The Dallas Stars are heading again to the Stanley Cup Last for the primary time in 20 years.

They defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in extra time Monday evening within the Edmonton, Alberta, bubble to win the Western Convention remaining 4-1.

Clawing out of a 2-Zero gap within the third interval to drive the additional session, the Stars ended it early within the first extra time on the ability play. With Zach Whitecloud within the field for a delay-of-game penalty, Denis Gurianov fired residence his ninth aim of the playoffs to ship Dallas to the Last.

The Stars had not reached the Stanley Cup Last since 2000, when they fell to the New Jersey Devils in six video games.

They final received the Stanley Cup in 1999, when Brett Hull scored his controversial “foot-in-the-crease” aim in opposition to the Buffalo Sabres within the third extra time of Sport 6.

Dallas reached the ultimate spherical after an up-and-down season. It began the 2019-20 season with one win in its first 9 video games (1-7-1) and then received 14 of 16 (14-1-1).

Nonetheless, it had misplaced six in a row earlier than the league paused the season on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Stars made a shock in-season teaching change when it fired Jim Montgomery on Dec. 10 for “unprofessional conduct” – Montgomery entered an alcohol-rehab middle three weeks later – and changed him with Rick Bowness. The workforce went 18-11-Three underneath Montgomery and 20-13-5 underneath Bowness to complete third within the Central Division and earn a bye from the qualifying spherical.

Denis Gurianov celebrates his game-winner in extra time that despatched the Dallas Stars to the Stanley Cup Last.

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After going 1-2 within the spherical robin, the Stars knocked off the Calgary Flames within the first spherical in six video games, overcoming a 3-Zero deficit within the clincher to win 7-3.

Dallas led 3-1 in its second-round collection in opposition to Colorado earlier than the Avalanche pressured a Sport 7. Rookie Joel Kiviranta, inserted into the lineup as a result of Andrew Cogliano was unfit to play, scored a hat trick, together with the extra time winner, because the Stars reached the convention remaining for the primary time for 2008.

Kiviranta scored the game-tying aim late within the third interval Monday evening on the ability play, setting the stage for Gurianov’s winner.

Now, Dallas awaits the winner of the Jap Convention remaining between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders. The Lightning maintain a 3-1 collection lead heading into Sport 5 Tuesday (8, NBCSN).

This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoffs: Stars prime Golden Knights to succeed in Stanley Cup Last