The first game of the biggest, most important and toughest back-to-back of the season and the Stars started out poorly.
Vancouver scored first in this game as Chris Higgins continued his evisceration of the Stars this season with a goal just six minutes into the period. It was his second goal and his fifth point in the series, which leads all Vancouver Canucks. Kari Lehtonen probably should have stopped the shot, but he was moving across the crease and the puck just slid under him.
Vancouver made a switch right before the game that surprised a few people. After stating throughout the day that Roberto Luongo would be the starter, Cory Schneider skated out to take his place between the pipes. It seems Luongo aggravated a neck muscle before the game and couldn't go. Schneider has been the better goalie between the two this season and he was the winner in the previous game between the two teams so it's a bad break for the Stars.
Dallas had a okay period but there wasn't a whole lot of good play. Only the top line, Jamie Benn and Ryan Garbutt really showed up to play and they had some good chances, but Schneider is just stopping everything. Dallas actually outshot Vancouver 13-7 in the period but just have to be glad that the score is only 1-0 in the Canucks favor with the way this has started.