Pavelski scores twice to give Stars 2-1 series lead

The underdog Dallas Stars are leading their first-round playoff series against the Calgary Flames thanks to an old goal scorer and a youthful goalkeeper.

Dallas triumphed 4-2 on Saturday night, taking a 2-1 series lead over the Pacific Division champions, who have three 40-goal scorers.

Joe Pavelski scored twice and got the game-winner on the first power-play goal of the series, while Jake Oettinger made 39 saves.

The 23-year-old Oettinger grabbed his second postseason victory in his first playoff game on home ice — and the first for the Stars in more than three years — two nights after making 29 saves in a 2-0 win at Calgary to even the series.

With 3 1/2 minutes left, Johnny Gaudreau made a fantastic save on a breakaway chance.

Coach Rick Bowness stated, “That’s one big timely save.”

“Jake is doing great. He was just rock solid back there, unfazed by the environment or the noise.”

Stars went 0 for 10 with an extra skater in the series, however one of those power plays had only lasted 4 seconds in Game 3 before Pavelski’s tiebreaking goal with 9:55 remaining tied the game at 3-2.

On a rush, Pavelski made a cross-ice pass to Vladislav Namestnikov, who then fired a shot past goalie Jacob Markstrom.

Pavelski, who has scored 64 postseason goals in his career, is the most by an American-born player.

“It’s quite large.” Pavelski, who also got the game-winning goal in Game 2, described having a 2-1 series lead as “another milestone.”

“Everyone in the lineup is putting in a lot of effort. Physicality in plenty. Guys turning in papers, accepting checks, and making plays.”

Pavelski, like Oettinger, was playing in his first home playoff game at the American Airlines Center.

Stars made it to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season with the team in 2019-20, despite the fact that the whole postseason was played in a bubble in Canada because to the pandemic.

The series goes back to Calgary for Game 5 on Wednesday, with Game 4 taking place in Dallas on Monday night.

“Our group is still going strong.” Calgary veteran center Blake Coleman, who grew up in Plano, Texas, and played his first playoff game in Dallas, said he was “very confident in our complete potential.”

“If we win one game, we get home ice again.” That was our objective here. In our room, there is no panic.”

Calgary got goals from Elias Lindholm and Trevor Lewis.

They had another rough and brawling contest after trading shutouts and scoring only three goals in two games in Calgary.

Only 1:22 into the game, Matthew Tkachuk and John Klingberg were trading blows and incurring 5-minute majors, while Oettinger made a glove stop on Gaudreau’s wrister on Calgary’s first shot.

When Pavelski knocked in Heiskanen’s shot that ricocheted off Markstrom midway through the second period, the game was knotted at two.

That happened only seconds after Markstrom’s off-balance rejection of Heiskanen’s shot, yet Stars were able to preserve possession.

Markstrom made 28 saves.

Faksa gave the Stars a 1-0 lead approximately 8 1/2 minutes into the game when he used his stick to deflect Esa Lindell’s shot following a pass from Heiskanen.

Faksa had been levelled in front of the net by Noah Hanifan moments before Markstrom was able to hold the puck following a Heiskanen shot.

Calgary tied the game at 1-1 on a goal Bowness thought came as a result of goaltender interference, with Oettinger lying on his side after colliding with Milan Lucic. The replay challenge was lost by Dallas.

Lucic appeared to want to avoid the Dallas goalie while engaged to Tyler Seguin.

The collision occurred just beyond the crease, and Lucic was able to push the puck back to the front, where Lewis knocked it in.

Early in the second period, Lindholm scored from just inside the circle to give the Flames a 2-1 lead.

“We fought hard.” Darryl Sutter, Calgary’s coach, described the games as “close.”

“You must play the entire game. We were expecting them to appear.”