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Dallas Stars Top 25 Games Of 2017-18 Season: 5-1

By Josh Clark

BOSTON - JANUARY 15: Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91), right, celebrates his game-winning goal with teammates left wing Jamie Benn (14), left, and right wing Alexander Radulov (47) during the overtime period. The Boston Bruins host the Dallas Stars in a regular season NHL hockey game at TD Garden in Boston on Jan. 15, 2018. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BOSTON - JANUARY 15: Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91), right, celebrates his game-winning goal with teammates left wing Jamie Benn (14), left, and right wing Alexander Radulov (47) during the overtime period. The Boston Bruins host the Dallas Stars in a regular season NHL hockey game at TD Garden in Boston on Jan. 15, 2018. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 28: Radek Faksa #12 of the Dallas Stars celebrates after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the game at T-Mobile Arena on November 28, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 28: Radek Faksa #12 of the Dallas Stars celebrates after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the game at T-Mobile Arena on November 28, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) /

4. Dallas Stars @ Vegas Golden Knights, November 28, 2017

Let’s start the no. 4 game off by saying that Opening Night 2017 didn’t exactly go according to plan for the Dallas Stars.

The Stars, fresh off of the best summer of any team in the NHL, welcomed in a brand new Vegas team that wasn’t expected to be much of a threat, if any at all. Dallas, on the other hand, looked ready to contend.

But after a stellar showing from Marc-Andre Fleury and a late run by Vegas, it was the Knights that grabbed the W. That wasn’t easy for Dallas Stars fans to comprehend (though it is much easier to now).

So that’s why November 28 was expected to be a day of vindication for Dallas. The Stars had won three of the four games leading up to their matchup in Vegas and seemed to be building a run. But the Knights were dominating at T-Mobile Arena, posting a record of 9-1-0 on home ice going into the game. It definitely wasn’t going to be an easy affair.

The Dallas Stars did find a way to carry the day, though. But it wasn’t necessarily because of a full-team effort, specifically on offense. Instead, it was a certain 24-year-old that couldn’t seem to stop putting the puck in the net that helped Dallas claim the two points.

Radek Faksa put on a show in the Stars’ first trip to Vegas and left an imprint on T-Mobile Arena. The Czech center scored a natural hat trick in a span of 6:46 (including two goals in eight seconds) to close out the second period. All of a sudden, Dallas went from a 0-0 tie to a 3-0 lead heading into second intermission. And it was all thanks to some stellar shooting from Faksa.

It turned out to be Faksa’s first career hat trick and will go down in history as the first hat trick scored against Vegas AND scored in their arena. That’s a pretty sweet moment for any 24-year-old.

Mix his performance in with a 34-save shutout from Ben Bishop that was his second as a Star and you’ve got yourself a pretty great night in Sin City. The win became the second in what would turn into five straight victories for the Stars.

This game is no. 4 solely because of Radek Faksa, though. What a night and an unbelievable feat for a third-year depth forward. Hard to beat that.

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