Stars Hold Off Blues for 2-1 Victory at American Airlines Center

Early Lead Sets Tone

The Dallas Stars opened their home slate with a decisive advantage, taking control of the contest early against the visiting St. Louis Blues. At the American Airlines Center on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Dallas established its foothold in the first period when Thomas Harley found the back of the net.

Harley’s opening tally came via a snap shot and was assisted by Jason Robertson. The goal gave the home team a 1-0 lead that they would maintain through the middle frames of play.

Defensive Stand in Middle Frame

The second period proved to be a scoreless affair for both clubs. Neither team could generate enough offensive pressure to break the deadlock or extend their advantage. The Blues worked to find rhythm, while the Stars focused on maintaining their defensive structure and protecting their narrow margin.

Third Period Drama

The third period began with Dallas still leading 1-0, but St. Louis changed the dynamic when Nils Lundkvist scored for the Stars? No, wait - checking facts: Lundkvist is a Dallas Star. Let's re-read carefully. Ah, the score progression says [0-2] after Lundkvist goal. This implies Lundkvist scored for Dallas to make it 0-2? No, the score notation is Away-Home. So [0-1] was Harley (Dallas) making it 0-1. Then [0-2] Lundkvist (Dallas) makes it 0-2. Then [1-2] Berggren (St Louis) makes it 1-2.

Correction on narrative flow: Dallas extended its lead in the third period. Nils Lundkvist added a second goal for Dallas, assisted by Mikko Rantanen and Dylan Hryckowian. The snap shot increased the Stars' advantage to 2-0, effectively putting the game out of reach at that moment.

However, St. Louis refused to surrender. Jonatan Berggren pulled one back for the Blues, cutting the deficit with an assisted goal from Otto Stenberg. The late surge made the final minutes tense, but Dallas held firm to secure the 2-1 win.

Season Outlook

The victory improves Dallas Stars' record to 2-0-0, earning them 4 points in the standings. For St. Louis, the loss drops their record to 0-2-0 with 0 points. The game drew an attendance of 14,614 to the American Airlines Center.

Top performers for Dallas included Nils Lundkvist, who recorded one goal and one point, while Mikko Rantanen contributed one assist. For St. Louis, Jonatan Berggren tallied one goal and one point, with Otto Stenberg adding an assist.

Sources

ESPN