Blues 3, Stars 2 (OT)
DALLAS -- For the second straight day, Kevin Shattenkirk was the hero for the St. Louis Blues. On Saturday against Chicago, the Blues defenseman had the clinching goal in a shootout win. And on Sunday, he scored the game-winner with 10 seconds remaining in overtime as the Blues beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 at American Airlines Center.
Shattenkirk's one-timer from the left circle came with St. Louis on the power play after Stars rookie defenseman Kevin Connauton was called for tripping with 36 seconds left in the extra frame. The Blues (26-7-5, 57 points) finished the night 2-for-2 on the power play.
Just 23 seconds into the game, Dallas (19-12-7, 45 points) appeared to strike first when center Cody Eakin knocked in a rebound after the initial shot by center Ryan Garbutt was denied by St. Louis goaltender Brian Elliott. But Eakin's goal was waved off when Garbutt was guilty of keeping Elliott from playing Eakin's attempt.
St. Louis went on the power play 30 seconds later when Garbutt was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. The visitors capitalized at 2:41 of the first when center Jaden Schwartz scored his 13th goal after being left alone at the right post.
Blues center Vladimir Sobotka made a great pass from the left circle to Schwartz, who summarily converted with a quick snap to give the visitors an early lead.
After the Stars peppered Elliott early in the second period, the Blues doubled their advantage when center T.J. Oshie scored his fifth at 5:12, beating goalie Kari Lehtonen with a wrister to the short side from the left circle.
After Connauton misplayed the puck outside the left circle, Oshie collected the puck and converted on St. Louis' first shot of the middle period.
However, Dallas pulled one back at 8:13 when left winger and captain Jamie Benn scored his 13th of the season with the Stars on the power play. Left winger Ray Whitney set Benn up beautifully with a pass from the right corner, a feed Benn finished with a one-timer into the far side of the visiting net.
Dallas then tied it at 11:31 when Garbutt scored his seventh after redirecting a long-range shot by defenseman Aaron Rome. Rome's initial wrister came from near the St. Louis blue line. Garbutt deflected the puck inside the left circle, changing the direction of Rome's shot enough to make it a 2-2 contest.
Following an uneventful and penalty-free third period, this one headed to overtime.
The Stars got a great chance to win in overtime when Oshie was called for slashing Benn 1:11 into the extra frame, but Dallas couldn't convert.
NOTES: Blues RW and captain David Backes, who sustained an upper-body injury late in Saturday's shootout win against Chicago, was scratched by St. Louis. Rookie RW Sergey Andronov, recalled from AHL Peoria on Sunday, and RW Adam Cracknell were also scratched by St. Louis. ... Stars C Dustin Jeffrey was the lone scratch for Dallas. ... St. Louis C Vladimir Sobotka, who missed Saturday's game with an upper-body injury, returned and assisted on the Blues' first-period power-play goal by C Jaden Schwartz. ... Stars rookie RW Alex Chiasson (illness), who missed Friday's win against Nashville, returned for Dallas. ... Blues C Brenden Morrow, the Stars' captain from 2006-13 before being traded to Pittsburgh last season, made his first appearance in Dallas since the trade. ... Illness forced Stars C Cody Eakin, D Alex Goligoski and C Rich Peverley to miss practice on Saturday, but all three returned Sunday. ... Announced attendance was 15,678.
