The Dallas Stars made the final 76 seconds of Friday’s preseason game far more complicated than necessary. Thomas Harley received a fighting major and misconduct at 18:44 of the third period, then Justin Hryckowian was assessed a roughing minor at 19:08 along with another fighting major and a game misconduct.
Suddenly, a 2-1 lead in St. Paul required Dallas to kill a penalty while Minnesota had an extra attacker and, eventually, six skaters against four.
That was an unnecessary complication after Dallas had spent most of the third period defending a narrow lead.
The Stars had already done the important work before the penalties arrived. Radek Faksa scored at 9:18 of the first period, and Harley restored the lead at 18:38 of the second after Joel Eriksson Ek had tied the game. Casey DeSmith then stopped 26 of Minnesota’s 27 shots, including all 13 he faced in the third period.
The late penalties made the finish untidy. They did not erase the scoring or the goaltending that put Dallas in position to survive it.
The lead was earned earlier
Faksa’s goal was a useful contribution from a Dallas group that did not need every familiar scoring name to appear on the scoresheet. Oskar Bäck and Joel Kiviranta assisted, giving the play a three-player contribution from skaters who each logged fewer than 12 minutes. Faksa finished with one shot and made it count.
Minnesota answered just 1:54 into the second when Eriksson Ek scored, with Blake Coleman and Matt Boldy assisting. That response mattered because it interrupted Dallas’ early advantage, but the Stars did not spend the rest of the period merely waiting for the Wild to make a mistake.
Harley tested Jesper Wallstedt at 14:06, and after Minnesota’s penalty sequence involving Marcus Foligno and Yakov Trenin, Harley scored at 18:38.
Dallas had just finished a power play without scoring. Trenin’s high-sticking minor had expired 12 seconds before Harley’s goal, so this was an even-strength winner, not a power-play product. Harley finished with three shots and 21:56 of ice time, then became part of the disorder that followed. His goal deserved credit separately from his penalties.
Mikko Rantanen and Jamie Benn assisted on the deciding goal. Rantanen finished with one point but no shot on goal, while Jason Robertson and Tyler Seguin also combined for only one shot. That is hardly an attacking clinic, and it is a reminder that a preseason scoreline can be carried by a few efficient moments rather than broad offensive control.
