Stars Steal Shootout, Shrink Avs' Lead to 2

Dallas claws back in a nail-biting shootout against the Central Division leaders, showing the kind of late-season grit that Pete DeBoer drills into his guys every spring. The Avs, who have owned this race for months, suddenly feel the heat with just two points separating them from the surging Stars. Front offices around the league know how these tight battles reshape the standings heading into the stretch run, and Dallas smells an opportunity to flip the script.