In a game where Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza or Tyler Seguin failed to register a single point, the Dallas Stars still managed to score five goals and end their four-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night at American Airlines Center.
Rookie defenseman John Klingberg led the way with two goals and backup goaltender Anders Lindback stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced in relief of Kari Lehtonen, who was pulled midway through the second period.
Klingberg was one of five Stars who had multiple points in the game. Alex Goligoski and Travis Moen each chipped in two assists while Erik Cole and Ales Hemsky each had a goal and an assist.
Other than Klingberg and Lindback, the big story in this game was the impressive comeback mounted by the Stars in the second period, a frame which they entered trailing by two at 3-1.
But Dallas responded with four unanswered in the middle frame, a long-range blast by the franchise's current longest-tenured player, Trevor Daley, two from Klingberg and a redirect late in the frame from Cole that gave the Stars their first lead at 5-3.
Ottawa countered with a power-play goal from Milan Michalek early in the third but Lindback stopped the final 11 shots he faced, including three in the game's final minute, to notch his second win of the season.
"We need him to do that," Stars head coach Lindy Ruff said of Lindback, who came on in the second after Lehtonen had allowed three goals on his first five shots. "We've got to take a load off Kari (Lehtonen), who's struggling a little bit right now. We need him to step in. He's a part of this team and now this is a couple of times he's stepped in. That's important."
It was a nice way to start a three-game homestand for the Stars, who dropped both games of their recently-concluded road trip, one ending with a 4-3 loss on Saturday at the Colorado Avalanche.
"It's always nice to get a win," Hemsky said. "If we want to make the playoffs we have to make a push. Every game now is important and every point is important. It's a good win."
Dallas (19-16-7) was without fourth-line center Vernon Fiddler for Tuesday's game. Fiddler picked up a lower-body injury during Saturday's loss at Colorado. He did not practice on Monday but went through morning skate on Tuesday with seemingly few issues.
However, he did not skate in pregame warmups on Tuesday and was scratched for the first time since March 2014.
Ruff offered an update on his faceoff specialist and gritty veteran centerman after the game and it sounds like Fiddler could return in time for Thursday's visit from the Winnipeg Jets.
"He's got a lower body (injury), a muscle-type of deal," Ruff said. "We're just hoping he can get back for the next game. He was close today."
Dallas will finish out the homestand with games on Thursday against Winnipeg and on Saturday against the suddenly surging Washington Capitals.
