Ducks fall to Stars in OT, their 11th consecutive loss in Dallas

Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley, left, scores the game-winning goal past Ducks goaltender John Gibson 38 seconds into overtime on Thursday night in Dallas. The Stars won, 4-3. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

PUBLISHED: January 25, 2024 at 8:23 p.m. | UPDATED: January 25, 2024 at 11:11 p.m.

Ducks goaltender John Gibson, left, blocks a shot by Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz, right, during the first period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler, left, deflects a shot by Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene, right, during the first period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Dallas Stars’ Matt Duchene, center, Tyler Seguin, left, and Thomas Harley celebrate Duchene’s goal during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano, left, looks to take control of the puck in front of Dallas Stars center Radek Faksa on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson, gets help from defenseman Olen Zellweger, rear, on a shot attempt by Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) during the first period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Ducks’ Radko Gudas watches a face-off during their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen looks to pass the puck during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson, left, reaches out to defend against a shot by Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) as Sam Carrick helps defend on the play during the first period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks center Mason McTavish controls the puck during their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) takes control of the puck in front of Ducks goaltender John Gibso, left, during the first period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks right wing Troy Terry smiles after scoring a goal during the second period of their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, left, Ducks center Leo Carlsson (91) and Stars defenseman Thomas Harley (55) watch the puck during the second period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks center Adam Henrique shoots during the second period of their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist, left, Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (44) and Stars center Matt Duchene (95) compete to take control of the puck during the second period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Ducks’ Jakob Silfverberg, bottom, and Mason McTavish celebrate after Silfverberg scored a go-ahead goal during the third period of their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars defenseman Ryan Suter, right, strips the puck from Ducks right wing Troy Terry during the second period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Ducks’ Radko Gudas, left, and the Dallas Stars’ Jamie Benn look at official Jean Hebert (15) as he issues each of them a penalty during the third period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Dallas Stars’ Matt Duchene, right, makes a pass in front of Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Dallas Stars’ Jason Robertson, left, and Miro Heiskanen celebrate after Heiskanen scored a goal to tie their game against the Ducks during the third period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars right wing Evgenii Dadonov, right, looks to pass the puck as Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger defends during the first period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson clears the puck during their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars left wing Mason Marchment makes a pass during their game against the Ducks on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley, left, scores the game-winning goal past Ducks goaltender John Gibson 38 seconds into overtime on Thursday night in Dallas. The Stars won, 4-3. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley (55) and Roope Hintz (24) celebrate next to Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe (60) after Harley scored in overtime to give them a 4-3 victory on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Dallas Stars’ Thomas Harley (55), Roope Hintz (24) and Joe Pavelski (16) celebrate Harley’s game-winning overtime goal against the Ducks on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer

DALLAS — One of these days, the Ducks will win a game in Dallas again. It didn’t happen on Thursday night.

Thomas Harley scored 38 seconds into overtime and the Dallas Stars beat the Ducks, 4-3, their 11th consecutive home win against the Ducks in a streak that dates to October 20215.

“Just kept skating,” said Harley, who skated hard to the middle of the right circle before unleashing his game-winner. He also had the primary assist on fellow defenseman Miro Heiskanen’s tying goal midway through the third period.

“He’s been great all year like that, his ability to skate,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think he blew by everybody on the ice there from goal line to goal line. So, pretty impressive for a young defenseman to skate like that.”

Heiskanen tied it midway through the third period in his return to the Dallas lineup after missing 10 games with a lower-body injury.

Ducks goalie John Gibson stopped 40 shots in regulation, but the only Stars shot in overtime was Harley’s wrister from about 30 feet. It was the 22-year-old defenseman’s 10th goal this season, and his second OT winner.

“I feel like every time we play him, he gives them a chance to win,” DeBoer said of Gibson.

Jake Oettinger made 21 saves in the Dallas net, needing only one in overtime.

The Ducks scored go-ahead goals early in both the second and third periods, though the Stars eventually answered both times.

The Ducks took a 2-1 lead on Troy Terry’s 12th goal of the season, which came 1:28 into the second period. They scored even quicker in the third, on Jakob Silfverberg’s shot from just in front of Oettinger only 12 seconds into the period for a 3-2 lead.

In between those, Dallas tied the score at 2-all on Craig Smith’s goal when he knocked in a loose puck that Gibson gloved while falling with one of his teammates in net. But a replay review determined the glove and puck had fully crossed the line for a good goal.

That ended a wild sequence in which a puck off Gibson was sitting in front of a wide-open net before teammates Jackson LaCombe and Ross Johnston got there to knock it away, but Smith was able to score with a quick wrister.

Matt Duchene’s 16th goal only 2:22 into the game put Dallas up 1-0, with Tyler Seguin getting the secondary assist. That was Seguin’s 652nd career point with the Stars, putting him alone in fifth place on the franchise list by breaking a tie with Dino Ciccarelli.

Urho Vaakanainen tied the score with about five minutes left in the first, about a minute after Dallas thought it had a 2-0 lead. A shot by Jani Hakanpaa appeared to go into and bounce out of the net, though officials immediately signaled no goal and replays showed the puck actually ricocheted off the left post.

“Well, I thought the first period was good for us. I mean, I think they had more chances, but they just took the game over in the second period with possession time,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin said. “We got caught on the ice too long. And when that happens, you get tired legs. And I think they rode momentum all the way through the third period.”

The Stars’ home streak against the Ducks matches the club’s longest active streak at the American Airlines Center versus any team. They won their 11th in a row there over the Detroit Red Wings two weeks before Christmas.