Dallas, TX
Stars phenom Wyatt Johnston saves Dallas’ season with Game 3 overtime winner
Vegas is only so much fun for someone Wyatt Johnston’s age.
He can’t celebrate at the bar with his teammates, nor can he test his luck at a casino during Dallas’ four-day stay.
But the 20-year-old Stars forward left T-Mobile Arena Saturday night as the biggest winner.
Johnston lifted Dallas to its first win of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs by a 3-2 margin in overtime, accounting for two of Dallas’ goals including his first overtime game-winner of his career.
He was by far Dallas’ best player on the ice — as he has been in many games this season — and sparked the dominant offensive performance that Dallas needed.
“I thought he was just outstanding tonight,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “For a kid to be under 21 years old and be on that ice with that level of player and look like he did all night tonight, just an outstanding player.”
Johnston logged 23:50 of ice time and had eight shots on goal. He scored his first goal a little over 11 minutes into the game, cleaning up a rebound in front of the net. His top-shelf overtime goal looked eerily similar to the one he scored in Game 7 of last year’s series with Seattle, which clinched Dallas a spot in the Western Conference Finals.
But less than a year later, his game and confidence levels have drastically improved.
“Definitely feels a lot different,” he said. “Obviously, I got to experience a pretty good run last year. I think just learning from last year the playoff style of hockey and trying my best to learn the different areas playing Vegas.”
Johnston led Dallas in goals this season with 32 and is now tied with Jason Robertson for the lead in playoff goals (2). He’s done that despite being a third-line player.
However, his play earned him a spot on Dallas’ top line Saturday alongside Robertson and Roope Hintz. The trio played 111 minutes together in the regular season and led the league in expected goals percentage at 80.2%
Saturday night was just another example of how dangerous they can be.
“They’re great players,” Johnston said of his new linemates. “They’re so smart. See the ice really well, make those plays. I think for me it’s just making sure I’m making those plays. I think it’s just trying to feed off of them.”
Johnston and his line were relentless in Game 3, especially as Vegas goalie Logan Thompson had the game of his career.
Thompson made 43 saves on 46 shots, including stunning glove saves and stops on breakaways. He turned away a dangerous shot from Johnston just moments before the game-winner.
But Johnston continued to threaten, and it paid off.
“Wyatt Johnston. That’s kind of how we solved them,” Tyler Seguin said.
Dallas’ young core has been the heart and soul of the last few months of the season with Johnston and 21-year-old Logan Stankoven delivering the team’s best performances on many nights. The fanbase saw the potential for that group to grow when the team announced it had called up 22-year-old Mavrik Bourque from the Texas Stars, though he was ultimately a healthy scratch Saturday.
DeBoer cautioned that Bourque would not be responsible for saving the Stars’ season if he did enter the lineup.
But Johnston’s performance Saturday night just might have.
“Johnny was such a stud and made a huge play. Biggest play of the season so far,” Stars goalie Jake Oettinger said. “Everyone in here knows how good he is and just what a good person he is. The sky’s the limit for him. When he does stuff like that, no one in here is surprised. We’re happy he’s in green and white.”
Twitter: @lassimak
Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Video: Here’s 5 bold predictions for the Patriots in the 2026 Season
The New England Patriots enter the 2026 NFL season with big expectations after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in last season’s Super Bowl.
George Pickens hasn’t been in the news for a week now, so something had to break and it came in the form of a Cowboy legend giving him advice on how to handle his contract situation.
There is also speculation that this year will be his last with the Dallas Cowboys and the last year in the silver and blue for a former Texas Longhorn linebacker. CeeDee Lamb and coach Brian Schottenheimer are also in the news, or what passes for it in late May in the NFL.
Here are some Cowboys headlines.
George Pickens, Emmitt Smith
The NFL’s all-time rushing leader and Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith went on to the NFL Network’s The Insiders show and shared his opinions about George Pickens’ situation. Pickens’ contract status has been a major storyline this offseason and he is now set to play on a one-year franchise tag.
Indications are he wasn’t a long-term contract (as anyone would), but Jerry Jones has not opened negotiations on this. Smith’s advice to Pickens is something Cowboy fans hope Pickens follows.
Smith said: “I would say to George Pickens right now, you just ran into the business side of sports, period. There’s nothing else but pure business. Try not to take it personally. I know you will, because I would take it personally too, but shuffle that energy to your performance because I think your performance itself is going to speak a lot louder than anything else.”
Meanwhile, the blog Inside the Star predicts Pickens, as well as linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, will not be with the team in 2027.
Of Pickens, Mark Heaney writes, “We’ve seen the front office be unwilling to even negotiate a long-term deal, likely due to the issue of paying two wide receivers at the top of the market. In theory, the Cowboys could franchise tag him again next offseason, but consecutive tags mean a 120% increase from the previous year’s salary; that’s unsustainable for the organization. Instead, I think we see him dealt for some compensation ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft.“
DeMarvion Overshown
Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, a Texas Longhorns product, has tantalized Cowboys fans when he’s been healthy, but that hasn’t been much. He missed all of his rookie year in 2023 with a blown-out knee, which came after several strong preseason games.
He blew out his knee again late in the 2024 season, which caused him to miss the first half of the 2025 season.
Mark Heaney of the blog Inside the Star predicts that this coming season, one way or another, will be Overshown’s last in Dallas.
He writes: “The other guy, DeMarvion Overshown, is a genuine fan favorite, and it is easy to understand why. Former Texas Longhorn, electric, high-energy player when healthy, true team leader. That all resonates with the Dallas faithful in a significant way, but it doesn’t change the facts around his situation, especially when it comes to health.
”Overshown has had major struggles with staying on the field, and if he comes asking for a big bag in 2027 after more issues this year, Dallas will say no.
”On the flip side, his elite potential could result in a huge year that, similarly to Pickens, prices Dallas out from extending him to a long-term deal. The addition of Jaishawn Barham in the draft adds another layer to it, as he should be able to replace Overshown next year.”
CeeDee Lamb
Last week new New York Giants coach John Harbaugh, took a shot at the Dallas Cowboys at New York’s town hall event, saying, “All I care about is tomorrow’s practice, because if tomorrow’s practice is the way it’s supposed to be, that will be one more step in the direction of being a good enough football team to kick the Cowboys’ ass.”
Evidently mocking Harbaugh fell to receiver CeeDee Lamb, who went on Instagram to post a rather understated, “lol that’s cute.”
This being May, that was enough to grab some headlines and get his name back in the news.
Dallas Cowboys coach
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer will enter his second year as head coach, marking his fifth year with the club. He is now looking to sell his McKinney home for $3.8 million in order to move closer to the Cowboys’ headquarters in Frisco (McKinney is about a half-hour drive from Frisco).
“It really is just time being closer to work, and every minute counts, when you’re at that level, for him,” listing agent Carrie Himel told Neil Franklin of the Dallas Morning News.
For those interested, the house is listed at 5,700 square feet.
Dallas Cowboys tickets 2026
Seat Geek is the official partner of the Dallas Cowboys, so this is where to get official tickets. The Cowboys are also offering packages for the Week 3 game in Rio de Janeiro against the Ravens, ranging from $1,200 to $5,750. That doesn’t include airfare, and the cheap rate doesn’t include a hotel.
Other places to buy tickets, which will be more expensive but with a much larger selection than the official tickets, include StubHub, Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats. Those sites also offer tickets for away games.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached, bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
The Dallas Police Department is investigating the shooting deaths of three people at a party being held at a short-term rental on Tuesday morning.
The department posted a video update to social media hours after the incident occurred.
According to DPD, police responded to a shooting call in the 3700 Vilbig St. at around 12:28 a.m. The preliminary investigation found that four people had been shot at a party being hosted at a short-term rental.
Two of the victims died at the scene and one died at the hospital. The fourth victim is in stable condition. All of the victims are adults.
At this time, police have not made an arrest and are still carrying out a preliminary investigation. Police said there was not a threat to the general public, but a suspect had fled the scene.
As of Monday, there had been a total of 74 homicide offenses recorded by Dallas police in 2026. That includes seven justifiable homicide offenses, 55 murder and non-negligent manslaughter offenses, and another 12 negligent manslaughter offenses.
This time last year, the department had recorded 79 homicide offenses, including five justifiable homicides, 64 murder and non-negligent manslaughter offenses, and another 10 negligent manslaughter offenses.
Kurt: Even though he is Dallas’ only 2026 draft pick to not sign yet, Lawrence’s current contract situation isn’t having any impact on the team’s culture and what Schottenheimer is trying to do.
There are specific restrictions set within the Collective Bargaining Agreement on how much each rookie can make, based on his draft position. The higher the draft slot, the higher the paycheck. Seems simple, right? However, there are a few items that can be negotiated, such as guaranteed money.
Which is where the Cowboys and Lawrence stand right now, although they’re not alone. Around the league, 15 of the top 21 overall picks have signed, but none of the rookies selected lower in the first round (Nos. 22-32) have inked a deal. Even though they basically have no leverage, they’re all waiting to see how things play out. Once one signs on the dotted line, the other dominoes should quickly fall.
In the meantime, it’s been business as usual for the coaching staff and players. Lawrence has been attending all the workouts and meetings, as well as generally being around to soak up Schottenheimer’s culture.
In other words, Cowboys fans can move right along; there is nothing to see here.Kurt:
-
Seattle, WA4 seconds ago
Pollen forensic technique links missing woman cold case to the Pacific Northwest
-
San Diego, CA6 minutes agoA South San Diego Mother questions SDPD’S response to her teenage son’s death
-
Milwaukee, WI12 minutes agoFinal public hearing for MPS budget proposal
-
Atlanta, GA18 minutes agoHigh E. coli levels along Chattahoochee River force business closures after days of rain
-
Minneapolis, MN24 minutes agoMayor Frey vows ‘top-notch’ hire as Minneapolis police chief search looms
-
Indianapolis, IN30 minutes agoArmed carjacking reported at Fishers IHOP; 2 Indianapolis teens arrested
-
Pittsburg, PA36 minutes agoMan fatally shot by co-worker in Pittsburgh area, police say
-
Augusta, GA42 minutes agoAugusta cuts dozens of trees on Broad Street, raising maintenance questions
