DALLAS -- Boy, is it nice to have a full house again.
In front of a raucous sold-out crowd of 18,532, Denis Gurianov sent the Stars faithful through the roof after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to give Dallas a thrilling 3-2 victory over the LA Kings.
Nearly 600 days had gone by since the Stars hosted a full building, and maybe some of that time away had something to do with the energy inside the building tonight.
BOXSCORE / GAME HIGHLIGHTS
There was an audible buzz in the air that began when fans started entering American Airlines Center well in advance of puck drop. That carried into pregame warmups where a lot of fans were seeing their favorite Stars in person for the first time in well over a year.
Once the puck dropped, the energy only grew stronger. Even when the Kings jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a goal from Anze Kopitar near the end of the first, the crowd stayed engaged.
So, when Tyler Seguin ripped a one-timer from the left faceoff dot with 40 seconds remaining in the opening frame to tie the game at one apiece, they erupted. The emotion was evident on their faces as well as Seguin's, who scored his first goal of the season after going the first four without one. Seguin admitted he might've been trying to force it early on, but now, as he continues to get his legs under him, he's generating more scoring chances.
Video: LAK@DAL: Seguin rifles pass home on power play
Braden Holtby was sensational, especially during overtime where he turned aside all four shots to keep the Stars alive. He finished the game with 43 saves on 45 shots to improve his record this season to 2-1-0. The veteran netminder has firmly grasped the No. 1 role in Dallas after a subpar season with the Vancouver Canucks in 2020-21.
The game took a turn with 4:01 remaining in the second period when Jani Hakanpaa was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for kneeing Kings defenseman Drew Doughty near the boards. Doughty needed assistance leaving the ice and didn't return.
LA subsequently took advantage just 1:33 into the five-minute power play when Gabe Vilardi rifled a wrist shot over Holtby's shoulder to give the Kings a 2-1 lead.
With the clock inching toward the midway mark of the third period, Miro Heiskanen took over. He buried a one-timer past Kings netminder Jonathan Quick on the power play for his second point of the night and a milestone one at that.
Video: LAK@DAL: Heiskanen one-times dish to tie the game
Heiskanen's goal marked his 100th career point (30 goals, 70 assists). At 22 years, 96 days old, Heiskanen became the youngest defenseman in franchise history to reach the 100-point mark. He also did it in his 210th career regular-season game, which is the second fewest games to 100 points by a d-man in Dallas Stars history, and the fourth fewest in franchise history.
Gurianov sealed the deal with 45 seconds left in sudden death on a wicked backhander that went top shelf.
Video: LAK@DAL: Gurianov backhands home overtime winner
The Stars will look to make it three wins in a row as they hit the road for a quick one-game trip against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Kyle Shohara is the Digital Manager for DallasStars.com and writes about the Stars/NHL. Follow him on Twitter @kyleshohara.
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