Johnston scores OT goal for the ages for Stars in Game 3 against Golden Knights

Johnston is a giant purpose the Stars are thought of Stanley Cup contenders.

Chosen within the first spherical (No. 23) of the 2021 NHL Draft, he had 41 factors (24 targets, 17 assists) in 82 video games as a 19-year-old rookie final season, then six factors (4 targets, two assists) in 19 Stanley Cup Playoff video games.

He had 65 factors (32 targets, 33 assists) in 82 video games this season, main Dallas in targets.

The Stars have a mixture of gamers on their roster — veterans hungry for a championship, gamers in the midst of their NHL careers and younger up-and-comers like Johnston.

“We’ve taken lots of satisfaction within the completely different ages we now have on our staff, the completely different occasions of the careers we now have,” veteran ahead Tyler Seguin mentioned. “[We’ve seen] him final 12 months after which how a lot he’s advanced to this 12 months. It’s one factor being elite within the common season, however to do it in playoffs as his age, that’s nice.”

After averaging 3.59 targets per sport within the common season, third within the NHL, Dallas had 4 targets within the first two video games towards Vegas.

The Stars responded by dominating the primary half-hour of Sport 3.

Johnston backhanded a rebound between the pads of goalie Logan Thompson 11:11 into the primary interval to offer Dallas a 1-0 lead. Defenseman Miro Heiskanen completed a tic-tac-toe play at 5:25 of the second to make it 2-0.

Halfway by regulation, the Stars have been outshooting the Golden Knights 30-10. Thompson was the one purpose their lead wasn’t bigger.

“He was like Dominik Hasek down there,” Stars goalie Jake Oettinger mentioned. “He was unimaginable.”

Vegas got here again to tie it 2-2. Defenseman Brayden McNabb scored at 10:40 of the second, and middle Jack Eichel adopted with a shorthanded aim 3:10 later. The second half of regulation, the Golden Knights outshot the Stars 17-8.

However the Stars caught with it, despite the fact that Thompson continued to shine.

Thompson stopped Johnston along with his left pad at 14:28 of time beyond regulation. Then Johnston took a go on the crimson line, accelerated over the blue line, darted to the appropriate and lower round defenseman Shea Theodore. As Theodore stretched out his stick, Johnston flicked the puck over Thompson’s left shoulder and underneath the crossbar.