Dallas Stars eliminate Vegas Golden Knights in Game 7 - ESPN

DALLAS — Radek Faksa made a promise to his 2½-year-old son when they were playing together before the Dallas Stars took the ice for Game 7.

Faksa did indeed score in his return to the lineup after missing four games because of an undisclosed injury. His go-ahead goal came on a backhander 44 seconds into the third period, after his son had been taken home, and Dallas beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 on Sunday night to wrap up the first-round series.

«I'm happy I did,» Faksa said. «And so I can show him the video in the morning, and we can watch it together.»

Only captain Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin have played longer for the Stars than Faksa, a fourth-liner in his ninth season who got his goal from the circle to the left of goalie Adin Hill. Dallas also got another Game 7 goal from 20-year-old Wyatt Johnston.

Jake Oettinger had 21 saves in his second Game 7 victory. He also had the Stars' only penalty, though they killed that off after he was called for tripping Ivan Barbashev in front of the net midway through the third.

«The last period was a clinic. Just so proud of the guys of how we responded,» Oettinger said. «It's a long playoffs, and you're going to need different guys to step up at different times. A lot of hockey left, so hopefully a lot more heroes. It's going to be a fun ride.»

The Stars, the No. 1 seed in the West, move on to play well-rested Colorado in the second round. Game 1 is in Dallas on Tuesday night, a week after the Avalanche wrapped up their series against Winnipeg with a Game 5 victory.

Brett Howden scored for Vegas, which couldn't pull off another series winner in Dallas, where last year the Knights wrapped up the Western Conference finals with a win in Game 6.