Calgary, AB (SportsNetwork.com) – Tyler Seguin notched the lone score of the
shootout and Dallas emerged with a 4-3 decision over Calgary at the
Saddledome.
Ales Hemsky scored twice and Jamie Benn once for the Stars, who have won a
season-best four in a row and seven of their last eight to remain in playoff
contention.
“I didn’t necessarily like our execution,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. “There
was a lot of speed in the game, a lot of skill.”
Dallas moved six points back of idle Winnipeg for the final wild-card spot in
the West with eight games to play.
Kari Lehtonen earned the win with a 31-save effort.
Deryk Engelland posted two scores and Johnny Gaudreau the other for the
Flames, who have lost four of six but have recorded points in four of
those contests (2-2-2).
Karri Ramo stopped 27 shots in defeat, but couldn’t get to Seguin’s chance
which ended the first round of the game’s final segment.
Lehtonen ended the contest by closing off his pads to stop a Sean Monahan
wrister.
Hemsky beat Ramo from the right wing on a rush at 47 seconds of the second
period to open the scoring.
Calgary failed to click on 57 seconds’ worth of a two-man edge before six
minutes elapsed, but Dallas converted an ensuing power play as Benn tapped in
a Jason Spezza pass from the left side of the crease at 10:47.
The Flames finally hit the scoreboard as Gaudreau slid a shot through
Lehtonen’s pads after working a give-and-go with Jiri Hudler at 12:44 and the
hosts tied it only 65 seconds later on Engelland’s screen shot from the right
circle.
Hemsky curtailed the momentum on his goal 11 seconds before intermission.
Engelland’s floater from the right point managed to elude traffic in front and
beat Lehtonen to the far post with 8:41 to play for a 3-3 game.
Hemsky interfered with Ramo and a potential go-ahead goal was wiped out with
3:50 on the clock, and though the Stars received a key power play when Hemsky
was boarded by Calgary’s Joe Colborne with 2 1/2 minutes to go, the visitors
couldn’t capitalize.
Game Notes
Lehtonen has not lost on the road since Jan. 27 in Montreal, going 9-0-0 since
then … Engelland notched his first career two-goal game … Dallas improved
to 4-3 in shootouts, while Calgary fell to 4-3.
