Stars rally for 3-2 win over Penguins
DALLAS -- Antoine Roussel scored the winning goal with 9:24 remaining, helping the Dallas Stars overcome a 2-0 deficit after two periods for a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night at American Airlines Center.
Roussel, who also had an assist, scored his 12th goal of the season on a wrist shot from the left circle off the rush. It initially appeared that Penguins goaltender Matthew Murray, who made 28 saves, had denied Roussel's flick, but the puck went in after first striking Murray's glove.
Brett Ritchie and Jason Spezza also scored for Dallas (25-28-10), who got two assists from John Klingberg. Antti Niemi made 18 saves.
Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel scored for Pittsburgh (38-15-8).
Pittsburgh led 1-0 after 20 minutes with Malkin scoring his 26th goal of the season with 9:56 remaining in the first period. Malkin one-timed a Patric Hornqvist pass from behind the Dallas net in for the opening score.
Guentzel put the visitors ahead 2-0 with his seventh goal of the season off a rebound with 9:20 remaining before the first intermission. Niemi stopped the initial shot from Ian Cole, but Guentzel was waiting at the near post to knock in the carom.
The Penguins led 2-0 heading into the third period.
Dallas got on the board 3:40 into the third when Ritchie scored his 11th goal of the season off a rebound. Murray denied a Klingberg wrister from the left circle with a pad save, but the carom fell to Ritchie and he scored from the high slot.
The Stars tied it at 9:41 in the third when Spezza scored his ninth goal of the season from the left circle. Spezza's wrister was initially stopped by Murray, but the puck fluttered through the air, deflecting off Brian Dumoulin before crossing the goal line. After a short official review, the goal stood.
Murray left the ice with 1:44 remaining, but even with the extra attacker, the Penguins were unable to find the equalizer.
NOTES: The Penguins scratched D Kris Letang (lower body), who is not on the trip with the team, D Steve Oleksy and RW Carter Rowney. ... The Stars scratched LW Remi Elie and D Greg Pateryn, who was acquired in a trade with Montreal on Monday. Pateryn arrived Tuesday morning in Dallas. ... Before the game, Dallas traded D Johnny Oduya to Chicago for minor-league F Mark McNeill, who will report to AHL Texas, and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Oduya returns to the Blackhawks, where he was part of the Stanley Cup champions in 2013 and again in 2015. ... Penguins D Cameron Gaunce played nine games for Dallas during the 2013-14 season.