DALLAS (AP) Jamie Benn turned another tying goal late in regulation into the extra point for the Dallas Stars in the tight Western Conference playoff race.
Benn scored 3:04 into overtime after Alexander Radulov’s tying tally in the final three minutes of regulation, and the Stars rallied to beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 on Saturday.
The win came two days after Dallas salvaged a point with a goal in the final seconds of regulation against NHL-leading Tampa Bay before losing in the extra period.
”We put so much work into it we just don’t want to give up a point or we’re just fighting and scratching for everything,” Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. ”And you know what? We’re going to have another dozen to 15 games like this. It’s just the way it’s going to be.”
Benn’s winner from the high slot came after Radulov chipped a shot pass Carter Hutton on a pass from Tyler Seguin after a shot from Benn went over the net and caromed off the end boards. Seguin had two assists.
The Stars thought they had gone ahead 35 seconds later when the puck slid past Hutton from a pile in front of him, but the goal was overturned when replay determined the shot went in off Devin Shore’s skate.
”I didn’t know where the puck was,” Shore said. ”When I watched the video it looked borderline. Tough to see it turned back, but it’s no biggie. We responded really well, especially getting the win in overtime. It’s like it never even happened.”
The Blues took a 2-1 lead with less than eight minutes remaining when Jaden Schwartz skated full speed past Antoine Roussel as the Dallas forward came off the bench on a line change and beat Ben Bishop, who stopped 35 shots.
St. Louis lost for the eighth time in nine games, and the Stars strengthened their hold on the top wild-card spot in the West. Dallas won the season series 3-2, with the home team winning each time.
”I’d say it’s a familiar feeling,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said. ”We get the lead and late in the game we have to play with a lot of more confidence, a lot of more assertion, a lot more aggressiveness. We need more of a killer instinct.”
Tyler Pitlick scored the game’s first goal when he took a pass from Roussel while alone at the blue line, skated in and beat Hutton easily on the stick side seven minutes into the second period.
Hutton had 31 saves after stopping 35 of 36 in a win over Detroit that stopped a season-high seven-game losing streak.
”We’ll take one point over nothing, but it’s still not good enough,” Hutton said. ”We’re chasing guys in the standings. We needed two.”
The Blues got even when Ivan Barbashev tapped a rebound into an open net on Vince Dunn’s shot off Bishop’s pads. Vladimir Tarasenko had his 30th assist on the goal.
The first period was scoreless despite the teams spending six of the first seven minutes on special teams.
It started with St. Louis on a power play when Chris Thorburn and Roussel dropped the gloves 11 seconds into the game. Both were given five-minute fighting penalties and 10-minute misconducts, and Roussel got an instigating penalty that gave the Blues the man advantage.
Near the end of the penalty, Esa Lindell was called for delay of game, but the Blues failed to convert again. The stretch wrapped up with a 4-on-4 after a slashing call against St. Louis’ Patrick Berglund and an interference penalty on Brett Ritchie.
NOTES: St. Louis F Scottie Upshall and D Jay Bouwmeester left with lower-body injuries and didn’t return. … Brett Hull, who scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for Dallas in 1999, did the ceremonial puck drop. The Stars are celebrating 25 years in Dallas this season.
UP NEXT
Blues: Four days off before the start of a three-game West Coast swing Thursday at San Jose.
Stars: Finale of a five-game homestand Monday against Ottawa.
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