DALLAS (AP) Tyler Seguin was an obvious star in Dallas’ 4-3 shootout win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
Stars coach Ken Hitchcock passed some praise over to the less conspicuous play of Martin Hanzal, too.
Seguin scored Dallas’ first goal on the power play after Nashville had taken a 2-0 lead. Later, he and Alexander Radulov beat Juuse Saros in the shootout while Ben Bishop stopped both Predators’ attempts. Seguin also won 13 of 18 faceoffs.
Hanzal scored a rebound goal that put the Stars ahead 3-2 in the second period, but his contribution was even bigger while helping kill a 5-on-3 power play in overtime.
”The best thing was the job that those guys did at the end killing penalties,” Hitchcock said. ”The importance of guys like Hanzal and (Radek) Faksa are just incredible.”
Nashville’s Ryan Johansen made it 3-3 about five minutes into the third period on a power play. The Predators had led 2-0 on goals from Alexei Emelin and Calle Jarnkrok in the first period.
Seguin’s goal was followed by rebound goals by Antoine Roussel and Hanzal.
”(Hanzal) acts and behaves like a winner,” Hitchcock said. ”That’s the reason we brought him. We saw him do that in the playoffs last year, and now he’s starting to show us.”
Bishop had 29 saves, five during the overtime.
In a wild, back-and-forth game, the momentum swung in Nashville’s favor as regulation ended. Then, 1:05 into overtime, Stars captain Jamie Benn went off for tripping, and at 2:34, Dan Hamhuis took a penalty for cross checking. For 31 seconds, Nashville had a two-man advantage.
Hanzal was on the ice for most of the penalty kill.
”That’s really hard playing four against three, then we got another penalty then we got the kill 5-on-3, but we stick together today,” he said.
Nashville captain Roman Josi didn’t have an excuse.
”There’s a lot more space, and there’s a lot of plays you can make, but just get some shots and then things are going to open up because you’ve got five guys to get a rebound.”
Seguin’s goal was his third in the last two games.
”He really dug in the last two games,” Hitchcock said. ”He’s had success offensively, and he’s had success on the (faceoff) dot because of it. He’s back to second and third effort on the draw.”
The Predators have allowed four power-play goals, including Seguin’s, while losing their last three games.
The Stars entered the game 0-6 against the three teams ahead of them in the Central Division, including 0-2 against the Predators.
Saros made 25 saves but stopped only 1 of 3 in the shootout and lost for the first time in three starts against Dallas.
The Predators scored on two of their first four shots on goal.
Emelin took a pass high in the slot from Viktor Arvidsson for Nashville’s first goal just 34 seconds in. The wrist shot was Emelin’s first goal in 68 games and only the 15th in 414 career games.
Colton Sissons took the puck away from Benn on Dallas’ power play and set up Jarnkrok for a short-handed goal at 7:03 of the first period.
NOTES: Jarnkrok has two short-handed goals this season, one in each game at Dallas. … The players on the Predators’ line of Emelin, Arvidsson and Johansen had the game’s first three penalties in the first 10:46. Jarnkrok scored his short-handed goal on the second of those. Seguin’s goal was with Johansen in the penalty box. … The Stars have scored on the power play in three straight games and four of the last five. … The Predators have allowed four power-play goals in the last three games.
UP NEXT
Predators: Play their second straight road game at St. Louis on Wednesday night.
Stars: Travel to Minnesota for a game on Wednesday night.
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