Matt Duchene’s Overtime Magic Lifts Stars Over Blues in Thrilling 2-1 Victory
In a game that came down to pure grit and game-changing moments, Matt Duchene delivered in spectacular fashion. At 2:31 of overtime, Duchene embarked on a stunning end-to-end rush, starting near his own goal line and slicing through the St. Louis Blues' defense to net the game-winner. His heroics gave the Dallas Stars a thrilling 2-1 victory Saturday night at American Airlines Center. Duchene, who now leads Dallas with 13 goals this season—including four game-winners—continues to cement himself as a key player for the Stars.
Dallas also benefited from the dynamic duo of Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger. Robertson, the Stars’ top scorer for the past two seasons, had a goal and an assist, marking his second goal in three games—a sign that his offensive rhythm is back. Oettinger, meanwhile, was a steady presence in net, stopping 15 shots to improve his stellar home record to 11-1-0. His game-saving moment came in overtime, denying Pavel Buchnevich with a brilliant left-skate stop just seconds before Duchene's game-winner.
On the other side, the Blues put up a valiant effort led by Jordan Kyrou, who opened the scoring in the first period. Kyrou, now with 12 goals and 26 points, is in red-hot form, having scored in three straight games and five of the last six. Jordan Binnington was the backbone for St. Louis, making an impressive 35 saves, including 13 during a dominant second period for Dallas. He kept the Blues alive, allowing just one power-play goal despite three Dallas opportunities.
However, St. Louis faced challenges, including the absence of defenseman Nick Leddy, sidelined since late October. To bolster their blue line, the Blues acquired Cam Fowler from Anaheim, who logged 17:57 of ice time in his debut. Veteran forward Brandon Saad was a healthy scratch, continuing a slump with no goals in 13 games.
This victory was a breakthrough for Dallas, marking their first win in seven games this season when trailing after the first period. For the Blues, it was a hard-fought loss but highlighted their resilience against one of the league’s top teams.
Key Moment: Duchene’s game-winner stole the spotlight, but Oettinger’s timely save against Buchnevich in overtime was the turning point that kept Dallas in the game.
Stat to Know: Dallas outshot St. Louis 14-3 in the second period, but Binnington’s stellar play limited the Stars to just one power-play goal during that stretch.
What’s Next: The Blues will regroup as they host the New York Rangers on Sunday, while the Stars look to build momentum against the Washington Capitals on Monday.
