Sharks vs. Stars Recap: Dallas Power Play Decides It

The Dallas Stars beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 in regulation, and all of the scoring came in the first 40 minutes. Michael Misa gave San Jose a 1-0 lead at 7:22 of the 1st. Dallas answered with three straight: Roope Hintz on the power play at 9:16, Jamie Benn at 15:17 and Jason Robertson on the power play at 16:51. Ivar Stenberg pulled the Sharks within 3-2 at 2:47 of the 2nd. Thomas Harley scored on the power play at 14:30 to make it 4-2, and Will Smith answered with a San Jose power-play goal at 17:02. Nobody scored in the 3rd. Dallas outshot San Jose 30-23. Jake Oettinger made 20 saves on 23 shots, and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 26 of 30. Three DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

Stars ML (-290 at DraftKings, -280 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Dallas had won 7 of its last 10 and San Jose 3 of its last 10. At -280 the Stars were priced at 74% implied. That was a read on past results, not a prediction. - What happened: Dallas led 3-1 after the 1st and held a one-goal lead through a scoreless 3rd to win 4-3. Harley's power-play goal at 14:30 of the 2nd stood up as the winner. - Worth watching: Dallas scored 3 of its 4 goals on the power play. At a price this steep there is little room, so a clear special-teams edge is the kind of thing we look for.

Jason Robertson 3+ shots on goal (-250 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Robertson had 3+ shots on goal in 9 of his last 10 and 12 of 16 this season, including 4 of his last 5. Heiskanen was out for Dallas. - What happened: He had 3 SOG and a goal in 17:40, with 5:51 on the power play. He cleared the line by 0.5. His power-play goal at 16:51 of the 1st, set up by Mikko Rantanen and Harley, made it 3-1. - Worth watching: About a third of his ice time came on the power play. Dallas drew 5 power plays here, and that usage is what keeps a 3+ shot line within reach.

Nils Lundkvist under 1.5 shots on goal (-155 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Lundkvist had stayed at 1 or fewer shots in 9 of his last 10 and 13 of 16 this season, including 4 of his last 5, while playing 17-21 minutes. DraftKings -155 implied 61%. - What happened: He had 1 SOG, 1 hit and 1 block in 14:42, with no power-play time. He stayed 0.5 under the line. - Worth watching: He played less than the 17-21 minutes in our read, which helps an under. If his minutes climb back into that range, the price is worth checking again.

How the game played out

The power play decided it. Dallas scored on 3 of its 5 power plays and San Jose on 1 of its 6. The Stars had 14 shots in the 1st and built the lead there. San Jose had only 2 shots in the 3rd while trailing by one, and Nedeljkovic was out of the net for the final 1:31 as the Sharks pushed for the tie.

Trends to watch

• Macklin Celebrini assisted on all three San Jose goals. The Sharks' offense ran through him.
• Robertson played 5:51 on the power play, and Harley had a power-play goal plus assists on both of Dallas's other power-play goals.
• Oettinger faced only 23 shots, and 6 of his 20 saves came on the penalty kill. San Jose got 6 power plays and turned them into 1 goal.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. More at NHL picks, NHL recaps and how implied probability works.