Stars 2, Flames 1
DALLAS -- Dallas Stars center Jason Spezza scored the game-winning goal and goaltender Antti Niemi stopped 23 of 24 shots as the Stars defeated the Calgary Flames 2-1 at American Airlines Center on Monday.
Spezza netted the eventual winner 4:03 into the second period and 1:20 after Stars left winger and captain Jamie Benn broke a scoreless tie. Spezza scored his 17th goal of the season on a tap-in at the far post.
Flames center Mikael Backlund attempted to clear the puck from behind the Calgary goal but Stars defenseman John Klingberg intercepted his pass. Klingberg spotted Spezza open at the far post and fed him on a bang-bang play.
Center Joe Colborne scored the lone goal for Calgary (21-23-3), which lost for the third time in its past four games. The Flames have one more game, on Wednesday against Nashville, before starting the All-Star break.
Flames right winger Michael Frolik had the first real scoring chance of the game when he capitalized on a Klingberg turnover near the Dallas blue line 3:02 into the game. However, Frolik was unable to convert on the breakaway as Niemi turned away his wrist shot with a pad save.
Dallas outshot Calgary 9-3 in the scoreless first period.
Early in the second period, the Stars broke the game open with two goals in the first 4:03 of the period. Benn broke the deadlock with his 28th goal of the season 2:43 into the middle frame.
Benn received a backhand pass from right winger Valeri Nichushkin in the slot, then forced Flames defenseman Kris Russell to dive to the ice. Benn then maneuvered around Flames goaltender Karri Ramo, who stopped 28 of 30 shots, and tucked a backhand inside the near post.
Dallas led 2-0 after two periods and was outshooting Calgary 23-14.
The Flames wasted little time cutting the Dallas lead in half in the third period when Colborne scored his seventh goal of the season 1:49 into the final frame. Colborne sent a wrist shot top shelf to the far post after center Jiri Hudler fed him perfectly with a backhand pass from behind the Dallas goal.
Ramo headed to the bench with 59 seconds remaining but Calgary was unable to find the equalizer, even after going on the power play with 9.4 seconds remaining when Stars center Cody Eakin was whistled for hooking.
NOTES: The Flames scratched LW Brandon Bollig, LW Mason Raymond and D Ladislav Smid. ... Stars LW Travis Moen, D Patrik Nemeth and D Jamie Oleksiak, on a conditioning assignment with AHL Texas, were scratched. ... Flames G Karri Ramo started the second game of a back-to-back for just the second time this season. ... Dallas played its final game before the NHL All-Star break. ... Calgary will host the Nashville Predators on Wednesday before starting its break. ... Stars G Antti Niemi started his third consecutive game. ... The Flames, coming off a 5-2 loss at Carolina on Sunday, did not hold a morning skate. ... The clubs met for the third and final time in the regular season. ... Stars assistant coach James Patrick and goaltending coach Jeff Reese are both former Flames players.