Golden Knights lose to Stars in shootout, clinch home ice in 1st round

DALLAS --The Vegas Golden Knights clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Saturday.

"We started the year, went to training camp, the team missed the playoffs the year before. So that's the first box you wanted to check," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We did that. Going to open at home now. We're a good road team, so to me, there's importance to that. I think for us, we'd be okay wherever we played, but we have an opportunity to win the [Pacific] Division. This team likes to win things, so that's the next thing in front of them. We'd like to do that."
Joel Kiviranta had a goal, and Jake Oettinger made 19 saves, including all three in the shootout for the Stars (44-21-14), who have won five of their past six games.
Dallas remains tied for first in the Central with the Colorado Avalanche, who won 4-3 at the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
"Two good teams, we're both at the top of the West for a reason, and we want to play [the Golden Knights] at some point in the playoffs," Oettinger said. "They're a great team and it's going to be tight like that in the playoffs. It's a good little way to show us what we have ahead of us."

Roope Hintz scored the only goal in the shootout.
"They've got a good defensive team," Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. "That's arguably the best defense in the League. They're not going to give you a lot. At the same time, I thought we didn't make it tough enough on them most of the night anyway. You get 80 games in, you're not going to complain about wins against good teams. We found a way to get two points, which is the most important thing this time of year."
Brett Howden scored, and Jonathan Quick made 24 saves for the Golden Knights (49-22-9), who are 7-1-3 in their past 11 games and extended their point streak to six games (3-0-3).
Vegas, which is in first in the Pacific Division, two points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers, can finish no lower than second.
"I think all these games lately have had that [playoff] feel to it," Howden said. "Obviously, for us, they're important points. Coming down to the end here, we want to shape our game to be ready for the first game of the playoffs, but also still trying to get some points. I think every game has kind of had that feel lately."
Howden scored on a breakaway to make it 1-0 at 14:21 of the first period on a pass from Keegan Kolesar.
"That was a tight-knit game," Vegas defenseman Ben Hutton said. "It was almost like a playoff-like feel out there. There were some hits, some big blocks. We were doing what we could to win. A bounce here, a bounce there and it could have been a different story, but it was a good game."

Kiviranta tied it 1-1 at 12:59 of the second period on a wrist shot that went between Quick's left pad and glove.
"Our kind of job is to get the energy and get the forecheck going," Kiviranta said. "I know when other teams are scouting off the best lines, that's our little window to put something on the scoreboard too."
NOTES:Vegas defenseman Zach Whitecloud left the game at 10:14 of the third period after Hintz was checked off-balance and fell backwards onto his leg. Cassidy said Vegas is "hopeful it looked worse than it may turn out to be, but we won't know until we get home." … Oettinger got his 35th win of the season, tying him with Ed Belfour (1998-99, 2000-01) for fifth most in a single season in Stars/Minnesota North Stars history. ... Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel did not play because of an undisclosed injury and is day to day.