Stars forward Rhett Gardner scores first career NHL goal vs. Predators

Stars forward Rhett Gardner scored his first career NHL goal on Sunday night when he partially whiffed on a shot, sending a change up between Pekka Rinne’s legs.

“I figured it would probably be not the prettiest of goals,” Gardner said. “Just play through the neutral zone, Esa was coming up the middle, so I tried to fill the wide lane and kind of anticipated that the puck would take a bounce off the end wall there. Just popped right to me, and fanned on it a little and snuck in five-hole.”

Gardner picked up his first career NHL point March 14 in Columbus on a secondary assist. He was Dallas’ fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft, and plays a bottom-six checking role with the Stars.

Leaving a tip: For the second time in as many games, rookie forward Ty Dellandrea scored a goal by tipping a shot home. On Sunday night, he tipped Joe Pavelski’s tip of John Klingberg’s shot.

“Pav has helped me multiple times tipping pucks and given me advice,” Dellandrea said. “To be honest, I think it was more just being in front of the net. They kind of hit me and I was just in a right spot to get it. Been trying to get in the net more and get in the goalie’s eyes. I guess good things happen when you get in front of the net.”

Dellandrea had a solid game overall, with three shots on goal in 16:13 of ice time. He had a shift in overtime, and was Bowness’ second choice in the shootout. With Dellandrea on the ice at 5 on 5, the Stars had a 19-9 edge in shot attempts, 9-4 edge in shots on goal and 2-0 edge in goals, according to Natural Stat Trick.

“In the shootouts in practice, he’s very good,” Rick Bowness said. “He just gives you 100% every game and you know that. … He hits everybody. He gives you everything he can every shift. Is there inexperience showing? Absolutely, but that’s to be expected. But he’s all heart. He’s a great teammate and he gives you everything he can every shift, and that’s all you can ask, as a coach.”

On the season, Dellandrea has three goals and two assists in 18 games.

Same goalie again: For the third time this season, Bowness used the same goaltender during both games of a back-to-back, this time turning to Anton Khudobin to play Sunday after shutting out Detroit on Saturday night.

Bowness previously started Jake Oettinger in back-to-backs on March 6-7 and March 12-13. He said starting Khudobin was because Khudobin was rested, having not played since March 11 prior to Saturday against the Red Wings.

Khudobin made 21 saves during his shutout win Saturday.

“It wasn’t that difficult a night for him last night and listen, a goalie’s like a forward,” Bowness said. “If a forward scores a hat trick, he wants to get right back in there the next night. A goalie coming off a shutout, they’re feeling it. There are varying circumstances, but in Dobby’s situation right now, he’s rested, he worked very hard in practice for a couple days.”

In a macro sense, the Stars could benefit from resting their goalies on back-to-backs, especially given that they employ a pair of capable NHL goalies. In a micro sense, Bowness and the Stars are trying to ride the hot hand, and capitalize on a surging goalie while that goalie is still surging.

At the halfway mark of the season, Khudobin has made 16 starts to Oettinger’s 12.