Steven Stamkos turned Saturday night in Nashville into a milestone and a trap for a tired Dallas Stars roster. His power-play goal at 4:46 of the first period was the 625th of his NHL career, tying Jerome Iginla and Joe Sakic for 17th all-time, and it erased a Miro Heiskanen lead that was less than four minutes old.
Nils Hoglander added another Predators power-play goal later in the period. Juuse Saros stopped 29 shots. The Predators won 2-1 at Bridgestone Arena, and Dallas fell to 0-2-0 on the second night of a back-to-back, NHL.com's Kurt Dusterberg reported.
Milestone night, methodical finish
Stamkos one-timed Ryan O'Reilly's backhand pass from the left circle after O'Reilly threaded the puck through two Dallas defenders. Stamkos told NHL.com it is cool to hear his name next to Sakic and Iginla, names he watched growing up in Canada, and that he wore 19 as a kid because of Sakic and Steve Yzerman.
The goal was more than nostalgia. Stamkos also framed the Predators' game plan: take advantage of a team that played Friday, grind them down, lean on Saros late, and protect a one-goal lead. That is exactly how the rest of the night unfolded.
Hoglander's deflection of Jack Ahcan's point shot at 15:49 made it 2-1. Dallas spent the final 40 minutes trying to climb while Nashville defended the margin.
NHL.com notes added that Stamkos became the third active player to score in at least 500 NHL games, behind only Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Milestone language usually softens a box score. Here it hardened Nashville's edge: the Predators' veteran finisher delivered the tying goal on the man advantage against a Stars group already short a night of rest.
