Stars Beat Blackhawks

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DALLAS — Not only did the Dallas Stars want to win on Saturday more than the Chicago Blackhawks, but they also needed the win more than their Central Division rival as their playoff hopes remain quite slim.

Dallas (34-28-10) got a goal and an assist each from right winger Patrick Eaves and center Jason Spezza, defenseman Alex Goligoski added two assists and goalie Kari Lehtonen stopped 33 shots as the Stars blanked the Blackhawks 4-0 at American Airlines Center.

It was Lehtonen’s fifth shutout of the season and 32nd of his career.

“We needed a couple of saves in those early power plays. We got ’em,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. “We needed three or four big (saves), a couple at the end of the second and obviously the penalty shot was huge for momentum for us.”

The Stars, who converted two of three power plays, also got goals from centers Tyler Seguin and Shawn Horcoff to win its second straight, ending a four-game winning streak by Chicago (43-22-6).

“Tonight I thought we got outworked,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said postgame. “Our power play wasn’t very good and the penalty killing wasn’t very good and the team game wasn’t very good. They deserved to win. I thought they were the better team.”

Dallas struck first when Eaves scored his ninth goal of the

season 9:36 into the game, beating Chicago goalie Corey Crawford top shelf on his blocker side.

Eaves received a pass from Goligoski in the slot and quickly converted with a perfectly placed snap to give Dallas an early edge.

The lead doubled at 16:02 of the first period when Seguin scored his 33rd goal of the season for Dallas 38 seconds into a power play. Seguin knocked in a rebound from the left side of the Chicago goal after Crawford denied the initial shot from Stars left winger and captain Jamie Benn.

The Stars were on the power play after Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson was whistled for hooking Spezza at 15:24 of the second period.

Horcoff scored his 11th goal of the season 6:02 into the third period when he redirected a Goligoski wrist shot from the right point with Dallas on the power play after Hjalmarsson was whistled for high-sticking Eaves at 4:59 of the third.

Spezza then made it 4-0 with his 16th goal of the season 9:32 into the third period, scoring his first career goal against Chicago with a wrist shot from the slot that sailed under Crawford’s blocker.

Chicago had two quality chances later in the second period. At 15:12 of the second, right winger Marian Hossa had a breakaway, but Lehtonen denied his wrist shot from the slot with a pad save.

And with 4:02 remaining before the second intermission, Chicago center Patrick Sharp saw the right side of the Dallas net open but fired his wrist shot just wide from the slot.

“I think early in the second, we had lots of good looks,” Hossa said. “We just couldn’t put the puck in the net and obviously when you don’t score, you don’t have as much energy as you would like. And right after (those chances) they score a third goal, so that’s kind of tough.”

Lehtonen denied Chicago left winger Brandon Saad on a penalty shot 7:23 into the third period, stopping his backhand attempt with a pad save.

Crawford stopped 25 of 29 shots for Chicago, who saw its streak of seven straight games with at least a point snapped.

“It’s just one game,” Hjalmarsson said. “It happens. Just got to leave that behind and focus on the next game.”

Chicago defenseman Kimmo Timmo Timonen appeared in his 1,100th career game.

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