Stars Defeat Coyotes

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DALLAS — Third periods have been something of a sore subject for the Dallas Stars this season. But on Thursday night against the Arizona Coyotes, the Stars struck twice in the opening minute of the final frame, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead. Dallas then added an insurance tally late in the frame to hand the Coyotes a 3-1 defeat at American Airlines Center, their first home win since Oct. 21.

Center Cody Eakin delivered the eventual game-winner 52 seconds into the third after he redirected a shot from defenseman Trevor Daley from the right point.

Eakin’s goal, his fourth of the season, came 33 seconds after rookie defenseman John Klingberg scored his first NHL goal on a wrist shot from the slot that beat Arizona goalie Mike Smith top shelf.

“It’s a special goal. It lit the building up. It was something our fans needed, something we needed. I think that energy from our crowd helped us with the next one right away,” Stars head coach Lindy Ruff said of Klingberg’s goal.

Dallas center Jason Spezza added an insurance tally with 4:18 remaining to ice the win, which snapped a seven-game home winless streak for the Stars (7-9-4), who got two assists from right wing Ales Hemsky.

“You got to play 60 minutes, not 40 minutes to win in this

league,” Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett said. “Third period wasn’t good enough.”

Heading into Thursday, Dallas had been outscored 29-13 in the third period. But against the Coyotes, it was a completely different story in the final 20 minutes.

“I think it was the best defending third period we’ve played (this season),” Ruff said. “Once we got the lead, we did all the right things — didn’t get careless with the puck, we didn’t give up transition opportunities.”

Goalie Kari Lehtonen stopped 26 of 27 shots for Dallas, who won on home ice for just the second time this season.

“Their goaltender made a couple big saves, made one really nice one on me. I’ve got to score there (in the second period),” Coyotes captain Shane Doan said of Lehtonen. “Played well enough to have more than a one-goal lead, but he made some nice saves and we got to find ways to bury those.”

Arizona (8-10-2) had carried the lead since left winger Lauri Korpikoski’s power-play goal in the first period.

The Coyotes took the lead at 14:21 of the first when Korpikoski tapped in a rebound for a power-play goal. Coyotes center Sam Gagner took the initial shot, a wrister from the right point that was denied by Lehtonen.

However, Lehtonen lost track of the rebound and Korpikoski slipped the puck through Lehtonen’s legs for his second goal of the season.

Gagner was credited with his 200th career assist on the goal.

With 5:22 remaining in the second, it appeared that Dallas had tied the game when left winger Travis Moen looked to have scored his first goal as a member of the Stars. However, the goal was nullified because Stars defenseman Brenden Dillon was ruled to be in the crease near the far post, thereby limiting Smith’s ability to make a play on the puck.

Even after the two-goal flurry early in the third, Arizona had a chance to pull the game level again 3:53 into the third but defenseman Keith Yandle found the right post with a shot from the left point.

Smith stopped 24 of 27 shots for the Coyotes before leaving the ice with 1:40 remaining.

“When you have the lead going into the third period, you need to expect the win,” Smith said. “When you’re in tight hockey games, you got to do the little things right all the way through and it’s hard to do it like that, it’s hard to play like that but that’s how this team needs to do it. We need to find ways to push through it.”

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