Dallas Stars netminder Anton Khudobin continues to bolster his Conn Smythe Trophy case after another incredible performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The 34-year-old turned aside 35 shots - including all 22 he faced in the third period - to secure his fourth straight victory and sixth in his previous seven starts.

"He’s been a rock for us all playoffs, it was no different tonight," Stars forward Blake Comeau said following the 4-1 win, according to NBC Sports' Sean Leahy.

"We got into penalty trouble there in the third and he was there to bail us out, and that’s been the storyline this playoffs. Every time we’ve needed a big save, he’s been there for us."

Khudobin is now 9-1 with a .930 save percentage when facing 30 or more shots in a game this postseason, according to Sportsnet Stats.

His biggest save of Saturday's contest came in the final minutes of the second period, as he reached back to deny Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli during a mad scramble in front of the net. The Stars would add a goal to make it 3-1 just moments later.

Stars defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who scored the eventual game-winning goal in the second period, said the club has been riding the momentum of Khudobin's hot play all postseason.

"His play’s been speaking for itself," Oleksiak said. "It looks like whenever he’s out there, he’s just having fun. I think we’re feeding off that energy. He’s been great. I can’t say enough about him."

Khudobin stifled the high-powered Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final, recording a .950 save percentage while allowing just 10 goals during the five-game series.

Off the ice, the 5-foot-11 puck-stopper appears to be using his unique sense of humor to keep his teammates loose:

Khudobin will look to pick up his 14th win of the playoffs in Game 2 on Monday after recording just 16 victories during the regular season while serving as the backup to starter Ben Bishop.

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The Dallas Stars knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday.

Stars netminder Anton Khudobin continued his brilliant play between the pipes, turning aside 35 shots to secure the win.

Joel Hanley potted his first NHL goal to open the scoring for Dallas in the first period, while Jamie Oleksiak, Joel Kiviranta, and Jason Dickinson also found the net for the Stars.

Tampa Bay went 0-for-3 on the power play in the third period, and couldn't solve Khudobin despite outshooting Dallas 22-2 in the final frame.

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Tampa Bay Lightning forward Patrick Maroon was forced to sit out the opening 10 minutes of the third period after letting his frustration get the best of him during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night.

The officials handed Maroon a 10-minute misconduct after he shot the puck into the Dallas Stars' bench just before the intermission.

Here's a closer look of the incident, which shows the shot actually hit Stars forward Joel Kiviranta, who had scored with 28 seconds left in the frame to give Dallas a 3-1 lead.

Kiviranta appeared no worse for wear in the third period. He took a 46-second shift that began less than a minute into the frame and then jumped over the boards for a 42-second spin about two minutes after his previous shift ended.

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Joe Pavelski says the Dallas Stars' style of play was a major reason he signed with them instead of the Tampa Bay Lightning in free agency last summer.

"I liked the goalies here," Pavelski told reporters Friday. "I liked the structure defensively. They played a lot of one-goal games (and) they didn't give up a lot of goals, and I always believe ... you need that, especially in the playoffs, to find those types of wins. So that was one of the reasons I kind of identified them, and there's also some high-end talent on this team as well."

The 36-year-old inked a three-year, $21-million contract with the Stars on July 1, 2019 after meeting in-person with representatives of both Dallas and Tampa Bay, the two clubs now facing off in the Stanley Cup Final.

On Thursday, Pavelski told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun there were important off-ice considerations that factored into his decision as well.

“There were different things, hockey was one of the big ones obviously, but with (my son) Nate and his hockey and schooling, and (my wife) Sarah and I have been on the West Coast for 13 years, so if there was an option to get closer to home (Madison, Wisconsin), maybe in the same time zone, where the games don’t start at 9:30 every night for the parents, just try to experience something closer to home," the veteran forward said.

"So, can you get a team that you believe can contend, and then hope all the other boxes line up," he added. "We definitely had a few good options with good teams and places we could live in."

Before joining the Stars, Pavelski spent his entire 13-year career with the San Jose Sharks, including serving as captain over the final four seasons of his tenure.

Dallas boasted the NHL's second-best goals against per game rate during the regular season, thanks in large part to netminders Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin, as well as blue-liners Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg.

Pavelski entered the Cup Final tied for the league lead among players still competing in 2019-20 with nine goals in 21 playoff games. He produced 14 goals and 31 points in 67 regular-season games in his first campaign with the Stars.

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Following a report the St. Louis Blues cut off contract talks with Alex Pietrangelo on Friday, the pending unrestricted free agent acknowledged he'll likely be testing the open market this October.

"There was a discussion today, and I guess the best way to sum it up, we haven’t really made much progress," Pietrangelo said Friday, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.

"We just think right now, with where things are at, that maybe it’s best for both sides to see what’s going on in free agency, what the team can explore, what I can explore and if there are better fits for each side."

The Blues are among many teams that have been significantly impacted by the flat $81.5-million salary cap in 2020-21. St. Louis has $5.15 million in projected cap space for next season and Pietrangelo is due for a big payday after making $6.5 million annually on his latest deal.

Pietrangelo, 30, admitted he's unhappy with the way contract talks have gone to this point, but said he hasn't yet ruled out re-signing with the team he's spent all 12 years of his NHL career with.

"We’re a little disappointed that we’re in this situation," he said. "We weren’t able to hammer out the details what we wanted in a deal. There was some work that we tried to get done that we couldn’t get done, so both sides agreed that maybe it’s in the best interest.

"We’re two weeks away. Not saying anything can’t change, but as of right now, that’s kind of our plan, and we’ll see where things go."

Free agency is set to open Oct. 9, and Pietrangelo would easily be the most coveted blue-liner on the market.

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Gary Bettman says it's still far too early to determine when the NHL's next season will begin.

"Anything that anybody suggests or reads or writes or commentates about next season is nothing more than speculation," the NHL commissioner told reporters at his annual state of the league address before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday.

Bettman added he could imagine the campaign starting later than the initial target date, but reiterated nothing is close to being decided.

"We're still focused on getting through the conclusion of the 2019-20 season," Bettman said. "Obviously, we've started informally thinking about what optionality is. Dec. 1 has always been a notional date. I will not be surprised if it slips into later December, it could slip into January, but there's no point right now in making any definitive comments on our plans, because there's still too much we don't know.

"Nobody can tell me whether or not the border between Canada and the United States is going to be open by a (certain date), nobody can tell me what the state of COVID-19 is going to be, nobody can tell me whether or not our arenas will be able to have either socially distanced or fully occupied buildings, and we're going to have to do the same thing we did to get ready for the return to play: explore all the options, (and) be flexible and agile enough to implement when the appropriate time comes."

In terms of the logistics for 2020-21, Bettman said it's possible games start without fans before allowing socially distanced spectators and then potentially opening things up to more full arenas.

"How we start isn't necessarily how we'll finish," he told reporters, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

As for the conclusion of next season, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly noted in earlier September that playing games in the summer worked for the league and it's possible the league revisits that plan if necessary. However, Bettman said Saturday he hopes it doesn't come to that.

The only definitive dates on the NHL calendar following the Stanley Cup Final are for the draft (Oct. 6 and 7) and the start of free agency on Oct. 9.

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Following Friday's report that the St. Louis Blues broke off contract talks with Alex Pietrangelo and advised their captain to pursue free agency, we look at five sensible landing spots for the star defenseman.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Can a star player hailing from the Greater Toronto Area hit free agency and not be linked to the Maple Leafs? We can hear the groans from non-Leafs fans, but this list wouldn't feel complete without at least mentioning a potential Leafs pursuit of the native of King City, Ontario.

With just over $6 million in cap space, the Leafs have the least amount of flexibility of any team to crack this list. However, they may also be more desperate for an impact right-handed defenseman than any club in the league. The addition of a bona fide No. 1 blue-liner like Pietrangelo would turn Toronto's defense from a weakness to a strength.

In order to afford Pietrangelo, who will likely command at least $8 million per season, Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas will have to make changes throughout the lineup. He wouldn't necessarily need to move someone as important as William Nylander, but fellow forwards Alexander Kerfoot ($3.5 million) and Andreas Johnsson ($3.4 million) would have to be traded and replaced with players making less than $1 million. He'd also have to deal goaltender Frederik Andersen ($5 million) and pursue a cheaper option.

It would really thin out Toronto's bottom-six forward group and create some uncertainty between the pipes, but Pietrangelo could be accommodated if the Leafs are that desperate. It also remains to be seen whether Dubas would want to make a significant long-term commitment to a 30-year-old after signing John Tavares two years ago.

Boston Bruins

A right-handed defenseman isn't an area of need for the Bruins, who have Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, and Connor Clifton in the fold. However, the team's Stanley Cup window is closing quickly, and Pietrangelo would better position Boston to contend with the Tampa Bay Lightning and make another deep playoff run.

Even after re-signing RFAs Jake DeBrusk and Matt Grzelcyk, the Bruins will likely have nearly $9 million to offer. Remember, Torey Krug is a UFA and Zdeno Chara could retire, so there's some money to go around on Boston's blue line. If GM Don Sweeney were to sign Pietrangelo, he could easily trade Carlo or Clifton for a left-handed defenseman or some help up front to relieve the logjam on the right side.

Taylor Hall would seem to be a more logical fit for the Bruins, but don't rule out the possibility of the Bruins making a splash for Pietrangelo.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche are consistently linked to big-name free agents thanks to their cap flexibility and legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations. Colorado has over $22 million in projected cap space, albeit with RFAs Valeri Nichushkin, Tyson Jost, Andre Burakovsky, Nikita Zadorov, and Ryan Graves all in need of new contracts.

General Manager Joe Sakic could easily trade Ian Cole, who's entering the last year of his deal, and Erik Johnson, who can submit a list of 19 teams he'll accept a trade to. Moving both blue-liners would allow Sakic to not only afford Pietrangelo but put the GM in a position to comfortably re-sign Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog next offseason.

Adding Pietrangelo would give Colorado one of the best blue lines in the league even before the arrival of 2019 No. 4 pick Bowen Byram.

Issues would arise at the 2021 expansion draft, where the Avs would risk losing Graves if they opt to use the 7-3-1 format. But those same risks exist if they keep Johnson in the fold, who has expansion protection with a no-movement clause.

Calgary Flames

Calgary isn't typically the most desirable destination for premier free agents, and the club often has to overpay on the open market. However, GM Brad Treliving is in a great position to make a run at Pietrangelo. His team is in need of some sort of shake-up, and with five pending UFA D-men, there are openings on the blue line and significant cap space to burn.

The Flames have nearly $17 million in projected cap space, and RFAs Andrew Mangiapane, Mark Jankowski, and Oliver Kylington won't break the bank. The team could allow UFAs T.J. Brodie, Travis Hamonic, Erik Gustafsson, Derek Forbort, and Michael Stone to walk. Adding Pietrangelo is a viable option thanks to the organization's youthful depth on D.

Assuming Giordano still has another year or two left of quality play, this would be one of the best blue lines in the league.

Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton has also struggled to lure marquee free agents, but an opportunity to play on a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl could be awfully tantalizing for Pietrangelo.

The Oilers have $10.5 million in projected cap space this offseason. The contracts of RFAs Ethan Bear and Andreas Athanasiou will eat into that, and GM Ken Holland has to sign a backup goalie, too. This means a contract - or maybe two - would need to be moved.

Adam Larsson would make sense as the odd man out. He's entering the final year of his deal that carries a $4.16-million cap hit, and there would be no shortage of suitors. Pietrangelo would then take his spot in the lineup.

Signing Pietrangelo would likely require Edmonton to protect four defensemen - eight total players - at the expansion draft instead of protecting seven forwards and three rearguards. However, the Oilers are pretty top-heavy up front, so they're one of the few teams that could manage it.

Having a horse like Pietrangelo to complement Edmonton's star forwards would vastly increase the team's Stanley Cup hopes.

(Salary source: CapFriendly)

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We closed out Round 3 with an 8-2 record to continue what's been a very profitable postseason. Now, we're about to be treated to a terrific Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars.

The Lightning entered the postseason as betting favorites in the Eastern Conference and have shown why by losing just four times en route to the finals.

Dallas took a much different path. The Stars began the playoffs with +1600 odds to win the Stanley Cup, which were only the fourth-best in the Western Conference and more than double that of the Vegas Golden Knights (+550) and Colorado Avalanche (+650), both of whom Dallas beat to secure a date with the Lightning.

The Stars were doubted every step of the way, being offered at longer than 2-1 to beat out the Avalanche and Golden Knights, as well as at plus-money in every game in those series. Oddsmakers are now offering them at +160 to lift the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history.

Here's how these teams have fared at five-on-five so far in the bubble, including round-robin play.

The Lightning hold an edge in almost every category, but these numbers don't tell the whole story.

Dallas faced two of the league's best possession teams, with the Golden Knights and Avalanche sitting first and second, respectively, among playoff teams in offense generated. Those matchups will prepare the Stars for a similar opponent in the Lightning.

The Stars have also significantly improved throughout the playoffs and enter the finals playing their best hockey. They did well to limit the Golden Knights to just 2.08 expected goals for per 60 minutes, well below their overall playoff rate of 2.80. Goalie Anton Khudobin found his form at the perfect time, too, posting a .950 save percentage in five games against Vegas, and the Stars' offensive consistency hasn't wavered.

Injuries will also play a significant role. Conn Smythe favorite Brayden Point is far from 100% as he continues to nurse a lower-body injury, and based on how the Lightning are monitoring his usage, it's safe to assume he'll miss at least one game and play at less than full strength when he is out there. Add in the fact that Steven Stamkos remains unavailable, and the needle shifts significantly in the Stars' direction.

Tampa Bay is still the favorite in this series, but much less so than the betting line indicates. For those considering a series bet on the Lightning, perhaps wait until after Game 1 for a potentially much better price.

Game 1 being played Saturday night is a significant disadvantage for the Lightning, who've played nearly nine periods of hockey in the last four nights while the Stars have been idle.

That's especially concerning for Point, whose status is up in the air after he played nearly 26 minutes in Game 6 against the New York Islanders. With the Lightning having less than 48 hours to recover from a grueling series, the Stars are excellent value to take Game 1 and move within three wins of lifting the Stanley Cup.

Should that happen, you'll get the Lightning at close to even money to win the series from down 1-0. But anything +140 or longer warrants a bet on the Stars to win it all.

Pick: Stars to win series (+160), Stars to win Game 1 (+140)

(Odds source: theScore Bet)

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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