The Dallas Stars were able to overcome a controversial goal call to beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in a shootout Friday night.
The win improved the Stars to 4-1-2 this season.
“What I saw tonight was by far the best game we have played,” coach Lindy Ruff told The Dallas Morning News. “That looked a lot like how we played last year.”
Midway through the third, Devils forward Patrik Elias slid into the net on his stomach and fed a hand pass to Damien Brunner, who tied the game 2-2.
The play was reviewed to see if the net had become dislodged, but the hand pass is not a reviewable.
Center Jason Spezza credited the Stars’ coaching staff for keeping the bench composed.
“The coach sets the tone there, and that’s what Lindy did,” Spezza said. “The whole rink knows they got the call wrong, and I’m sure the refs know they got it wrong once they see it. It’s a little bit silly that they can’t overturn it. But Lindy showing his composure makes us show our composure.”
The Stars overcame the adversity as both Spezza and captain Jamie Benn scored in the shootout for the Dallas win.
“We have faced some adversity, and we’ve been able to keep our composure,” Ruff said. “The Pittsburgh game was a good example, and then tonight was what you want to see as a coach. We just went back to work.”
Dallas concludes its’ two game road trip tonight when they visit the New York Islanders.