Klingberg's goal early in OT lifts Stars to win over Avs

Klingberg's goal early in OT lifts Stars to win over Avs

Published Feb. 5, 2016 12:03 a.m. ET

DENVER (AP) -- John Klingberg scored 35 seconds into overtime, Antti Niemi stopped a pivotal penalty shot in the third period and the Dallas Stars snapped an eight-game skid against Colorado, beating the Avalanche 4-3 on Thursday night.

Klingberg beat Calvin Pickard with a slap shot on a breakaway just moments into overtime.

The winner came after Jason Demers scored a power-play goal to tie it with 8:40 remaining in regulation. Before that, Niemi turned aside Nathan MacKinnon's penalty shot.

Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky each had a goal for the Stars, who won in Denver for the first time since Feb. 4, 2013.

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Nick Holden, Blake Comeau and Carl Soderberg scored for Colorado.

Up a goal early in the third period, Colorado had a chance to gain some separation when MacKinnon was awarded a penalty shot after being hooked by Klingberg on a breakaway. Niemi came up with a big save by deflecting MacKinnon's shot with his shoulder.

Niemi finished with 21 saves.

Pickard made his fourth straight start with Semyon Varlamov out. Varlamov has won 10 consecutive games against Dallas, but is rounding back into form after spending a week in court dealing with a civil lawsuit that recently wrapped up in his favor.

Varlamov is expected to start Saturday night against Winnipeg.

Soderberg gave Colorado a 3-2 lead at the 17-minute mark of the second period after taking a no-look pass from Comeau and sending a shot over Niemi's shoulder. The Avalanche nearly had another goal 36 seconds later after Zach Redmond scored from the blue line. But the Stars challenged the play, arguing Niemi was interfered with when forward Andreas Martinsen toppled over the goalie.

After a replay review, officials ruled no goal.

The Stars got a little bloodied and bruised in the second period. Mattias Janmark took a big hit and was spitting out blood near the blue line, but remained in the game.

Moments later, Hemsky scored to tie the game at 2 on a shot over the glove of Pickard. Just after unleashing his shot, Hemsky fell to the ice and slid hard into the boards.

Dallas got off to a fast start, with Spezza scoring on a no-look pass from Patrick Eaves 1:31 into the game. The Avalanche quickly responded on goals from Comeau and Holden 3:09 apart.

Holden's goal was set up by MacKinnon, who was playing in his 200th NHL game.

NOTES: Stars defenseman Jordie Benn (lower-body injury) played in his first game since Jan. 16. ... Avalanche forward Jarome Iginla had an assist, his first point since scoring a goal on Jan. 18. ... It was Iginla's 1,446th NHL game, tying Tim Horton for 23rd place. ... Martinsen replaced Chris Wagner in the lineup.

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