Roope Hintz scores 2, Jake Oettinger has 25 saves as Stars beat surging Capitals 3-1
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) blocks a shot by Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary (42) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. Credit: AP/Gareth Patterson
DALLAS — Roope Hintz had his first two-goal game of the season and Jake Oettinger stopped 25 shots as the Dallas Stars beat the surging Washington Capitals 3-1 on Monday night.
Rookie defenseman Lian Bichsel also scored for Dallas, his second goal in three NHL games.
Ryan Strome scored in the first period for the Capitals, who had a franchise-record 10-game road winning streak snapped.
Dallas is 13-3-0 at American Airlines Center, the best home points percentage (.813) in the NHL. Washington went in best in the league in both overall record (21-6-2) and road mark (12-2-0).
Oettinger has 16 wins, second-most in the NHL. He won a battle of goaltenders who attended the same high school (Lakeville North, Min.) and share the same birthdate (Dec. 18). Charlie Lindgren, who made 21 saves, will turn 31 on Wednesday, Oettinger will be 26.
Hintz tied the score 1-1 with a second-period power-play goal and provided an insurance goal with 5:02 left in the third. He’s tied for the club lead with 13 goals.
Jason Robertson had two assists.
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger makes a save during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals in Dallas, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. Credit: AP/Gareth Patterson
Takeaways
Capitals: They’re 8-3-1 without Alex Ovechkin, who fractured his left fibula on Nov. 18. Ovechkin participated in skating drills during the morning session wearing a non-contact jersey. Forward Andrew Mangiapane was out with an illness.
Stars: Defenseman Thomas Harley, second among Dallas skaters in average minutes, was out with the flu.
Key moment
Dallas didn’t allow a shot on goal during Washington’s one third-period power play with the score 2-1.
Key stat
The Stars were 4 for 4 on the penalty kill and are 10 for 10 in their past four games, all at home.
Dallas Stars center Logan Stankoven (11) recovers the puck as Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. Credit: AP/Gareth Patterson
Up Next
Capitals visit Chicago on Tuesday, and Stars host Toronto on Wednesday.
