Rangers 3, Stars 2
DALLAS -- New York Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein scored the winning goal with 2:53 remaining and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist stopped 36 of 38 shots in a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday afternoon at American Airlines Center.
Klein scored his sixth goal of the season on a wrist shot from the slot that beat Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen, who stopped 26 of 29 shots.
Left winger Chris Kreider and defenseman Ryan McDonagh also scored for the Rangers (36-20-6), who have won six of their last seven on the road.
Dallas (38-19-6), who has lost two straight, got goals from center Colton Sceviour and right winger Valeri Nichushkin.
The Stars had an apparent equalizer by center Jason Spezza waved off 9:30 into the third period. Lundqvist denied the initial shot from center Tyler Seguin and it appeared Spezza poked the puck over the line, but after an official review, evidence was inconclusive and the original call of no goal on the ice stood.
Nichushkin had a breakaway 4:57 into the game, but Lundqvist deflected the wrist shot from the slot high.
New York's best chance in the first period came 2:50 before the first intermission when center J.T. Miller hit the far post with a wrist shot from the edge of the right circle.
Late in the first period, Stars right winger Ales Hemsky left the ice. Hemsky did not return because of illness.
Dallas nearly struck first when a wrist shot by center Vernon Fiddler 3:46 into the second period got behind Lundqvist, but the Rangers were able to cover the puck to quash the chance.
The Rangers scored the first goal while on the power play 4:38 into the second period when Kreider scored his 13th goal of the season on a redirection. After center Derick Brassard won a faceoff in the left circle against Fiddler, defenseman Keith Yandle gained possession and sent a wrist shot toward the Dallas net from near the blue line.
Kreider got his stick on the end of Yandle's shot, sending the puck through Lehtonen's five-hole. New York was four seconds into a power play resulting from Stars defenseman Jason Demers being called for delay of game at 4:34 after shooting the puck over the boards from inside his own zone.
Dallas pulled the game level at 9:08 of the second when Sceviour scored his seventh goal of the season off a rebound. Lundqvist denied a one-time by Seguin from the right circle, but Sceviour was waiting to knock in the carom, which he did for the equalizer.
The score was tied 1-1 after two periods.
McDonagh flipped in a backhand off a rebound 8:26 into the third period for his eighth goal of the year. Lehtonen denied the initial shot from center Oscar Lindberg, but McDonagh's backhand from near the red line deflected in off Lehtonen's left elbow.
Nichushkin tied it at 2-2 when his slap shot from the left circle deflected in off the stick of Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi with 4:01 remaining.
Stars left winger and captain Jamie Benn nearly put Dallas back ahead with 3:37 remaining, but his wrist shot from the left circle struck Lundqvist in the chest and then hit the far post.
NOTES: Rangers D Dylan McIlrath and LW Rick Nash (bone bruise) and Stars RW Patrick Eaves (illness), D Jyrki Jokipakka and D Patrik Nemeth were scratched. ... Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist was starting his fourth consecutive game. ... Stars G Kari Lehtonen was starting his first game since Feb. 20 against Boston. Lehtonen relieved G Antti Niemi to start the second period of a 6-3 loss to Winnipeg on Thursday. ... The Rangers are concluding a three-game road trip. ... Stars D Jamie Oleksiak returned to the ice for the first time since Feb. 2 at Winnipeg, ending a streak of 11 straight games as a healthy scratch. ... Scouts from the Blue Jackets, Hurricanes and Red Wings were in the press box. ... The Stars are in the second game of a three-game homestand, which ends Monday against the Detroit Red Wings.