The Dallas Stars marched into T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, stared directly into the neon-lit soul of the Golden Knights, and left town with a shootout win and two very loud points—because subtlety has never been part of this rivalry. In a game that featured momentum swings, dramatic pauses, and enough tension to power the Strip for a week, Dallas beat Vegas the only way that feels appropriate in that building: slowly, painfully, and with maximum flair.
The Stars wasted no time spoiling the Vegas party. Matt Duchene opened the scoring early, snapping home the game’s first goal and instantly quieting a crowd that had barely finished ordering their first drinks. It was one of those goals that says, Yes, we know where we are, and yes, we’re here to ruin your evening. Dallas jumped ahead, Vegas pushed back, and chaos officially clocked in for its shift.
From there, the night belonged to Mavrik Bourque, who apparently decided that Las Vegas was the perfect place to announce himself. Bourque scored two goals, both of them coming at moments when Vegas looked just a little too comfortable. One was pure confidence, the other pure opportunism—together, they formed a “Hello, I live here now” performance. Meanwhile, Jamie Benn quietly went about his business like a seasoned villain in enemy territory, finishing the night with two assists and making life miserable for anyone wearing gold.
Vegas, being Vegas, refused to cooperate by going away. The Golden Knights countered, clawed back, and dragged the game all the way through regulation and overtime, because Stars–Knights games apparently aren’t allowed to end calmly. Eventually, the hockey gods demanded a shootout—because what better way to settle a road game in Vegas than a one-on-one skills showdown?
Enter Mikko Rantanen, who calmly stepped in and ended the night with the kind of shootout finish that sucks the oxygen out of an arena. Just like that, the Stars had their win, the Knights had their disbelief, and the Vegas crowd was left staring at the ice, wondering how this keeps happening.
After the game, Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan sounded like a man who thoroughly enjoyed watching his team win a street fight in a casino. “I liked the physicality and the way we defended. I thought it was a good hockey game,” Gulutzan said, which in coach language translates to we were hard to play against, and that’s exactly the point. Dallas blocked shots, leaned on Vegas physically, and refused to give the Knights anything easy—even when the game turned frantic.
In the end, the Stars left Las Vegas with a shootout win, Bourque left with a two-goal statement, Benn left with another quietly effective night, Duchene left his mark early, and Rantanen left the building in silence. It may have been Vegas’ arena, Vegas’ lights, and Vegas’ show—but on this night, the Stars were the main event.
The Morning Skate 