Stars Fall To New York Rangers

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DALLAS — The New York Rangers broke a 1-1 tie with third-period goals from center Chris Kreider and defenseman John Moore 37 seconds apart in a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night that snapped Dallas’ three-game winning streak.

Kreider beat Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen with a wrister from the high slot that deflected off the stick of Stars defenseman Trevor Daley and into the far side of the net 1:18 into the third period.

At 1:55, Moore beat Lehtonen from the high slot on the opposite side of the ice to make it a two-goal game.

Dallas got a goal from right winger Alex Chiasson at 8:27 of the third period, his first in 10 games, on a delayed penalty to make it 3-2, but the Stars couldn’t find the equalizer.

New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist stopped 41 of the 43 shots he faced. One of his bigger saves was on Dallas left winger and captain Jamie Benn with 2:57 remaining in the game.

The Rangers tested Lehtonen early, forcing the Finnish netminder who was starting his 13th consecutive game, to make three saves within eight seconds. However, Lehtonen’s biggest stop of the night might have come in the third period when he denied left winter Rick Nash on a penalty shot.

New York went on the power play at 5:51 of the first period, and it took the visitors just 36 seconds to convert, with Nash scoring his first goal of the season after Lehtonen bit on a fake to the right post.

Lundqvist started the sequence with a long pass to New York right winger Ryan Callahan, who was near the Dallas blue line. Callahan then passed to a streaking Nash and the savvy veteran faked to Lehtonen’s right before skating around the outstretched goaltender and flipping the

puck into the left side of the net to make it 1-0.

Lundqvist stopped all 23 shots he faced in the first period, including one by center Ryan Garbutt with his elbow with 3:38 remaining before the first intermission.

The Rangers netminder then denied center Vernon Fiddler’s backhand early in the second period and a wrister by center Tyler Seguin at 3:14. But the Stars tied it when defenseman Stephane Robidas scored from distance at 8:46 of the second period with Dallas on the power play.

Robidas’ shot deflected first off the right hand of Girardi and then off the left skate of fellow defenseman Ryan McDonagh for Robidas’ third goal of the season. Dallas had been 0 for 26 on the power play at home prior to that goal.

An apparent goal by New York center Derick Brassard at 13:27 of the second period was nullified after officials determined he had swiped at the puck with his left glove to knock it in.

Lehtonen turned back 24 of 27 shots for Dallas.

After Lehtonen left the ice with 1:15 remaining, the Stars had one last chance to force overtime with 18.7 seconds remaining with a faceoff in the New York end after the Rangers iced the puck. Fiddler won the faceoff, but Dallas was unable to force overtime.

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