Stars Beat Blues
DALLAS — Radek Faksa definitely likes Game 1 of a playoff series. For the second consecutive series, the Dallas rookie scored the game-winning goal to open the series as the Stars defeated the St. Louis Blues 2-1 in in the second-round series on Friday at American Airlines Center.
Faksa scored the eventual winner with 4:44 remaining in regulation when he tapped in a rebound after Blues goaltender Brian Elliott denied the initial shot by Ales Hemsky.
“I had the speed wide, and (Faksa) made a great play to me,” Hemsky said. “Unfortunately it didn’t work out, but (Faksa) had the rebound.”
Faksa also scored in Game 1 of the first-round series against Minnesota, also delivering the game-winner in a 4-0 win to open that series on April 14.
“I’m very excited after every goal, maybe too excited,” Faksa said. “It’s just part of the game, enjoying every game in the NHL. Just a big excitement for me. It just feels great.”
Kari Lehtonen stopped 31 of 32 shots and Antoine Roussel also
scored for Dallas. Game 2 is Sunday afternoon in Dallas.
“Yeah, I thought we played a good game,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. “Our energy was good. I thought our energy got better as the game went on. I thought we skated well, I thought we defended well. I thought we were physical. It’s a good start to the series for us.”
Kevin Shattenkirk scored for the Blues.
“They outplayed us,” Blues captain David Backes said. “They deserved to win this one.”
The best chance of the opening period came with 4:19 remaining when Robby Fabbri and Troy Brouwer had a 2-on-1. Lehtonen got his stick on Brouwer’s wrist shot at the near post and knocked it high.
Lehtonen also made two saves on Paul Stastny earlier in the period, denying him first on a backhand 8:59 into the game and a second time as Stastny attempted to score off the rebound.
Roussel gave Dallas a 1-0 lead with his second goal of the playoffs 9:36 into the second period. He scored off a rebound after Blues goaltender Brian Elliott denied the initial wrist shot by Faksa from the edge of the left circle.
Roussel started the sequence by charging up the right side of the ice before delivering a cross-ice pass to John Klingberg, who has four points in the playoffs.
“I didn’t like the way we played in the last 10 minutes of that first (period) and the whole second,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. “We just fed too many pucks in the wrong places and they just dialed up their transition because of it. We didn’t play the right way.”
Elliott robbed Mattias Janmark at the far post 4:50 into the third period. Janmark was attempting to score his first playoff goal, but Elliott denied him a second time in the game with a glove save.
Dallas lost veteran winger Patrick Eaves to a lower-body injury early in the third period. Eaves was struck with a shot by Stephen Johns from the right point and left the ice slowly. Eaves immediately adjourned to the Dallas dressing room for treatment.
“He didn’t finish the game and we’ll probably find out more tomorrow,” Ruff said of Eaves.
St. Louis tied it with 8:28 remaining when Shattenkirk scored on a one-timer from the left point that beat Lehtonen far post after receiving a pass from Colton Parayko.
“As crazy as Game 1 is, you’d like to steal it on the road,” Shattenkirk said. “It’s a chance to learn your opponent, and we have some good things we can learn from, great adjustments that can be made and put us in great position on Sunday to win a game.”
Elliott stopped 40 shots for the Blues.
