Playing comeback hockey, especially of the multi-goal variety, is not a sustainable way of winning. Nevertheless, the high-octane Dallas Stars have shown they are a team that is never out of a game and which can find ways to win even when they are not at their best.
On Tuesday, Dallas overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the visiting Anaheim Ducks in regulation, 4-3. Two nights later, the Stars pulled a two-goal comeback out of the hat in the final 10 minutes of the third period and then went on to prevail in their first three-on-three overtime of the season.
Stars captain Jamie Benn, last season's Art Ross Trophy winner and the early season NHL leader in scoring thus far in 2015-16, notched his eighth goal of the season to win the game in overtime. Along with John Klingberg, Benn also assisted on Patrick Sharp's game-tying tip-in goal with 4:35 left in regulation. The goal was Sharp's second of the game and third in the club's last two tilts. Sharp also tallied a late first-period marker to knot the score at 1-1.
Vancouver got on the board first, as Alexandre Burrows converted a penalty shot at 11:52 of the opening stanza. Burrows was slashed from behind by Alex Goligoski on a shorthanded breakaway just enough slighty disrupt his scoring chance. On the ensuing penalty shot, Burrows swung wide, got Antti Niemi moving and slid the puck on the forehand between the goaltender's pads. Sharp's first goal sent the game to the first intermission tied at 1-1.
The Canucks, who went 1-for-2 on the power play, got an Alexander Edler goal in the middle frame to take a 2-1 lead. The lead grew to 3-1 in the opening seconds of the third period. Vancouver controlled the center ice faceoff and the Sedin twins rushed the puck up the ice against loose Dallas coverage. Radim Vrbata skated in untouched to collect a Daniel Sedin rebound and deposit it home.
The Dallas comeback started at 10:06 of the third period. Jason Demers, back in the lineup after serving a two-game suspension from the NHL, fired a seeing-eye shot from the right point through a screen by Radek Faksa. The appeared to re-direct in the crease off Canucks' defenseman Luca Sbisa and went into the net.
At 15:25, after Jamie Benn skated out of the offensive corner with the puck and sent it up to Klingberg, Sharp was open in the slot to deflect the center point shot into the net. In OT, Benn took a pass from Tyler Seguin (10th assist of the season), cut laterally across the right circle and roofed a shot into the net to complete the victory at 2:28 of the extra frame.
Winning goaltender Niemi stopped 29 of 32 shots. Vancouver's Ryan Miller turned back 25 of 29 in a losing cause.
With the victory, Dallas tied the franchise record for its best start to a season, improving its record to 8-2-0 through 10 games. The Stars, who have won seven of their last eight matches, return to action on Saturday afternoon, hosting the San Jose Sharks.