Stars 4, Avalanche 3 (OT)
DENVER -- Defenseman John Klingberg scores 35 seconds into overtime and the Dallas Stars beat the Colorado 4-3 on Thursday to end an eight-game losing streak to the Avalanche.
Center Jason Spezza, right wing Ales Hemsky and defenseman Jason Demers had goals for the Stars. Goaltender Antti Niemi had 21 saves for Dallas, including a stop on center Nathan MacKinnon's penalty shot in the third period.
Klingberg got the game winner when he skated into the Colorado end and beat goaltender Calvin Pickard with a slap shot for his eighth goal of the season.
Pickard finished with 40 saves for the second straight game.
Center Carl Soderberg and left winger Blake Comeau had a goal and an assist apiece for the Avalanche. Defenseman Nick Holden also scored for Colorado.
The Stars' last win in Colorado came exactly three years ago from Thursday. Their last win overall was Dec. 17, 2013 in Dallas.
MacKinnon was awarded a penalty shot when Klingberg hooked him on a breakaway at 4:14 of the third. Niemi made a blocker save on MacKinnon's attempt.
It was Colorado's first penalty shot since Jan. 18, 2011.
The missed chance came back to haunt the Avalanche when Demers scored a power-play goal at 11:20 to tie it at 3-3. It was his sixth of the season.
The Avalanche responded quickly after the Stars' two goals in the first two periods.
Spezza gave Dallas a 1-0 lead with his 18th goal 1:31 into the game and Comeau responded 1:14 later when got a pass from Soderberg and beat Niemi with a sharp-angle shot. It was Comeau's seventh.
Colorado went ahead at 5:54 of the first when Holden's shot from the point went through a scrum in front of the net and past Niemi for his fourth of the season.
Dallas tied it at 2-2 when Hemsky took a stretch pass from defenseman Alex Goligoski at Colorado's blue line and beat Pickard with a shot high at 15:35 of the second. It was his sixth of the season.
Colorado against answered, this time on Soderberg's 11th of the season 1:25 later to make it 3-2.
The Avalanche appeared score again 26 seconds later, but defenseman Zach Redmond's goal was waved off because of interference with Niemi.
NOTES: Avalanche G Semyon Varlamov served as Calvin Pickard's backup because of lack of practice time for the past week. Varlamov had not been able to practice while he was in court for a civil suit filed against him by his ex-girlfriend. The jury found in favor of Varlamov on Tuesday. ... Dallas C Colton Sceviour was scratched with an upper-body injury. He played 12 shifts in Tuesday's 5-3 win over Winnipeg. ... Avalanche LW Andreas Martinsen was back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch against Chicago on Tuesday. C Chris Wagner was scratched. ... Entering Thursday, the second-place Stars trailed Chicago by three points in the Central Division. Dallas has played three fewer games than the Blackhawks.