Stars Top Canucks
DALLAS — The Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars have played twice this season and 60 minutes was not enough to determine an outcome either time.
On Friday night at the American Airlines Center, center Tyler Seguin scored the lone goal and goaltender Antti Niemi stopped all three Canucks shooters in the Stars’ 3-2 shootout win.
On Oct. 29, the Stars defeated the Canucks 4-3 in overtime in Dallas after Vancouver blew a 3-1 lead early in the third period.
“The game was so disjointed, it’s really hard to break that one down,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. “I thought both goaltenders made some big saves at opportune times. (Ryan) Miller made some great saves. And then I thought Antti (Niemi) gave us a chance to put it away.”
As Dallas’ first shooter, Seguin beat Miller with a wrist shot through his five-hole from the slot.
Niemi denied right wingers Alexandre Burrows and Radim Vrbata and left winger Chris Higgins for Dallas (18-5-0). Niemi stopped 33 of 35 shots.
“He’s obviously a top-notch goalie in this league, and he made some big saves tonight,” Stars left winger and captain Jamie Benn said of Niemi. “He played a great game. It’s nice to see him get right back in there and get the job done.”
Right winger Patrick Sharp had two assists for the Stars, who also got
goals from Benn and center Jason Spezza as Dallas beat Vancouver for a ninth consecutive time.
Vancouver (9-8-7) got goals from left winger Daniel Sedin, who also had an assist, and center Henrik Sedin.
The Canucks tied it 2-2 with 4:10 remaining in regulation when Henrik Sedin scored a power-play goal.
“I thought we battled back the whole game,” Canucks coach Willie Desjardins said. “We had chances. Our team’s been resilient this year. They haven’t given up. Maybe we don’t get the win in the end, but there’s no quit.”
Benn gave Dallas a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal 4:33 before the first intermission. Seguin took a wrist shot from the left point that first deflected off Sharp and then off Benn’s left leg for his 17th goal of the season.
Dallas went on the power play 1:10 earlier when Daniel Sedin was whistled for tripping Sharp, who had two assists for the Stars.
Benn now has a point in seven consecutive games.
Vancouver drew even early in the second period when Daniel Sedin scored his 11th goal of the season with a tap-in at the near post. Canucks right winger Jannik Hansen assisted by intercepting a wayward backhand pass from Stars defenseman John Klingberg in the middle of the Dallas zone.
Hansen then spotted Daniel Sedin rushing to the near post and finished with a quick snap to make it 1-1.
“Well, I thought we played well five-on-five through the whole game,” Hansen said. “I thought we created a lot of good opportunities.”
The Stars regained their lead with 7:08 remaining in the second period when Spezza fired a slap shot into the top right corner of the Vancouver net for a power-play goal.
Spezza received a pass from Klingberg on the left point, then skated into the right circle before beating Miller top shelf to his short side in an impressive show of marksmanship.
“It’s my responsibility, the short side. I’d been going down to the goal line a lot and I didn’t take the ice I needed to. It’s not a good read,” Miller said of the Spezza goal.
Miller stopped 23 of 25 shots, including two huge saves on Benn at the near post late in overtime as Dallas was on a power play because of Vancouver being called for too many men on the ice.
“Yeah, he was big again,” Henrik Sedin said of Miller. “He’s been good all year. He’s been that from day one. He’s been our best player.”
