Defenseman Thomas Harley broke a tie in the first period with 0.2 seconds left on the clock

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Defenseman Thomas Harley broke a tie in the first period with 0.2 seconds left on the clock, lifting the Dallas Stars to a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night at the American Airlines Center, CBS Sports reported. The win allowed Dallas to close out a season-long six-game homestand with a 4-2-0 record after dropping their previous two outings.

Harley and Hyry Deliver in the Dying Seconds

The game turned on timely execution at the ends of periods and special teams efficiency. Harley whipped a sharp-angled wrist shot from the left half wall that squeezed through a narrow opening between Columbus goaltender Jet Greaves’ right skate and the post, breaking a 1-1 tie just before the first intermission. Later, with Columbus pressing for an equalizer, Arttu Hyry sealed the win by firing into an empty net with 0.3 seconds remaining in regulation.

Early Special Teams Strike and Penalty Kill Streak

Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen opened the scoring early, netting his team-high seventh goal of the season just 33 seconds into a power play at 2:16 of the first period. The man advantage came after Greaves was whistled for a delay-of-game penalty. Rantanen capitalized quickly by tapping in a crisp, cross-crease backhand pass from Wyatt Johnston.

The Stars’ top-ranked penalty kill also continued its sharp run, neutralizing Columbus’ lone power-play opportunity to extend a streak of 28 successful kills dating back to October 13.

Columbus Third-Period Push and Oettinger’s Bounce-Back

Columbus answered in the third period when defenseman Damon Severson scored at the 6:21 mark. That goal came roughly four minutes after the Stars successfully challenged an earlier Jackets scoring bid by Valeri Nichushkin, getting it overturned for offside. Greaves finished the night with 14 saves for Columbus, which dropped the final two stops of a three-game road trip.

At the other end of the ice, Jake Oettinger bounced back strongly after surrendering seven goals across his previous two appearances. Entering the night ranked fifth in the NHL with a 1.69 goals-against average, Oettinger turned away 25 of 26 shots to secure the win. Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen contributed two assists in the effort.

Roster Returns and Upcoming Travel Schedules

The matchup also featured the season debut of Columbus defenseman Ivan Provorov, who returned to the lineup after landing on injured reserve on October 1. To manage the roster, the Blue Jackets deployed 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

Columbus blue jackets defenseman ivan provorov in the first period of an nhl hockey game saturday jan in denver photodavid za

Saturday’s contest marked another reunion for Dallas during their homestand, having previously faced teams led by the Stars’ two previous coaches, including Columbus bench boss Rick Bowness and New York Islanders coach Pete DeBoer. The two teams will meet once more for their remaining inter-conference matchup next Thursday in Columbus. The Blue Jackets return home to host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, while the Stars travel to take on the Washington Capitals on the same night.

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