Advertisement

DeSmith Shines, Stars Win Inaugural Battle in Utah

taylor newby
·6 min read

In their first trip to the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, the Dallas Stars narrowly edged out the Utah Hockey Club to complete two wins in two days to start December.

Dallas went ahead 2-0 with two second period goals and hung on through a massive Utah push in the final period to win 2-1, with Casey DeSmith stealing the show between the pipes and captain Jamie Benn scoring the game-winning goal.

Utah faced the Stars for the first time in their inaugural season since relocating from Arizona after a tumultuous last few seasons filled with ongoing issues about where in the Phoenix area the team would play. The Arizona Coyotes played the last two seasons at Mullet Arena on the campus of Arizona State University while their owner looked for a permanent home. The team previously played in the western suburb of Glendale before getting kicked out for non-payment of rent.

Now under new ownership of Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, the Utah Hockey Club has created a fervor among fans in Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas. While the arena is not fully ready to maximize seating for a hockey configuration, and the team has yet to officially unveil their mascot, everyone seems to be excited about Utah's addition to the NHL.

Ahead of the game, the Stars loaned Alexander Petrovic back to the Texas Stars and recalled Justin Hryckowian. This news was coupled with an announcement that Tyler Seguin had been placed on the injure reserve dating back to December 1st. Seguin is battling an ongoing injury and the coaching staff has made it clear that he would not be playing in any back-to-backs, but this news indicates something could have flared up to where he needs more rest. Head coach Pete DeBoer said Seguin would be playing all season with his nagging injury, and that it was critical to maintain as much health as he could in the process.

With the announcement of Petrovic going back to the Texas Stars, it meant that either Matt Dumba or Brendan Smith would re-enter the lineup after being healthy scratched for two straight games after each had a poor performance in Chicago. It ended up being Dumba who got the call, as DeBoer gave him the opportunity to play against his old teammates. Dumba played last season with the Coyotes before getting traded to Tampa Bay at the deadline.

The Stars had won two massive Central Division showdowns in a row Friday against the Colorado Avalanche and the prior afternoon against Winnipeg Jets. Despite still having some special teams woes, it seems like the Stars bounced back strong after losing two in a row to the Hurricanes and Blackhawks.

Related: Stars Survive Late Push, Get Black Friday Win Over Avalanche

Both teams were playing their third game in four days, but somehow both teams found an extra gear in the first period with some of the fastest paced hockey Dallas has seen all season. Utah's young roster set the pace early and both teams looked lightning fast making their way up and down the ice in an unsustainable fashion. Both teams created plenty of chances, and DeSmith started out red hot for Dallas, stopping everything that came his way, some in dramatic fashion.

The Stars got their first chance at a power-play with about five minutes remaining in the period, but that would be neutralized when Mason Marchment took a tripping penalty about 30 seconds in, sending the teams to 4-on-4 hockey. Utah put up 13 shots on goal in the first period, but with DeSmith standing on his head, the teams went into the second period still scoreless.

The second period looked much different, mostly when it came to the speed of the game. Both teams could not keep up the blistering pace, and the back load of games caught up to the player's legs a bit. The Stars started to squeeze the Utah offense and the game looked more like a playoff game where both teams were fighting tooth and nail for space on the ice.

In the first two minutes, the Stars went on the penalty kill, but to mirror the first period, the Hockey Club ended their power play 30 seconds in and then both teams played more 4-on-4. The Stars got their first full chance at a power-play when Clayton Keller took an unnecessary holding penalty after basically head-locking Mavrik Bourque and throwing him to the ground. Dallas made them pay when Evgenii Dadonov found the tiniest hole on the blocker side of Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka. After a long hesitation before shooting the puck, Dadonov squeezed the puck through Vejmelka's arm and put Dallas ahead 1-0.

In the last minute of the second period, Sam Steel did some serious grunt work through the neutral zone and battled along the wall to get the puck free to Benn, who fired a laser of a snap shot past Vejmelka's glove hand. The Stars had a 2-0 cushion now for what they knew would be a strong push from the home team.

In the third period, Utah expended the rest of their energy to try and get back in the game and give themselves a fighting chance. Up until the six minute mark, DeSmith had been unbeatable, but Nick Schmaltz was finally able to snap his shut out bid with a perfect shot that rang off the post and in. A few scrambles ensued in front of DeSmith, but the Stars defense stood strong in front of their confident netminder. With two minutes left in the game, Utah pulled their goalie and despite Dallas being unable to find an empty net goal, the Stars hung on and bled the last seconds off the clock to clinch a 2-1 victory in their first ever game in the state of Utah.

Three takeaways:

  1. DeSmith had an outstanding game after two poor outings in a row. He ended the game as the first star, after putting up a .973% save percentage and stopping 36 of 37 shots on goal.

  2. Dadonov has two power play goals, which is tied for second on the team through 24 games. Personally, it is a great stat for Dadonov, who doesn't get consistent playing time on the man advantage like some of the other forwards on the team. As a team, the stat is a little more pathetic. The power play has been lackluster for a significant portion of the season, and all but one of the forwards who play every power play for Dallas can't do better than Dadonov's two goals. Someone (or multiple someones) needs to step up and start scoring power play goals at some point this season.

  3. The Stars played four games against Central Division opponents in a row. Beating other teams in the Central is the easiest way to ensure Dallas finishes at or near the top of the standings at the end of the season, so going 3-1 with the only loss coming against a Blackhawks team that won't be a part of the playoff picture is a good sign.

Next up for Dallas is two-step in the Pacific time zone against the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights before coming home to face another Pacific Division team in the Calgary Flames.

Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

Dallas Recalls AHL Defenseman for Blueline Help

Three Takeaways: Stars Weather the Storm, Defeat Lightning

Stars Are Winning Many Games, But Powerless Power Play Needs To Be Better

As Stars Thrive On Three-Game Win Streak, It's Dallas' Defense That's Their Biggest Strength