Predators vs. Stars final score: Dallas' Ben Bishop holds off Nashville in 2020 NHL Winter Classic

Tommy McArdle

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Predators vs. Stars final score: Dallas' Ben Bishop holds off Nashville in 2020 NHL Winter Classic image

The Dallas Stars won the 2020 NHL Winter Classic 4-2 over the Nashville Predators after they scored four unanswered goals in the second and third periods.

They did it, however, without the help of forward Corey Perry, who received a game misconduct and was ejected early in the first period for elbowing Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis in the head.

MORE: Dallas Stars forward Corey Perry ejected from Winter Classic for elbowing Ryan Ellis

Predators stars Matt Duchene and Dante Fabbro took advantage of the ensuing power play to give Nashville a 2-0 lead after one period, but the home team came away with a victory thanks to an energy shift in the final two frames and some impressive goaltending by Ben Bishop, who saved 31 of 33 shots.

Mattias Janmark's wrist shot deflection early in the third period tied the game at 2-2 and Alexander Radulov scored the game-winning goal roughly five minutes later with a one-time slapshot. The Stars followed up with one more insurance goal, a chip-in rebound from Andrej Sekera, to earn two points and remain in third place in the Central Division (23-14-4, 50 points).

85,630 fans packed Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas for the first Winter Classic of the new decade. The notion that hockey can't thrive in the south is long gone now, as the official attendance mark made the New Year's Day game the second-most attended NHL game in history — behind only 2014's Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings.

Hog races, two-step dancing and a stadium-wide sing-a-long to Garth Brooks' 'Friends In Low Places' marked the unique Dallas flair this year's game provided.

Sporting News tracked all the action live from Cotton Bowl Stadium as the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators kicked off 2020.

MORE: Watch the NHL Winter Classic live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

Nashville Predators vs. Dallas Stars live score, updates and highlights from the Winter Classic

(All times Eastern)

Final score: Predators 2, Stars 4

4:49 p.m. — The Stars win the 2020 NHL Winter Classic 4-2 over the Nashville Predators. Ben Bishop made 29 saves on 31 shots to earn the win.

4:45 p.m. — The Stars ice the puck a few times trying to score one more goal on the empty net to put the game completely out of hand.

4:42 p.m. — The Predators pull their goalie with two minutes and 30 seconds remaining. Nashville has no timeout remaining, so we'll see if the away team can mount a last-minute comeback.

4:40 p.m. — Viktor Arvidsson puts a creative shot on net against Bishop after edging between two defenders, but the Dallas netminder makes a chest save.

4:34 p.m. — Dallas' lead doesn't seem like it's going anywhere. The Stars have an 11-5 advantage in shots on net in the third period, and Ben Bishop appears locked in.

4:20 p.m. — GOAL. Andrej Sekera picks up a rebound after a Stars two-on-one and chips in the insurancd goal, and Dallas has a two-goal lead.

4:18 p.m. — PP GOAL. Alexander Radulov takes the lead for the Stars with a one-time slap shot past Rinne's stick side. The Stars hold a 3-2 lead with a little less than 15 minutes to go in the game.

4:15 p.m. — Predators forward Ryan Johansen earns a hooking penalty against Miro Heiskanen and the Stars go back to work on the power play.

4:12 p.m. — Tyler Seguin rings a puck off the post in his second breakaway opportunity of today's game. The Stars are surging after tying the game up — energy seems to be shifting in the home team's direction.

4:10 p.m. — PP GOAL. The Stars tie the game on a wrist shot from defenseman John Klingberg that deflects off Mattias Janmark and bounces through Pekka Rinne's five-hole.

4:08 p.m. — The puck drops on the third and the Stars have about one minute remaining of power play time.

Second period: Predators 2, Stars 1

3:46 p.m. — The Stars don't score before the period ends, but they will have one minute and 11 seconds remaining with a man advantage when play resumes.

3:43 p.m. — Dallas goes back to the power play late in the period after Colin Blackwell sends the puck over the boards for a delay of game penalty.

3:42 p.m. — Two more players go down. Radek Faksa and Mattias Ekholm are shaken up after colliding along the boards, but they both remain in the game for now.

3:41 p.m. — GOAL. Blake Comeau gets the Stars on the board after Dickinson wraps around the net and throws the puck out in front.

3:37 p.m. — Nashville captain Roman Josi earns a two-minute minor penalty for a cross check against Dallas' Joe Pavelski. The Stars have their first power play of the game with just three minutes remaining in the period.

3:35 p.m. — By the way, the game's official attendance mark clocks in at 85,630 — making this Winter Classic the second-most attended game in NHL history behind 2014's New Year's Day game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings.

3:30 p.m.  — Seguin narrowly misses a shot on a breakaway opportunity just after exiting the penalty box. No goals were scored during the power play.

3:25 p.m. — Tyler Seguin earns a boarding penalty for his hit from behind on Austin Watson. The Predators will head to the power play for the fourth time today.

3:22 p.m. — Ellis has been officially ruled out of the rest of Wednesday's game with an upper-body injury , leaving the Predators short a top-four defenseman the rest of the afternoon. They seem to be adjusting just fine and still control the majority of shots on net. We'll see if that changes by the end of the period.

3:16 p.m. — The intensity remains high in the second period. The middle frame has had more offense already — the Predators already have five shots on net this period just six minutes in.

3:07 p.m. — Blake Comeau is back at the start of the second period for the Stars. Ryan Ellis remains out of the game after Corey Perry's hit.

MORE: Corey Perry first player in Winter Classic history to earn game misconduct

First period: Predators 2, Stars 0

2:46 p.m. — This game had a dramatic start, but the period ends rather slowly as both teams trade chances. The two teams registered 27 total hits in an ultra-physical first frame. Nashville put 10 shots on net, while the Stars had eight.

2:40 p.m. — This Winter Classic is officially the warmest on record and the fourth-warmest outdoor NHL game ever.

2:35 p.m. — The penalties end without any goals for either side. The Predators have four shots on goal with about six minutes remaining; the Stars have five.

2:31 p.m. — Radek Faksa and Colin Blackwell skirmish after Dallas' Comeau goes down. Austin Watson caught him with an open-ice check. Both players are given two minute minor penatlies for roughing, giving the game two minutes of four-on-four action. Comeau, like Ryan Ellis before him, has left the game for now.

2:22 p.m. — Stars forward Denis Gurianov misses on a penalty shot after he is taken down on a scoring chance for the Stars. The score remains 2-0 Nashville.

2:20 p.m. — PP GOAL. Duchene finds Dante Fabbro on a cross-crease pass and Fabbro scores on Ben Bishop before the Predators' power play expires.

2:17 p.m. — PP GOAL. Matt Duchene scores off a feed from Filip Forsberg, cancelling Comeau's penalty. About 90 seconds remain on the five-minute major to Perry.

2:15 p.m. — Dallas' Blake Comeau is assessed a two-minute minor for delay of game. The Predators now have a five-on-three power play.

2:13 p.m. — Corey Perry has been ejected from the Winter Classic and given a game misconduct and major penalty for elbowing Ellis. The Predators receive a five minute power play as a result — they will be on the power play for the entire five minutes regardless of how many goals they might score.

2:12 p.m. — Ellis was helped off the ice by his teammates. On-ice officials are reviewing Perry's hit on Ellis to determine how severe of a penalty they may assess the Stars forward.

2:10 p.m. — Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis is down on the ice after Dallas' Corey Perry caught him with a headshot roughly three minutes into the game.

2:05 p.m. — The game is on! The crowd roars as the puck drops on the 2020 NHL Winter Classic.

Pregame

2:04 p.m. — Both team's lines for Wednesday's game.

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Tommy McArdle