs came up with a key save in the second period to keep the game level. Seguin drove the net for a pass from Jamie Benn behind the cage at 15:35, but Silovs stretched his left pad to deny the close-range chance.
Seguin got his redemption late. With Oettinger on the bench for the extra attacker, Robertson sent a shot toward the net and Seguin redirected it past Silovs at 19:30 of the third. It was Seguin’s first goal and first point in five games this season.
The shootout went Pittsburgh’s way. Ben Kindel, Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins, while Seguin and Wyatt Johnston converted for Dallas.
Silovs denied Robertson in the first round, and Mikko Rantanen missed the net in the fourth round to hand Pittsburgh the win. The Penguins had entered the game off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.
