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Calgary Flames goaltender Devin Cooley, center, is slow to get up as Dallas Stars players celebrate a second period goal by Justin Hryckowian during an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (Julio Cortez/AP)
The Stars are quite familiar with a late-season skid. It was just a year ago that they lost their last seven regular-season games before going on their third straight run to the Western Conference finals.
As this regular season nears its end, they’re just barely holding on — with a lot more at stake this time around.
The Stars narrowly escaped with a 4-3 overtime win Tuesday night at American Airlines Center over the Calgary Flames, who sit in third-to-last place in the NHL. Dallas overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period to force overtime where Wyatt Johnston scored his second goal of the night to secure the second point.
Less than a minute into the overtime period, Jason Robertson took a high stick to the face, bled profusely on the ice but put his team on a 4-on-3 man-advantage for four minutes of the overtime period.
With 1:21 remaining in overtime, Johnston dodged Calgary goalie Devin Cooley for the win. Robertson also returned to the ice in the overtime period after being treated for a nose injury.
The two points kept Dallas just ahead of the Minnesota Wild, who also won Tuesday and are now locked in as Dallas’ first-round playoff opponent after Colorado clinched the top overall seed in the West with a win over St. Louis Tuesday. Home-ice advantage in the Dallas-Minnesota series, however, remains up for grabs, setting up a critical head-to-head contest between the two teams at American Airlines Center Thursday at 8 p.m.
Three weeks ago, the Stars were within striking distance of Colorado. Now, a trip to St. Paul at the end of next week is entirely possible, depending on how the last four games of the season play out.
Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said Monday that reality is all the motivation they need.
“That’s going to heighten the focus,” he said. “I don’t have to say anything.”
But that focus didn’t seem to be there early on against a beatable opponent Tuesday. The Stars put up just two shots on goal in the first period and couldn’t land one shot on goal in either of their power play opportunities in the first frame. Dallas went 1-for-5 on the power play Tuesday.
When Justin Hryckowian got just enough on a puck to put Dallas up first early in the second, Calgary answered with the next three goals. The first came after Ilya Lyubushkin gave the puck away in the neutral zone, leading to a rush chance the other way that Joel Farabee finished. Then, Yegor Sharangovich banked a shot in off Lyubushkin that Stars goalie Jake Oettinger couldn’t stop. Zayne Parekh scored Calgary’s third goal just after the second intermission on the power play.
But the spark Dallas was looking for all game came soon after.
Fifty seconds after the Flames goal, Johnston followed up a shot by Mikko Rantanen. Just over three minutes after that, Robertson used his long reach to deflect in a pass on the rush by Matt Duchene. Dallas tied the game with 15:09 to play.
Both teams had late power play opportunities, but neither converted. Calgary nearly went on the man advantage for seven of the last nine minutes of the game after Stars defenseman Tyler Myers was called for boarding against Ryan Strome. But upon review, no penalty was called.
The game-deciding penalty was charged to Strome moments later.
In an especially tight race for second place in the Central Division, that second point could make all the difference.
Find more Stars coverage fromThe Dallas Morning Newshere
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