Chicago Blackhawks 3-4 Tampa Bay Lightning (OT)
The Tampa Bay Lightning needed overtime, but they squeezed past the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. Mitchell Chafee got the game's opening goal from a power play 11 minutes in. However, by the end of the first period, the Lightning would find themselves behind as Colton Dach and Frank Nazar responded for Chicago to give them a lead.
Louis Crevier added a third for the Blackhawks five minutes into the second period, doubling their advantage. Just as the period was coming to an end, Tampa got one back as Nick Paul got them back into the game. The guests had nearly double the shots of their opponents (53-30), with 23 of those attempts coming in the final frame as they tried to get their leveller.
With 41 seconds to go in regulation, that equaliser would come through Jake Guentzel. Then, a minute into overtime, Nikita Kucherov got the winner from a power play, the third time that happened in the game for Tampa Bay.
With the victory, the Lightning jumped to sixth spot in the Eastern Conference, ending a two-game losing slide. For the Blackhawks, second from bottom in the West, it was the second game in a row where they lost in overtime.
Dallas Stars 4-3 Las Vegas Golden Knights
The Dallas Stars won a nervy match at home to the Las Vegas Golden Knights, holding on for a 4-3 victory. They would fall behind four minutes in courtesy of Jack Eichel, who converted with a man advantage. Two minutes later, Roope Hintz tied things up.
It took until the 7:31 mark of the second period before the Stars would go ahead through Jason Robertson. Less than 90 seconds later, the Knights would restore parity as Shea Theodore scored via another power play. By the end of the period, however, Dallas were back ahead, as Jamie Benn and Robertson added one each to make the score 4-2.
Las Vegas, who had 17 shots in the final frame, pushed to try and overturn the deficit. Although Eichel got his second of the game with 9:25 left, they could not turn things around a second time, succumbing to defeat.
The Stars are now fourth in the West with the result, notching their 30th win of the season. The Golden Knights have now lost five of their last six games.
In the other NHL games on Friday, Cole Perfetti got a hat-trick as the Winnipeg Jets defeated Utah 5-2, while the New York Islanders beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1.