Stars 2, Islanders 0
DALLAS -- The Dallas Stars got a much-needed defensive boost in a 2-0 win Saturday over the New York Islanders.
The Stars had allowed 13 goals in their previous three games, including five each against the Blues and Kings, but were much more stingy against the Islanders.
Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen got the shutout and stopped 27 shots on goal.
The Stars outshot the Islanders only 11-10 in the first period despite having the benefit of two power plays, both on hooking penalties by Josh Bailey and Brian Strait.
The Islanders killed off both power plays and neither team could capitalize on a handful of even-strength opportunities to end the first period scoreless.
The second period was marked by more near-misses from both sides until Stars center Cody Eakin broke free and put a wrister past the pad of Islanders' goalie Thomas Greiss. The goal with 6:53 left in the period was Eakin's 15th of the season.
Following the goal, the Islanders killed off another power play but could not muster much of an attack of their own, even when on the power play themselves earlier in the period.
The second period ended with the Stars holding a 1-0 lead, a 24-20 edge in shots on goal and a 22-11 advantage in hits.
The Stars went up 2-0 with 12:19 left in the third period when right wing Patrick Eaves sprinted in from the blue line and put back a rebound for an unassisted goal.
Eaves' breakaway proved to be the back-breaker as the Islanders, playing their third road game in a row, didn't have much left in the tank. They put together a minor flurry on a power play with seven minutes left but still couldn't find the net.
Stars right wing Ales Hemsky tacked on an empty-net goal from long range with just under three minutes to go.
NOTES: Stars C Tyler Seguin had surgery Friday for a cut on his Achilles' tendon and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season. Seguin, who has 33 goals and 40 assists, suffered the injury on the final shift of Thursday's 4-3 win over Tampa Bay. ... Islanders C Mikhail Grabovski, who has nine goals and six assists, missed the game with an upper-body injury. ... The Stars could have clinched a playoff berth Saturday with a win in regulation or overtime if Carolina had beaten Minnesota earlier in the day. Minnesota won, 3-2, in a shootout. ... The Islanders had just six power plays in their previous five games and enjoyed just one Saturday. They came into the game with 195 power plays. Only the New York Rangers had fewer with 192. ... Dallas was playing the last of a five-game homestand while the Islanders were finishing up a three-game road trip. This was the Stars' final game against an Eastern Conference squad. The Stars are 20-9-3 against the East.