Stars make Lightning wait on playoff clincher with win

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Roope Hintz and the Dallas Stars are in a fight for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, while it's just a matter of time for two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay in the East.

The Stars will take the two points from a tight battle between teams with some recent postseason history.

Hintz scored with 4:50 remaining and the Stars forced the Lightning to wait at least another day to clinch a playoff berth with a 1-0 victory Tuesday night.

"That was huge for our group," said Luke Glendening, who almost had an empty-netter late after creating several short-handed chances for himself in the second period. "I thought to a man everyone really competed tonight. It's fun to see when everybody's pulling on the same rope."

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Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) celebrates his goal with left wing Jason Robertson (21) during the third period of the team's NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Dallas, Tuesday, April 12, 2022. The Stars won 1-0. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas moved three points ahead of Vegas for the second of two wild cards in the Western Conference. The Stars have nine games remaining, one more than the Golden Knights, who lost to Vancouver 5-4 in overtime.

Tampa Bay could have secured a fifth consecutive playoff appearance and eighth in the past nine years with a victory. The first of those two Stanley Cup titles came against the Stars in the 2020 playoff bubble in Canada.

Dallas topped Tampa Bay at home for just the second time in eight games, and beat goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for only the second time in 17 games. The Lightning have allowed two goals in