It appears the San Jose Sharks were “starstruck.”
The Dallas Stars (18-5-5) came alive in the third period, scoring three goals to pull away for a 4-1 win over the Sharks (13-12-3) on Friday night at American Airlines Center. Goals from Jason Robertson, Sam Steel, Mikko Rantanen, and Miro Heiskanen propelled Dallas, while Jake Oettinger stopped 16 shots to secure the victory.
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Collin Graf scored the lone goal for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 20 saves on the night.
The Stars struck first at 14:20 of the opening period as Jason Robertson netted his 18th goal of the season. Wyatt Johnston unleashed a blistering one-timer from the left circle, and the rebound found Robertson at the edge of the crease, where he finished with precision.
San Jose responded in the second period, with Graf tying the game at 8:23 off a Nick Leddy rebound, keeping the Sharks in contention.
But the final 20 minutes belonged to Dallas. Sam Steel was a constant presence around the net, creating multiple scoring chances, including two while killing penalties. His relentless effort finally paid off at 10:56 when he notched his fourth goal of the season to put Dallas ahead 2-1. Steel initially fired a backhand at goaltender Askarov, corralled his own rebound, and shoveled it through the five-hole to secure the lead.
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Rantanen extended the Stars’ lead at 16:39, registering his 13th goal of the season. Coming out from behind the net, Rantanen unleashed a precise wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle, earning his third point of the night.
Miro Heiskanen capped the scoring with an empty-net goal at 17:41, sealing Dallas’ 4-1 triumph.
The Stars outshot San Jose 24-17, and went 1 for 2 on the power play. The Sharks, meanwhile, failed to convert all four of their opportunities on the man advantage.
The Sharks are back in action Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes (16-8-2) at Lenovo Center. Puck drop takes place at 2 p.m. PT.
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