Maple Leafs 3, Stars 2 (OT)
TORONTO -- Center Trevor Smith scored with 41.4 seconds left in overtime to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday to snap a five-game losing streak.
Center Nazem Kadri scored two goals for the Maple Leafs while left winger Erik Cole and center Shawn Horcoff scored for the Stars.
The Maple Leafs (15-11-3), who had two overtime losses during their winless streak, avoided their first six-game losing streak since Feb. 18-29, 2012.
The Stars (13-10-4) were coming off a win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
Goaltender Kari Lehtonen made 21 saves in the Dallas goal and Jonathan Bernier stopped 48 shots in a spectacular effort in the Toronto goal.
Center Phil Kessel had two assists for Toronto.
Horcoff tied the game at 2 with a power-play goal at 17:14 of the third period to force overtime.
The Stars tied the game for the first time at 1:52 of the third period on Cole's fourth goal of the season. He was at the left edge of the crease when he tipped in a pass from Horcoff, who accepted a drop pass from right winger Valeri Nichushkin.
The Maple Leafs regained the lead when Kadri scored his second goal of the game and his ninth of the season on the power play at 6:58 on a tip-in. Defenseman Alex Goligoski was off for cross checking.
Horcoff deflected the puck into the net for the Stars soon after on a power play, but it was waved off because it was put in with a high stick.
Kadri, who missed Tuesday's game because of the death of his grandfather, scored at 58 seconds of the second period to put the Maple Leafs into a 1-0 lead. It came with Stars defenseman Trevor Daley still down in the corner after sliding into the dasher after becoming entangled with Toronto left winger James van Riemsdyk. Daley was assisted from the ice and did not return with what the team said was a lower-body injury.
NOTES: The Maple Leafs were without C Tyler Bozak (strained oblique) and RW Colton Orr (elbow). According to the team, Bozak is out indefinitely. ... Stars C Tyler Seguin, who missed the previous two games due to concussion symptoms, took part in Thursday's morning skate and was in the starting lineup. ... Stars LW Ryan Garbutt, who sustained an ankle bone bruise while blocking a shot Tuesday in Dallas' 4-3 road victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, did not play Thursday. ... The Maple Leafs recalled RW Jerry D'Amigo from the Toronto Marlies after demoting RW Jerred Smithson to the AHL club. ... The Stars return home to play the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. The Maple Leafs visit the Ottawa Senators for a Saturday game.
