Maple Leafs 3, Stars 2
DALLAS -- Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner had a goal and an assist and goaltender James Reimer stopped 36 of 38 shots in a 3-2 victory against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Tuesday.
Gardiner scored the game-winning goal with 3:28 remaining in regulation with a slap shot from the right point that deflected in off the stick of Stars center Colton Sceviour. The goal snapped a 2-2 tie.
Toronto (3-8-4), which snapped a three-game winless streak, also got goals from center Peter Holland, in the first period while on the power play, and right winger P.A. Parenteau, to tie the game in the third.
Dallas (12-4-0), which saw its three-game winning streak snapped, got goals from right winger Patrick Sharp, late in the second, and center Vernon Fiddler, early in the third. Defenseman Jason Demers had two assists for the Stars.
Holland scored the first goal of the game with 1:22 left in the first period by redirecting a wrist shot taken by Gardiner through the five-hole of Stars goaltender Antti Niemi. It was Holland's second goal of the season.
Sharp made it 1-1 with his seventh goal of the season 33 seconds from the second intermission. Demers picked up the primary assist by flipping the puck off the boards behind the Toronto net. Sharp was waiting at the far post and beat Reimer to his short side for the equalizer.
While battling Maple Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf, Sharp had initially fallen down behind the visiting goal, but returned to his feet in time to collect the carom and score for a third straight game.
Fiddler put Dallas up 2-1 with a backhand from just above the goal line that beat Reimer to his short side 5:39 into the third.
However, Parenteau tied it with 7:22 remaining in regulation with a goal that deflected in off the left skate of Stars defenseman Jordie Benn.
NOTES: Maple Leafs D Frank Corrado, D Martin Marincin and C Daniel Winnik (lower body) were scratched. ... Stars D Patrik Nemeth, D Jamie Oleksiak and C Devin Shore were scratched. ... Stars G Antti Niemi was making his first start in four games since a 4-1 loss in Toronto on Nov. 2. ... Tuesday marked the second and final regular-season meeting. ... Maple Leafs D and captain Dion Phaneuf missed practice Monday with the flu, but participated in Tuesday's morning skate and started. ... Stars LW Antoine Roussel returned to the lineup after missing the past two games with an upper-body injury. ... Toronto is playing the second contest of a three-game road trip. ... Dallas is starting a three-game homestand.