Gurianov's OT Goal Pushes Stars Past Kings 3-2

dallas stars

Denis Gurianov scored on a rushing backhander with 4:15 into overtime to give the Dallas Stars a 3-2 win in their home opener over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night.

Braden Holtby kept Dallas in the game by stopping 43 shots. Of the Stars' three wins, two were in overtime and one in a shootout.

For the Kings, Anze Kopitar scored his sixth goal in the season's first four games and Gabriel Valardi scored on a five-minute major penalty.

Valardi's first goal of the season happened from the right circle with just under 3 minutes left in second period, and just after veteran Kings defenseman Drew Doughty was helped off the ice with a right-knee injury and didn't return. Stars rookie defenseman Jari Hakanpaa was given the major for kneeing and a game misconduct.

Jonathan Quick made 19 saves for the Kings.

Dallas' first two goals both came on the power play. Tyler Seguin scored in the final minute of the first period for his first point of the season (he also had an assist in the game). Miro Heiskanen's power-play goal came at 10:58 of the third period seconds after a 5-on-3 expired.

Kopitar opened the scoring on a back-door tap-in from Viktor Arvidsson, who slid a pass through traffic on one knee with about three minutes left in the first period.

With goals in each of Los Angeles' first four games, Kopitar is two games short of the franchise record to open a season (Charlie Simmer, six games to open 1979-80) and matched his career best for consecutive games with a goal.

Seguin quickly evened the score 1-1 with Doughty off for cross-checking. Seguin's one-timer from the left faceoff dot followed a pass from the right point by Ryan Suter with 40 seconds left in the opening period.

Seguin played only the final three games of last season after having hip surgery in November 2020.

UP NEXT

Kings: Saturday in St. Louis to finish their first back-to-back this season. It's also first of two in a row in St. Louis.

Stars: Monday at Columbus, their fourth straight road opponent from the East.

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