The Stars quench the Golden Knights

Robertson's twin snap shots keep Dallas burning

Four flames, one fight

By the semifinals only four candles were still lit, and two of them met in Dallas. The Vegas Golden Knights had already snuffed the Kings, the Flames and the Canucks. The Dallas Stars had doused the Utah Hockey Club, the Wild and the Jets. A season earlier both clubs had gone dark in the quarterfinals. This time the loser would go cold one step short of the final pair.

Robertson takes over

Jack Eichel struck first, a power-play slap shot at 4:04 with Mark Stone assisting. Roope Hintz answered 2:15 later with a power-play tip-in. Jason Robertson snapped Dallas ahead at 7:31 of the second, and Shea Theodore, a defenseman, fired back on the power play 1:26 later with Sam Steel in the box for tripping.

Then Dallas surged. Jamie Benn tipped in a Matt Duchene feed at 16:18, and Robertson snapped his second just 1:36 later. It held up as the winner.

Oettinger closes the door

Eichel struck again at 10:35 of the third, a snap shot set up by Brayden McNabb and Stone. Esa Lindell then sent the puck over the glass at 12:12 to give Vegas one more power play. No goal came. Jake Oettinger finished with 18 saves on 21 shots, and the Golden Knights' flame was extinguished. The Stars burn on, one of two flames still lit.