Third-Period Lead Not Enough as Red Wings Fall to Stars in OT

Pavel Datsyuk gave the Detroit Red Wings a 3-2 lead with 8:26 remaining in regulation on Thursday night but it wasn’t enough, with the Dallas Stars scoring in the final minutes of the third and again late in the overtime period for a 4-3 win.

Datsyuk got the puck all alone at the top of the right faceoff circle and faked around Dallas’ Shawn Horcoff to get into the slot, then snapped a shot past both defender Jordie Benn and goalie Kari Lehtonen to put the Red Wings in front.

A Justin Abdelkader penalty for goalie interference would set up the Stars’ tying goal.

Skating six-on-four with 1:10 remaining, Cody Eakin got the puck at the left faceoff dot and whipped a shot through traffic and off of Detroit netminder Jimmy Howard’s blocker, into the top of the net for a 3-3 tie.

The Stars would sustain pressure in the Detroit zone leading to the game-winning goal. Valeri Nichushkin dropped the puck to Rich Peverley down low on the left wing and Peverley looped back up that side of the ice, cutting across the top of the faceoff circle to the slot before snapping a screened shot past Howard to give the Stars the win with just 19 seconds remaining.

Detroit had opened the game’s scoring at 7:44 of the second period when Henrik Zetteberg fed Todd Bertuzzi for a one-time from the left side of the high slot that deflected twice before getting past Lehtonen.

With 5:10 left in the middle frame, Adam Almquist’s first NHL goal made it a 2-0 lead for Detroit. From down low, Zetterberg sent it out to Almquist pinching to the right side of the slot for a snap past Lehtonen.

Horcoff got the Stars on the board with 21 seconds left in the second. The Red Wings lost a puck battle along the right wing boards and Ray Whitney worked it to Horcoff all alone in front of Howard for a quick move to his forehand and a wrister into the back of the net.

Jamie Benn’s individual effort at 4:08 of the third tied things up before the Datsyuk goal. Benn knocked the puck off Darren Helm’s stick at the Dallas blue line then circled through his own zone before breaking down the ice, through four Red Wings, and sliding a shot under Howard while falling at the edge of the crease.

Howard would finish the night with 24 saves on 28 shots against. Lehtonen stopped 26 of 29 shots faced.

The Stars scored on one of two power play attempts. Detroit did not get any opportunities with the man-advantage.

The Red Wings are back at it on Saturday night when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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Almquist was playing in just his second NHL game… Johan Franzen, Brendan Smith, and Jonathan Ericsson all missed the game with injuries while Patrick Eaves and Jordin Tootoo were healthy scratches… Tootoo cleared waivers earlier in the day… With Gustavsson returning from injury, Jared Coreau was returned to Toledo of the ECHL.