Stars Win Against Hurricanes
DALLAS — The Stars nearly continued a negative trend Tuesday.
Dallas blew a four-goal lead in the third period, but thanks to a power-play goal by right winger Patrick Sharp with 19 seconds remaining in regulation, the Stars escaped with a 6-5 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes at American Airlines Center.
“It wasn’t the best shot, but I got slashed as I was shooting, and maybe that affected the goalie,” Sharp said of his game-winner.
The Stars (21-5-2) avoided dropping their first game of a homestand following a four-game road trip for the first time this season. Dallas previously lost at home to the Florida Panthers on Oct. 24 and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 10 following similar trips.
“There’s going to be some goals that you really like (in a game like this),” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. “I like that we fought right back.”
Sharp scored his 10th of the season with a slap shot from the right point that went through Hurricanes backup goaltender Eddie Lack, who stopped 10 of 12 shots after replacing starter Cam Ward to begin the second period.
Dallas, which led 4-0 after one period and 5-1 after two, went on the power play with 1:34 remaining after Hurricanes center Victor Rask, who had three assists, was whistled for tripping.
“I thought that call at the end (on Rask) was a little iffy,” Hurricanes left winger Phillip Di Giuseppe said. “And like I said, I think that we earned a better outcome.”
Left winger Jamie Benn and center Tyler Seguin had a goal and three
assists each. Defenseman John Klingberg had three assists, right winger Valeri Nichuskin had a goal and two assists, and defenseman Johnny Oduya had a goal and an assist.
Carolina (10-14-4) responded with four unanswered in the third. The Hurricanes got two power-play goals from defenseman Justin Faulk, who leads the NHL with 11 power-play goals, and one goal each from Di Giuseppe, the first of his career, and center Jeff Skinner.
“Yeah, well, we showed some fight to get back in it,” Hurricanes center and captain Eric Staal said. “We showed that we can score goals, and (I) think we’re gaining in that department confidence-wise. But at the end of the day, you want to get points, you want to get something.”
Hurricanes defenseman Noah Hanifin had two assists.
Faulk scored his first 2:21 into the third when he collected his own rebound for a power-play goal. Dallas issued a coach’s challenge that goaltender Kari Lehtonen was interfered with, but the goal was deemed valid.
Di Giuseppe scored at 3:34 of the third with a wrist shot that beat Lehtonen low and to his short side.
Faulk added a second at 8:26 of the third when he beat Lehtonen with a slap shot from near the Dallas blue line.
Skinner made it 5-5 with a wrist shot from the left circle that beat Lehtonen high and to his short side with 6:43 remaining, chasing Lehtonen from the game. Lehtonen stopped 25 of 30 shots.
Goalie Antti Niemi earned the win for Dallas despite making no saves.
The Stars victimized the Hurricanes for two goals in 26 seconds in the first period. Right winger Patrick Eaves scored his first of the season on a one-timer from the left circle 6:29 into the game.
Benn made it 2-0 with his NHL-leading 19th goal of the season at 7:15, ending his goalless streak at three games.
Oduya made it 3-0 with a well-placed wrist shot from near the Carolina blue line that deflected off Hurricanes defenseman Ron Hainsey and Ward’s glove at 14:41.
Seguin scored his 15th of the season 1:16 before the first intermission on a power-play goal.
The Hurricanes made it a three-goal game 3:10 into the second period when defenseman Jaccob Slavin scored his first career goal off a rebound.
Nichushkin scored his fourth goal of the season 34 seconds prior to the second intermission to make it 5-1. Nichushkin’s wrist shot from the slot struck Lack in his right shoulder and crossed the goal line as Lack was falling backward.
It was originally called no goal on the ice as play had been whistled dead, but after a short review, the call was reversed.
