Dallas scored three times over a 1-minute, 36-second span of the second period, and Ben Bishop turned away 30 shots for the 25th shutout of his career as the Stars beat the visiting Arizona Coyotes 3-0 on Thursday in the season-opening game for both teams.
The win granted new Stars coach Jim Montgomery success in his NHL coaching debut.
Devin Shore scored the first goal of the season for the Stars. He skated to the crease on a shot by Radek Faksa, found the loose puck on the rebound, kicked it to his stick and lifted it past Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta for a 1-0 Dallas lead. Connor Carrick also got an assist on the score, which came at the 4:21 mark of the second period.
It took just 28 seconds for Dallas to add to its lead. Alexander Radulov sped down the ice after a clearing pass from Carrick and an assist by Jamie Benn before switching around a defender to his backhand and pushing the puck between Raanta's pads over the line.
John Klingberg capped the surge when he swallowed up a pinpoint pass from Esa Lindell, sped into the Coyotes' zone and ripped a wrist shot past Raanta to make it 3-0. Benn garnered his second assist of the game on the scoring play.
Montgomery was hired on May 4 after he spent the past five seasons at the University of Denver, where his teams advanced to the NCAA tournament all five years and won the national championship in 2017. Montgomery took over in Dallas from Ken Hitchcock, who retired.
The Coyotes, who outshot Dallas 30-25, have now lost their past 11 games at American Airlines Center (0-8-3) since a 4-1 win on Feb. 7, 2012.
The Stars will continue their four-game homestand to open the season when they host the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. It's the first time the franchise will open a campaign with four consecutive home games since 1975-76, when the club was the Minnesota North Stars.
Meanwhile, the Coyotes will head home to host the Anaheim Ducks, also on Saturday.
--Field Level Media
Arizona | Dallas | |
N/A | Points | Jamie Benn 2 |
N/A | Goals | John Klingberg 1 |
N/A | Assists | Jamie Benn 2 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Antti Raanta .880 | Save Percentage | Ben Bishop 1.000 |
Antti Raanta 22 | Saves | Ben Bishop 30 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Arizona | 30 | 0 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 8 | 31 |
Dallas | 25 | 3 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 8 | 34 |