Stars Beat Flyers

via The Sports Xchange

DALLAS — The Philadelphia Flyers’ streak finally came to an end.
The Dallas Stars ended the Flyers’ 10-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory at American Airlines Center on Saturday afternoon.
Adam Cracknell scored the game-winning goal early in the third period and Antti Niemi made 31 saves for the Stars. It was Philadelphia’s first loss since Nov. 25 against the New York Rangers.
“They were obviously the hottest team in the NHL and we knew that. After the first there was some talking here (in the locker room),” Stars center Tyler Seguin said. “We played a solid game. Especially the second half, and we found a way in the third on home ice.”
Radek Faksa tied the game 1-1 on a rebound at 4:48 of the second period. It was Faksa’s fourth goal of the season and Antoine Roussel had the primary assist after he took the initial shot.
Faksa’s goal came minutes after Jason Spezza and Brandon Manning fought near the Flyers’ net. It was Spezza’s first fight since March 3, 2009 and only the fifth of his career.
“I think we just needed a bit of a jolt,” Spezza said. “We’re in desperate mode here and we are trying to get the guys going a bit.”
Both goalies made key stops in the second period.
Steve Mason made two point-blank saves on Brett Ritchie, while Niemi stopped Claude Giroux on a slap shot from the slot with under two minutes remaining in the middle stanza.
“We needed to be a little better in the second period,” Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. “They were the better team for 20 minutes there.”
Cracknell gave Dallas a 2-1 lead at 2:27 of the third period on a rebound shot. Cracknell scored his fourth goal of the season after a point shot by John Klingberg, who had his 13th assist of the season. Seguin had the secondary assist.
“We created a lot chances off rebounds,” Cracknell said. “If we keep putting pucks on net, and it’s so cliche, but they’re going to keep going in. We have to be there and keep going there to get pucks through.”
Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov nearly tied the game when he hit the crossbar on a wrist shot at 10:08 of the third period.
“We went down by one, but we had a lot of confidence to make plays and create,” Hakstol said. “We didn’t get a positive bounce on any of those plays, but that’s how it is. It’s a tight game and we just came up short.”
The Flyers weren’t too concerned about the streak coming to an end.
“I don’t know if I learned anything through the streak,” Hakstol said. “I think it was just a continuation by our group showing up and working hard together. I said it all along, I don’t think anyone has been too focused on any of the extra-curricular stuff. It’s been about the two points every night and that’s what I was concerned with tonight and I think our guys will be as well. Two points that were available going into the third period and we came up short.”
Jordie Benn scored into the empty to give Dallas a 3-1 lead.
Mason made 25 saves.