Stars top Wild in overtime

ST. PAUL, Minn. --The Dallas Stars have something special working in their favor when a game extends past regulation.
Defenseman John Klingberg and forwards Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin worked their 3-on-3 magic again Tuesday, when Klingberg scored his third overtime winner of the season in a 4-3 victory against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.

On the winning goal, Benn and Seguin entered the Wild zone on a 2-on-2. Benn slowed near the right circle, and then found the trailing Klingberg, who beat goaltender Darcy Kuemper with a high shot over his glove for his ninth goal at 2:39 of overtime.
"They've been pretty effective creating some pretty good opportunities," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "I think in overtime, you get a little bit tired, and we caught them on the change with the odd-numbered rush, and John has done a great job of finishing off those."
It was Klingberg's second overtime goal against Minnesota. Three of the Stars' four wins against the Wild came in overtime, and Dallas won the season series at 4-1-0.
"Jamie dragged [a Wild defender] down there in the corner, so I had a lot of time," Klingberg said. "I kind of wanted to give it over to [Seguin], but a lot of times I don't shoot and try to pass instead. It's really nice for me. They find each other so well, so I can be that third guy somewhere or be able to help somewhere."
Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen, in his first start since Jan. 19, made 37 saves for his first win since Jan. 7. He made saves on 15 of 16 shots in the third period to allow Dallas to make it to overtime.
"He made probably four or five highlight-reel saves and really kept us in it all game," Benn said.
The Wild have lost six consecutive games (0-4-2) and 11 of their past 12 (1-9-2), including six straight at home.

"If things are going reasonably well, that's a game you probably, despite only getting one point, you still feel reasonably good about," Minnesota coach Mike Yeo said. "But ... that's pretty tough right now."
Kuemper made 26 saves.
Erik Haula opened the scoring 4:48 into the game after Thomas Vanek hit him with a pass in stride between two Dallas defenders at the Stars blue line. Haula beat Lehtonen with a high backhand shot for his fifth goal.
Dallas defenseman Alex Goligoski scored at 9:47 of the first to tie it 1-1. He kept the puck in at the Minnesota blue line, skated around the net and camped out in front before sending a pass from Seguin past Kuemper for his fourth goal.

It didn't take long for the Wild to regain the lead. Vanek passed to Haula near the red line, and Haula sprung Justin Fontaine on a breakaway. Fontaine faked a pass to the trailing Marco Scandella, then shot over Lehtonen's glove for his third goal at 12:09 of the first.
It was Vanek's first multipoint game since Dec. 15.
"It doesn't make it easier, especially when we struggle to score. I think when you get the lead, you want to keep it," Vanek said. "But for the most part, we played a good game, but right now it's got to be a perfect game for a win."
Dallas owned the second period, getting an even-strength goal from defenseman Jason Demers and a power-play goal from Patrick Eaves 6:44 apart to take a 3-2 lead into the third period.
Minnesota has been outscored 10-2 in its past four second periods.

The Wild tied it 3-3 with a power-play goal 1:16 into the third period when Mikko Koivu jammed in a loose puck in the crease for his 11th of the season.
Defenseman Matt Dumba had an assist on the Koivu goal. He has a four-game point streak.
Dallas didn't get a shot on goal in the third until 13:20 and was outshot 16-4 in the period.
"I thought they started off well, I thought we had a pretty good push in the middle of the game and they had a pretty strong push at the start of the third," Ruff said. "That power-play goal gave them some life. Sometimes, you have to survive through a team's push, and I thought we did."
"It's very easy right now to find negatives. It is extremely easy. But nothing easy is going to get us out of this," Yeo said. "The fight we had in the third period, that was great. That hasn't been there for us lately."
Dallas will play the Chicago Blackhawks for the second time in five days Thursday at the United Center. The Blackhawks defeated the Stars 5-1 in Dallas on Saturday.
Minnesota will play the second of its three-game homestand Thursday when it hosts the Washington Capitals, who are atop the NHL standings.