'Fate is in our hands': Stars outlast Bernier, Detroit for needed OT win

The line between frustration and elation has been a fuzzy one for Stars fans this season -- and Saturday might have been the fuzziest.
Dallas set a season high in shots on goal -- 52 -- and still had to go to overtime to get a 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. While the Stars had a 41-6 advantage in shots on goal after two periods, they still trailed 1-0. Yet, instead of getting flustered, players and coaches stayed with the game plan and pushed through.

WATCH: [All highlights from Stars' overtime victory over Red Wings]
Defenseman turned forward Mark Pysyk punched in the tying goal in the third period off of a Jason Robertson assist, and captain Jamie Benn wired in a perfect shot for the game-winner just 32 seconds into overtime.
It was pretty neat moment for a team that has had too many disappointments this year.
"We've lost enough of those games throughout the course of the year where we've dominated," Bowness said. "We certainly deserved to win that game tonight."

The Stars have lost 17 times in regulation or overtime/shootout when outshooting the opposition. They have lost 12 times when getting past regulation. They have had their share of heartbreak. And that's why on a night when they set a record for highest shot differential against a road opponent (plus-35, topping the plus-31 from 1981 against the Hartford Whalers), there still was a feeling in the Victory Green community that they might lose this one.
But that feeling didn't carry over to the bench. No, inside the Stars dressing room, the feeling was confident.
"We just stuck to our game plan and kept playing the right way," said Benn, who finished with five shots on goal and won nine of 12 faceoffs. "We just figured, eventually it was going to pay off."
Pysyk was the unlikely hero in that one.
The 29-year-old defenseman has been switched to forward in recent weeks, and he pushed hard to get to the net so he could shovel in a Jason Robertson rebound 3:52 into the third period. It was the only goal the Stars scored in regulation, and it was another sign of a player working outside of his comfort zone and doing the best in a difficult situation.

"It was great to see him score," Benn said of Pysyk's second goal of the season. "He played a good game, and it was good to see him get that first one."
Dallas had plenty of chances the rest of the way, but simply couldn't pierce Jonathan Bernier, who finished with 50 saves. But then, in overtime, Benn stole a puck, charged up ice and whipped in a perfect shot when the Red Wings took away his option to pass.
It was a huge relief, but also one the Stars seemed pretty sure they were eventually going to find. Asked if any frustration was seeping into the Stars' game, defenseman Miro Heiskanen said, "Not really."
"We knew that it was coming at some point," Heiskanen said. "We are playing well and had great chances. Their goalie was great tonight, but not really, we knew it was coming at some point."
It's an inner confidence that has been wobbly at points this season, but it seems to have been steeled by a recent 7-1-2 run. Dallas is now 20-15-12 for 52 points. The Stars sit just two points behind fourth-place Nashville (26-21-2, 54 points) and have played two fewer games. That means they have a chance to move past the Predators if they continue to take care of business.

Dallas plays two games against first-place Carolina on Monday and Tuesday at home and then heads out for a seven-game road trip to finish the season. Among the opponents are Tampa Bay, Florida and Nashville.
"The competition level is going to be high and that's what makes it fun," Pysyk said. "You want to be playing in meaningful games, and every single one coming down is exactly that. We're going to have to raise our intensity level every single night, because other teams are fighting for first and we're going to be fighting for our playoff lives."
They were doing that Saturday, and came through with the right play at the right time.
"Fate is in our hands," Benn said.
"We've got a big two games coming up here against a really good hockey team. Go home, get some rest, and look forward to Monday."

Up next

vs. Hurricanes; Monday 6:30 p.m.
American Airlines Center
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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.