On Tuesday night, the Dallas Stars put forth their best 60-minute performance in weeks to blank the Minnesota Wild by a 4-0 count. Last night, the goals came in torrents as the Stars routed the Toronto Maple Leafs, 7-1, at the American Airlines Center.
Toronto's six-game winning streak came to a screeching halt. A four-goal barrage in the second period -- somewhat reminiscent of a similar middle frame outburst against Philadelphia on Dec. 7 -- turned a 2-1 lead at the first first intermission into an insurmountable 6-1 edge. In the final stanza, the Stars added an extra point to their touchdown's worth of goals.
By the time the carnage was done, Valeri Nichushkin had two goals and an assist. Jamie Benn enjoyed a four-point night with a goal and three helpers. Cody Eakin, who later had to leave the game with an upper body injury, notched a goal and an assist. Tyler Seguin and Sergei Gonchar each added a pair of assists. Shawn Horcoff (power play), Rich Peverley (shorthanded) and Trevor Daley all scored goals.
Kari Lehtonen, coming off an 18-save shutout against Minnesota, turned back 24 of 25 Toronto shots to earn the 200th win of his NHL career. The big Finn was also credited with his third assist of the season on Horcoff's goal.
All teams go through a few games a year -- either for the good for the bad -- where the final score lopsided. As is often the case in these games, this was one of those nights where the walls simply caved in on the losing side. Neither Jonathan Bernier (three goals on 13 shots in 22:35 played) nor James Reimer (four goals on 15 shots) were able to do much to alter the course of the game once things started to go off the rails for the Leafs. The lone down point for the night on the Dallas side was losing the underrated Eakin. The forward left the game early in the third period after a high hit by Toronto's Colton Orr.
The Stars are 2-0 on their current five-game homestand after starting out the month of January with a 1-8-1 record and six straight losses. Tomorrow night, the Eastern Conference powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins pay their lone visit of the season to Big D.