Red Wings 3, Stars 2 (OT)
DALLAS -- Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk scored the game-winner 2:23 into overtime, and goaltender Jimmy Howard stopped 39 of 41 shots in Detroit's 3-2 overtime win against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Monday.
Datsyuk scored his 13th goal of the season, sending a wrist shot high into the Dallas net from the edge of the right circle off a rebound with Detroit on the power play.
Detroit gained the man advantage 1:51 into overtime after Stars rookie center Mattias Janmark was called for hooking right winger Gustav Nyquist.
Center Andreas Athanasiou had two goals for Detroit, who won for a seventh consecutive time in Dallas. The Red Wings (32-20-11) won their third straight overall.
After Athanasiou's second goal of the game 6:38 into the third put Detroit ahead 2-1, Dallas tied it with 1:31 remaining when center Vernon Fiddler, appearing in his 800th career game, collected his own rebound for his eighth goal of the season. Howard denied Fiddler's initial shot on the backhand, but Howard bobbled the puck and Fiddler dashed in and flicked it into the back of the net for the equalizer.
The Stars had the extra attacker after goaltender Antti Niemi, who stopped 30 of 33 shots, headed to the bench with 2:15 remaining.
Center Colton Sceviour also scored for Dallas, which finished its three-game homestand winless (0-2-1). The Stars (38-19-7) have now lost four straight on home ice.
Dallas had a great chance to strike first with 2:19 remaining in the first period when a wrist shot by defenseman Jason Demers was deflected off Howard's pad and then off center Luke Glendening's skate before deflecting off the left goalpost.
Stars right winger Ales Hemsky had a breakaway 9:37 into the second period but fired his wrist shot from the slot directly into Howard's midsection.
Detroit broke the scoreless tie with 8:10 remaining in the second period when Athanasiou scored off a rebound to put the visitors ahead 1-0. Niemi turned away the initial effort by Nyquist, but Athanasiou tapped in the rebound.
Dallas tied it with 2:28 remaining in the second when Sceviour scored his eighth goal of the season off a deflection. Fiddler collected his own rebound after his wrist shot deflected off the end boards. Fiddler then passed the puck to Sceviour, who was near the far post, and Fiddler's pass deflected off Sceviour's right shin and in.
Athanasiou scored his second of the game 6:38 into the third period when he displayed some deft stickhandling to maneuver around Stars defenseman Johnny Oduya before finishing the sequence with a backhand into the back of the Stars net.
Athanasiou's fourth of the season, giving Detroit a 2-1 lead, came seconds after Dallas right winger Patrick Sharp fired a wrist shot wide right of the visiting net, creating a rush opportunity for the Red Wings.
Stars left winger and captain Jamie Benn had a great chance to tie the game again 8:51 into the third, but his wrist shot from the left circle instead found the crossbar.
NOTES: Red Wings G Petr Mrazek (groin), LW Teemu Pulkkinen and D Brendan Smith were scratched. ... Stars RW Patrick Eaves (illness), LW Travis Moen (groin), D Jamie Oleksiak and D Kris Russell were scratched. ... Mrazek wasn't able to back up G Jimmy Howard, so G Jared Coreau was recalled from AHL Grand Rapids on Monday and backed up Howard. ... Russell was acquired by Dallas in a trade with Calgary on Monday. D Jyrki Jokipakka, LW Brett Pollock, currently playing for Edmonton of the WHL, and a conditional second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft went to the Flames for Russell. ... Red Wings C Brad Richards played in Dallas between 2007 and 2011. ... Stars rookie C Mattias Janmark was a third-round pick of Detroit in the 2013 NHL Draft.