Juuse Saros faced 12 Dallas shots in the third period and turned away all 12. Nashville still had to defend a one-goal lead, but the Predators’ goaltender made sure the Stars’ late push remained a threat rather than becoming a tying goal.
That was the finishing touch on Nashville’s 2-1 victory over Dallas on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena. The result calls for credit to both goalies: Saros deserved praise for stopping the recovery, Casey DeSmith deserved credit for keeping Dallas close, and Nashville’s power play supplied the margin.
Dallas opened with the kind of start that usually earns a team more than a footnote. Miro Heiskanen scored 47 seconds into the game at even strength, finishing with a wrist shot after Rantanen and Johnston supplied the assists. Heiskanen led Dallas with five shots and was the only Star to beat Saros.
The Predators answered efficiently. Stamkos made it 1-1 at 4:46, capitalizing on Nashville’s first man advantage after Hyry’s interference minor at 3:36. O’Reilly and Josi assisted, and the play included a cross-slot pass that gave Stamkos room to finish from the left side.
That was a good power-play goal, not a verdict on DeSmith. Nashville made its cross-slot pass count. DeSmith finished with 24 saves against 26 shots overall and handled all 23 Nashville attempts at even strength. Both goals against came with the Predators on the man advantage.
Nashville struck again before the period ended. Jason Robertson took a slashing penalty at 13:53, and Nils Höglander redirected Jack Ahcan’s point shot at 15:49. Alexander Kerfoot also assisted. Höglander’s touch changed the direction of the puck, while Nashville’s setup created the opportunity in the first place.
The distinction in the penalty accounting matters. Nashville had two power plays in the opening period and scored on both. Its third opportunity came in the second period, after Esa Lindell was called for tripping at 4:29; the Predators finished 2-for-3 overall. Dallas received one power play, following Ross Colton’s slashing minor at 2:17 of the second, and failed to score.
In a 2-1 game, that exchange is difficult to overlook. Nashville needed only three power-play opportunities to produce both of its goals. Dallas had one chance to answer and did not convert.
The Stars entered the night 0-for-4 on the power play after Friday’s loss to St. Louis, so the early-season total reached 0-for-5. That remains a two-game sample, but the empty advantage was costly in this particular game.
Saros then had to protect what Nashville had built. The Predators held a 15-9 shot edge in the first period, but Dallas put nine shots on net in the second and 12 in the third while Nashville managed five and six. Those totals do not establish that every Dallas attempt was dangerous, yet they do show that Saros stayed involved after the scoring stopped.
