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Star Gazing: Best All-Around Performance in Weeks |
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Heading into last night's game against the Minnesota Wild, the win-starved Dallas Stars would gladly have taken a victory by any means. An ugly win would have been just fine for a team than brought a 1-8-1 record for the month of January into the tilt.
The Stars did better than that. They put forth their most complete 60-minute performance in weeks and thoroughly dominated the injury-depleted Wild en route to a 4-0 game on national television. Dallas outshot Minnesota by a 36-18 margin for the game including a 28-9 differential through the first two periods.
The only suspense in the third period was whether Dallas defenseman Jordie Benn would convert a mid-period penalty shot to make the score 4-0 and if Kari Lehtonen would succeed in recording his second shutout of the season. Mission accomplished on both ends.
Dallas battered Minnesota from pillar to post in the first period. The Stars their team speed and relentless forechecking pressure to keep the Wild hemmed in deep for virtually the entire frame.
After numerous near-miss opportunities, Dallas finally got on the board at the 13:28 mark. Providing some puck support up high in the defensive zone, center Vernon Fiddler received a pass from Alex Goligoski and weaved a center point wrist home past Darcy Kuemper (32 saves on 36 shots). The puck appeared to re-direct off Minnesota defenseman Clayton Stoner. Goligoski and Antoine Roussel received the assists.
Several minutes later, the Stars scored the first of two power play goals in the game. At the 16:45 mark, Erik Cole measured a shot from the left circle and found the mark to the glove side for his 14th goal of the season.
On the sequence, Minnesota's Stephane Veilleux was hobbled after blocking a shot by Goligoski. The puck came right back to Goligoski, who now had a lot of operating room as Veilleux struggled to his feet. He moved to the middle, found Cole in the left circle and the goal was scored moments later. Jamie Benn earned the secondary assist for getting the puck out to Goligoski at the point from the left hash marks.
Dallas outshot Minnesota in the opening period by a 12-3 margin. The second period was more of the same. The Stars outshot the Wild by a 16-6 margin in the middle stanza.
The Stars got the only goal of the second period at the 16:45 mark. In the waning seconds of a Dallas power play, the Stars rushed the puck up the ice. In what initially looked to a broken play, the puck came back out to veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar, who put the puck at the net. Suddenly, a wide open Ray Whitney emerged to sweep the puck home for his sixth goal of the season. Gonchar and Cody Eakin got the assists.
Dallas carried its three-goal lead to the middle stages of the third period. Minnesota had slightly more possession time and a few more one-and-done forays than in the opening 40 minutes but still generated few high-end scoring chances.
At the 11:22 mark, Jordie Benn was awarded a penalty shot after goaltender Kuemper desperately threw his stick in an attempt to impede the defenseman's breakaway attempt. On the ensuing attempt, Benn made a quick cut to his left and deposited the puck home on his forehand.
Video from NHL.com
The Stars finished the night going 2-for-7 on the power play and killing off three penalties of their own. Additionally, Dallas won 36 of 58 faceoffs (62 percent) for the game.
Dallas played a generally solid game against the Wild in Saturday's game in St. Paul. However, the Stars came out on the short end of a 3-2 decision in overtime. Last night in Big D, the Stars took things one step further and skated off with one of their most convincing wins of the season.
Last night's game marked the start of a five-game homestand for the Stars. The Toronto Maple Leafs will come to town tomorrow night. Game time is at 7 p.m. CST.
Dallas Stars Blogger • 
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