‘Thank Goodness’: Thomas Harley Beats First-Period Horn For First Goal Of Season In Dallas Stars’ Win Over Columbus Blue Jackets
DALLAS — Thomas Harley scored his first goal of the season with 0.2 seconds left in the first period Saturday night, giving the Dallas Stars a 2-0 lead in a 3-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at American Airlines Center. The goal was the defenseman’s first since March 14. Harley had gone 13 games this season without one, picking up five assists over that stretch.
Harley’s goal stood as the game-winner. Columbus scored once in the third period and pressed for the tie until Arttu Hyry hit the empty net with 0.3 seconds remaining.
Thomas Harley’s Shot From The Left Wall Beats Jet Greaves
The play started with a Hyry miss. Hyry fired from the right side, and the puck rimmed around the boards to Harley on the left half wall with the clock running out.
Harley shot it right away from the boards. The puck squeezed between Jet Greaves’ right skate and the near post.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t shoot it point-three seconds later, I guess,” Harley said. “I just know time’s ticking down. There’s no play but fire it at the net, and it went in, thank goodness.”
Hyry and Miro Heiskanen were credited with the assists. Heiskanen’s assist was the 356th point of his career and moved him past Risto Siltanen for fourth among Finnish defensemen in NHL history.
Dallas had taken a 1-0 lead at 2:16 of the first period, when Mikko Rantanen scored on the power play off a backhand feed from Wyatt Johnston. The Stars did not score again until Hyry’s empty-netter.
Harley On Columbus: ‘Kind Of An Ugly Game’
The Blue Jackets outshot Dallas 25-17 and outhit the Stars 33-10. Columbus also won 30 of 50 faceoffs.
Columbus came in at 5-6-0 after a 3-2 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes two nights earlier. The Blue Jackets have now lost two straight.
“They’re a good team,” Harley said of Columbus. “They defend well. They work hard. They forecheck hard. They don’t really give up much. Kind of an ugly game tonight but came out on top.”
Harley played on the second pair with Nils Lundkvist on Saturday. He entered the night averaging 24:55 of ice time per game, second on the team behind Heiskanen.
Dallas drafted Harley with the 18th overall pick in 2019. He now has one goal and five assists through 14 games.
Jake Oettinger made 24 saves for Dallas, which ended a two-game losing streak and finished its six-game homestand at 4-2-0. The Stars are 8-5-1.
Dallas visits the Washington Capitals on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT, then plays at Columbus on Thursday.
