from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,

In a game where the Stanley Cup was present and ready to be awarded, the 35-year-old Perry scored the first and last goals of the night, while the 36-year-old Pavelski sandwiched the game-tying goal in between with just 6:45 left in Dallas’ season.

The two ageing forwards have now scored the last six goals for Dallas, an incredible feat for two free agent pick-ups last summer who were acquired for leadership more than production.

“With how they’re playing I don’t know if you can call them old,” said Tyler Seguin. “They seem to have the best endurance of all of us.”.After the first overtime, where Dallas was credited with two shots — though one came on a shot from the other side of centre — the two vets took control of the Stars dressing room....

“The biggest switch for us tonight was those guys talking in the dressing room about having to go for this,” Seguin said. “We can’t be sitting back and hoping to win. That’s where you saw the change in the second overtime where we started going after them.”

“I forget who said it,” began Pavelski — and you know damned well it was him. “In the first overtime we … played a little bit not to win at times. Just safe. The talk was that we needed to go at them a bit.”

Safe. That has never been a word used to describe Perry, who still has those nifty hands from 2005, though by now his knees are more like a plate of linguini.

“You love him on your team,” began Stars head coach Rick Bowness. “I’ve coached against him long enough, and I know he’s a pain in the butt. But from the tops of the circles in and around their net, he is one tough guy to handle. He hangs on to the puck, he’s big, he’s strong, he’s got great reach… And he’s got great patience — very good at hanging on to it and waiting for something to happen.

“All the things that winners bring to the table, he brings to the table for us.”

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