Sharks vs. Stars Recap: Rantanen Goal Cashes Two Plays

The Stars shut out the Sharks 5-0 in regulation. Miro Heiskanen opened the scoring late in the 1st at 18:51, and Dallas pulled away in the 2nd with goals from Joel Kiviranta at 3:17, Jamie Benn at 6:19 and Jason Robertson at 16:30. Mikko Rantanen added the fifth at 15:22 of the 3rd. All five goals came at even strength, and neither power play scored (San Jose 0-for-2, Dallas 0-for-3). Dallas outshot San Jose 26-13, and Jake Oettinger stopped all 13 shots he faced. Two DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

ALT: Over 4.5 total goals (alt): CASHED - Our read: San Jose's first two games produced 7 and 9 goals, and Yaroslav Askarov had stopped 54 of 61 shots (.885). The main total was 6.5. - What happened: 5 total goals, 0.5 over the line, and Dallas scored every one of them. The over got home on Rantanen's goal at 15:22 of the 3rd. - Worth watching: The alt line gave two full goals of room under the 6.5 main total, and this game needed it. Askarov allowed 5 goals on 26 shots (.808), so one team carried the over by itself.

Mikko Rantanen 1+ points (-245 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Rantanen had a point in 48 of 64 games last season and was running PP1. San Jose allowed 3.54 goals a game last season, with Askarov in net (.884 last season). - What happened: 1 goal, a wrist shot at 15:22 of the 3rd, assisted by Sam Steel. He finished with 3 shots on goal and a +2 in 17:34, including 5:05 on the power play. - Worth watching: Rantanen got over five minutes of power-play time even though Dallas did not score with the extra man. That PP1 role keeps his point prop in play every night, but at -245 the price is steep, so check it before you play it.

How the game played out

The 2nd period decided it. Dallas scored three times in the period to go up 4-0, and San Jose managed just 13 shots on goal all game. The Sharks blocked 21 shots and threw 30 hits, but they rarely tested Oettinger. Askarov played 59:49 and allowed all five goals.

Trends to watch

• San Jose's shot volume: 13 shots on goal in a full game. If that continues, opposing goalies get light nights and Sharks team totals look low.
• Dallas spread the scoring across five different goal scorers, with Roope Hintz picking up 2 assists.
• Askarov has now allowed 12 goals on 87 shots this season, combining our pregame numbers (54 of 61) with tonight. The Sharks' goaltending stays a key input for totals.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. More hockey on our NHL page, past games in NHL recaps, and how alt lines work in our alt line guide.