ST. LOUIS (AP) Dallas and Nashville both won close games on Monday to stay alive in the NHL second-round playoffs, sending their respective series to Game 7.
Dallas rookie Mattias Janmark ignited a three-goal first period and the Stars held on to win 3-2 at St. Louis, while Nashville’s Viktor Arvidsson scored the overtime winner as the Predators beat San Jose 4-3.
Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen made 35 saves while Vernon Fiddler and Jason Spezza also scored for Dallas, which will be at home for the deciding game on Wednesday.
St. Louis is seeking its first trip to the Western Conference finals since 2001 and Dallas, which finished first overall in the West, previously made it that far in 2008.
Alexander Steen and Patrik Berglund scored for St. Louis which lost despite outshooting Dallas 37-14.
Blues goalie Brian Elliott, who had played well throughout the postseason, was replaced after giving up three Dallas goals on just seven shots in the first period. He was replaced by Jake Allen, who had a relatively quiet two periods but the hosts could not make up the deficit.
The Stars’ first two goals came just 20 seconds apart.
Janmark blocked a dump-in from just inside the blue line and skated in alone on Elliott, scoring on a high shot. Fiddler made it 2-0 on a deflection not long after Elliott couldn’t clear the puck.
Spezza made it 3-0 on a power play from the slot at 16:49. Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester fell down seconds before Spezza’s goal.
Steen’s goal on a rebound gave the Blues life in the second period. The Blues had a 14-5 shots advantage in the period, including another good opportunity for Steen on a one-timer off Lehtonen’s pads in the final minute.
Berglund cut the deficit to one at 8:59 of the third, tapping it in from close range. Lehtonen stopped Jaden Schwartz on a one-timer with about 20 seconds left.
Nashville’s Arvidsson scored the winner 2:03 into overtime as he jumped the puck between three Sharks and skated up the left side before throwing a backhander past goaltender Martin Jones.
Nashville coach Peter Laviolette had just moved Arvidsson to the top line with Johansen and Filip Forsberg for this game, and the Swede responded by scoring his first goal this postseason.
Colin Wilson, Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi also scored for Nashville.
Logan Couture scored a power-play goal in the third for San Jose, and Chris Tierney had two goals in the first period to put the Sharks up 2-0. Jones finished with 28 saves to guide the visitors to overtime despite a shot differential of 27-10 over the second and third periods.
The Predators had never forced a Game 7 until this postseason, and will now play a second straight with a berth in the Western Conference finals on the line. Game 7 is on Thursday in San Jose.
San Jose’s Tierney opened the scoring when he redirected a shot from Marc-Edouard Vlasic past Pekka Rinne at 9:55, a goal upheld on review to ensure Tierney’s stick was below the crossbar. Then he scored again at 11:51 with a backhander for his third goal this postseason.
Josi, who had more shots (38) without a goal this postseason than any other player, finally ended his drought when he skated up the slot and bounced the puck past Jones at 15:27 to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Johansen, acquired in a January trade, tied it 1:25 into the second. With the teams playing 4-on-4, he skated around Sharks defenseman Justin Braun and beat Jones with a backhander.
Couture put San Jose back in front midway through the third period on the Sharks’ first man advantage of the game. Couture’s wrist shot from the left circle easily beat Rinne, who stumbled as he went backward in the crease.
Wilson tied it up at 12:44, finding a way past Jones who made save after save to force overtime.
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