Predators vs. Stars: Steven Stamkos Ties Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla With Goal No. 625 in 2-1 Win

Miro Heiskanen needed 47 seconds to put the Dallas Stars ahead. After that, Dallas spent the rest of the night running into Juuse Saros, and Steven Stamkos spent part of it climbing into some very famous company.

Stamkos and Nils Hoglander scored power-play goals in the first period, Saros made 29 saves, and the Nashville Predators held off the Stars 2-1 on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena. Stamkos' goal was the 625th of his career, tying him with Jarome Iginla and Joe Sakic for 17th on the NHL's career goals list.

A Fast Start and a Faster Answer

Dallas came in on the second night of a back-to-back and still owned the opening shift. After Saros made a stop in a net-front scramble, Mikko Rantanen moved the puck to Heiskanen in the right circle, and the defenseman snapped a blocker-side wrister home. Wyatt Johnston picked up the second assist, extending his point streak against Nashville to four games, per NHL.com.

The lead lasted four minutes. Arttu Hyry went off for interference at 3:36, and at 4:46 Ryan O'Reilly threaded a backhand pass through two Dallas defenders to Stamkos in the left circle. Stamkos did what he has done 625 times now and one-timed it past Casey DeSmith. Roman Josi had the other assist.

"It's cool when you hear those names," Stamkos said, per NHL.com. "I wore 19 as a kid because of Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman."

NHL.com also noted that Stamkos, a 19-year veteran, became the third active player to score in at least 500 NHL games, joining Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

The Turning Point: A Lucky Skate and a Second Power Play

Jason Robertson took a slashing minor at 13:53, and Nashville cashed in again before the period was out. Jack Ahcan threw a shot from the left point that deflected into the net off Hoglander's left skate at the top of the crease at 15:49. It was not pretty, and nobody in the building cared. The AP noted Dallas had killed all four penalties it took in Friday's loss to St. Louis, so watching two power-play goals go in within about 11 minutes had to sting.

It was Hoglander's first goal as a Predator. NHL.com noted the 25-year-old was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft on June 29. Ahcan, playing his first game for Nashville after signing a two-year, two-way contract on July 1, and Alexander Kerfoot each picked up their first points with the club on the play.

"Just a simple shot to the net, kind of bounces around, bangs around, hits (Hoglander), goes in; sometimes the puck's lucky on your side," Ahcan said.

From there, the game turned into a grind. Nashville finished 2-for-3 on the power play, and Dallas went 0-for-1 on its lone chance, which came early in the second period. The Stars finally slowed Nashville down midway through the second, then pushed hard in the third, outshooting the Predators 12-6 in the period according to NHL.com. Saros never cracked.

"We didn't get going in the first period. It took us a while to stop their momentum," Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. "Just couldn't find that goal."

Stars of the Night

Saros was the reason the scoreboard never changed after the first period. He stopped 29 of 30 shots for a .967 save percentage, and Stamkos made sure he got credit. "'Juice' made some big saves at the end, and we held on to a one-goal lead, which is great for our group moving forward," Stamkos said.

Stamkos scored on the power play in 20:02, and O'Reilly set him up while winning nine of 13 face-offs. Josi played 24:38 and assisted on the opening Nashville goal. Hoglander got his first Predators goal in 11:37 of ice time.

For Dallas, Heiskanen scored in 24:35, Rantanen logged 23:55 with an assist, and DeSmith stopped 24 of 26 shots. The Stars outshot Nashville 30-26 and outhit them 29-21, but those numbers are cold comfort for a team that is still waiting on its first point.

Captain Jamie Benn did not dodge it. "First periods have been terrible. It's on the players in here," he said. "For this group, it's unacceptable."

Stats That Matter

• 2-for-3: Nashville's power play, which accounted for all of its offense.
• 625: Career goals for Stamkos, tied with Iginla and Sakic for 17th all time.
• 12-6: Dallas' shot advantage in the third period.
• 29: Saves for Saros, including the big ones late.
• 0-2-0: Dallas' record after back-to-back losses to open the season.

What It Means

Nashville is 1-1-0 after a 3-1 home loss to Minnesota in its opener on Thursday, and coach Andrew Brunette liked what he saw from the rebound. "Well earned," he said. "I thought we learned a little bit from two nights ago." Defenseman William Trudeau also made his NHL debut after being claimed off waivers from the New York Rangers on Sept. 26, per NHL.com, and chipped in one shot and two blocked shots in 12:15. The Predators also won the takeaway battle 7-2, a quiet sign of how hard they worked away from the puck. The Predators visit Toronto on Tuesday night.

Dallas is 0-2-0 and has scored one goal in two games after a 4-0 home loss to St. Louis on Friday. That is a lot of firepower producing very little, and Benn's frustration was loud and clear. The Stars host San Jose on Monday night.

Closing Take

Stamkos wore 19 as a kid because of Sakic and Yzerman, and now his name sits right next to Sakic's on the all-time goals list. That is the hockey version of a garage band ending up on the same festival poster as the headliner it used to cover. Nashville needed a win, a big night from its goalie and a little luck off a skate, and it got all three. Dallas needed a first period. It is still looking.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Game details from the Associated Press; postgame quotes and notes as reported by NHL.com.