They responded to the Stars’ pressure with a calm defensive game.

Sticks were in the right place. Breakouts were clean. No one was out of place.

The Knights were rewarded 1:22 after Robertson’s goal when center Jack Eichel received a stretch pass from left wing Ivan Barbashev. Eichel held onto the puck long enough to get Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger out of position before dropping it to Marchessault for a game-tying goal.

The Knights kept it up in the second period. They forced the Stars to the outside and didn’t allow many quality chances.

That led to the Knights breaking through late in the frame. Hanifin scored with 1:07 left in the second to give his team a 2-1 lead.

The Knights locked things down from there. It was a performance reminiscent of the ones they had last postseason. They controlled the game with their defense and played well in front of their goaltender.

They’re going home with a 2-0 series lead as a result.

Here are three takeaways from the win:

1. Goalies trade saves

Both netminders stepped up with big stops to keep the game tied in the second period.

...continued

©2024 Las Vegas Review-Journal. Visit reviewjournal.com.. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.