Heika's Take: Seguin and Lundkvist earn valuable points in overtime win

Nils Lundkvist needed that.
Tyler Seguin needed that.
The Stars needed that.

Despite playing an uneven game against the Ottawa Senators Thursday at American Airlines Center, Dallas rallied to tie it in the third period on a Luindkvist goal and win in overtime on a Seguin tally.
Lundkvist had a goal and an assist in his second game back after three healthy scratches. Seguin broke a nine-game goal drought by scoring the game-winner in overtime, and Dallas won for the first time in overtime this season (1-3-2). Jake Oettinger had a solid game in net with 28 saves and Miro Heiskanen had two goals in 28:32 time on ice.
"We had some good things happen tonight," Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. "Our third was our best [period], we won an overtime game, Tyler Seguin got a goal, Otter had a really solid game, I thought he was excellent. There were some good things that came out of it despite the first 40 minutes."

While the Stars took a 2-0 lead on two goals by Heiskanen, Ottawa dominated the analytics and took a 3-2 lead early in the third period. After 40 minutes, Ottawa had a 27-16 advantage in shots on goal and a 61-36 edge in shot attempts. When the game was over, the shots were 32-31 Dallas, and the shot attempts favored the Senators by 10.
"We didn't have that throughout most of the game, so it worked out when it counted," Seguin said when asked about the team's diligence in the third period and overtime. "It's a funny game. The last couple of games I feel like I'm playing well but no finish. Tonight, I thought I was [bad] and scored the overtime winner."

Seguin was part of a hard-driving effort in the extra period as he and Wyatt Johnston were able to keep the puck in the offensive zone, which eventually led to an opening for Seguin in front of the net. Johnston won a couple of puck battles, displaying the diligence of the team.
"Johnny makes that play," DeBoer said. "It was a second effort to get the puck back, great play by a young guy. If he wasn't our best forward, he was in that conversation. He deserved to be out there."
Johnston finished with two assists in 15:21 of ice time.
"That goal is because of him. It was an unbelievable play," Seguin said. "He hasn't played much overtime, but he's earned it as of late in the last few overtime moments. That was all him."
Lundkvist also had some interesting twists and turns in his game. He had a golden scoring opportunity early in the game and couldn't cash in. Then, he floated a shot from the wall late in the third period, tying things up. Lundkvist was a healthy scratch for three games as the coaches tried to help reset the game of the 22-year-old defenseman. He has come back and played very well in the past two games.
"It's very fun to get back in, and it's been a little bit of a bounce back," Lundkvist said. "We are playing better and more active. It's fun to win the game tonight, and it was really fun to be back in."

The Stars move to 15-7-5 on the season and end a five-game homestand on Saturday against Detroit. This has been an interesting run for Dallas, because it has had ups and downs, and all while learning it has to keep battling. DeBoer said he hopes lessons have been learned by individuals and by the team. When asked if he thinks Seguin's goal could start a bit of a scoring push from the veteran, DeBoer said:" I think for sure that's real. I'm crossing my fingers that he's feeling a big relief now and he's going to come out and score]."
At the very least, he got one goal he needed badly.
*This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.*
*[Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.*