It is probably not doable to convey how a lot Wyatt Johnston’s time beyond regulation aim on Saturday evening meant to the Dallas Stars.
In fact, it gave them the 3-2 win in Recreation 3 on the street after shedding the primary two video games at house to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Nevertheless it was how that recreation performed out that may imply a lot going into Recreation 4 at 9:30 p.m. ET Monday evening at T-Cellular Area.
The Stars dominated the primary half of the sport, outshooting the Golden Knights, 30-12. However Dallas solely led 2-0 by the center of the second interval due to the spectacular goaltending of Vegas’ Logan Thompson.
Regardless of being overwhelmed by Johnston’s first aim within the opening interval and defenseman Miro Heiskanen early within the second, Thompson single-handedly saved the sport from being a blowout. He stopped 4 breakaways within the second interval, two by Tyler Seguin.
“He gave us each likelihood to get again within the recreation, and we did so as soon as it was 2-2, then it was a little bit bit totally different, however they executed higher than we did,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy mentioned by way of Paul Delos Santos of NHL.com.
With 9:20 left within the center interval, defenseman Brayden McNabb put the Golden Knights on the board, and simply 3:10 later, Jack Eichel’s shorthanded aim tied the sport at 2-2 for Vegas.
In spite of everything of Dallas’ arduous work and dominating the proceedings within the first half-hour, it solely took a little bit over three minutes for the Golden Knights to wipe out the lead and all the Stars’ earlier efforts.
That needed to be a intestine shot. And to doubtlessly lose a recreation during which they’d completely managed play to that extent to go down 3-0 within the sequence?
However Johnson’s OT winner 16:23 into the additional interval rendered all of that moot.
“I attempted a pair low [shots] and it didn’t work, so I figured I’d throw one up excessive,” Johnston mentioned. “Fortunately sufficient, it labored.”
