Penguins outlast Stars 2-1 in shootout after Seguin’s late equalizer

A third period that finally cracked

For 40 minutes, neither side found a way through. The breakthrough came early in the third when Connor Dewar opened the scoring at 1:57, finishing a backhand chance off a Blake Lizotte assist to give Pittsburgh its first lead of the night.

That goal stood up until the final half-minute, when Dallas finally converted its late push. Seguin tipped home the equalizer at 19:30 of the third, with Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen collecting the assists. It was the kind of late strike that can rewrite an evening, and for the Stars it erased what had looked like a narrow loss in a game where chances were scarce.

Goaltenders and blocks kept the scoreline small

The numbers underline how little room either team had to work with. Dallas finished with a 25-21 edge in shots, but Silovs turned aside 24 of them for a .960 save percentage. At the other end, Jake Oettinger stopped 20 of 21 and kept the Stars within reach long enough for Seguin’s equalizer to matter.

Dallas also did heavy defensive work in front of Oettinger, piling up 25 blocked shots. Tyler Myers led that effort with six blocks, while Thomas Harley put seven shots on net and Heiskanen logged a game-high 30:24. Pittsburgh blocked 15 shots of its own, and the overall picture was of a game won and lost in inches rather than in extended offensive runs.

Special teams offered both clubs chances to tilt it, but neither side cashed in. Pittsburgh went 0-for-5 on the power play, Dallas finished 0-for-3, and that left the game to be settled at even strength and, eventually, in the shootout. The Penguins helped themselves in other small areas, particularly at the faceoff dot, where they won 55.6 per cent of draws. Sidney Crosby was central to that, finishing with 14 faceoff wins.

Pittsburgh had just enough in the tiebreaker

Overtime solved nothing, so the result moved to the shootout with the score still 1-1. Pittsburgh found the extra finish there. Ben Kindel, Crosby and Rickard Rakell each scored on successful attempts for the Penguins, while Dallas answered through Seguin and Wyatt Johnston.

That difference in conversion was enough to close the night. It did not erase how much work Pittsburgh had to do to get there, but it rewarded a team that stayed alive after Seguin’s late equalizer and still executed when the game came down to individual chances.

Our take: Pittsburgh won the details Dallas could not turn into goals

This was not a game decided by volume alone. Dallas had more shots, far more blocks and major minutes from its top defenders, yet the Stars got only one puck past Silovs in 65 minutes and went scoreless on three power-play chances. When a team receives that much from its goaltender and blue line, the missing piece usually sits with finishing or chance conversion rather than effort.

Pittsburgh’s own list of corrections is clear enough too. The Penguins were charged with 21 giveaways, a total that can make a close game much harder than it needs to be, and their power play also went empty across five opportunities. Still, the Penguins offset that with stronger work on draws, timely goaltending and three successful shootout finishes. In a game this thin, those details were the difference between surviving a late equalizer and wasting an otherwise disciplined defensive result.

Scoring moments

1. 3rd · 1:57

   Connor Dewar Goal (1) Backhand, assists: Blake Lizotte (2)

2. 3rd · 19:30

   Tyler Seguin Goal (1) Tip-In, assists: Jason Robertson (2), Miro Heiskanen (1)

3. SO · 0:00

   Ben Kindel Goal Wrist Shot

4. SO · 0:00

   Sidney Crosby Goal Wrist Shot

5. SO · 0:00

   Tyler Seguin Goal Wrist Shot

6. SO · 0:00

   Wyatt Johnston Goal Wrist Shot

7. SO · 0:00

   Rickard Rakell Goal Wrist Shot