DENVER — Esa Lindell scored 1:54 into overtime after Jason Dickinson tied the game late in regulation and the Dallas Stars put the finishing touches on a season series sweep of Colorado by beating the Avalanche 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Lindell found himself all alone in the middle of the ice and sent a wrist shot past Philipp Grubauer as the Stars rallied from an early two-goal deficit.
Dickinson tied the game for the Stars with 5:23 remaining on a backhand shot. Denis Gurianov also scored in the fourth and final meeting between the Central Division adversaries. The Stars captured the season series 4-0.
Ben Bishop stopped 41 shots in a game in which the Avalanche hit at least three posts.
Leading 2-1, the Avalanche nearly cemented the game midway through the third with the puck rolling toward the net. But Stars defenceman John Klingberg swatted it away at the last moment.
It’s the second straight game Colorado let a third-period lead slip away. The Avalanche fall to 3-6 in overtime this season. The Stars are 7-4.
Gabriel Landeskog and Nikita Zadorov had goals for the Avalanche, with Nathan MacKinnon assisting on both.
The Avalanche caught a break when a power-play goal by Dallas in the second period was disallowed after coach Jared Bednar challenged the play for offsides.
Zadorov was credited with the first of Colorado’s two opening-period goals when his cross-ice pass glanced off the stick of Dallas defenceman Miro Heiskanen and through the pads of Bishop. It was Zadorov’s first goal since Oct. 14.
One of the pivotal moments in the game was when Alexander Radulov’s goal was taken off the board on a challenge. It was determined by video that Jamie Benn was a fraction offside before the puck entered the zone.
Moments later, Gurianov scored on the power play to make it 2-1. His shot was sailing wide before bouncing off Grubauer’s glove and into the net.
The speedy MacKinnon was a handful all evening and nearly scored on a breakaway in the third period. He usually is hard to handle.
“You give him an inch and he’ll take a foot,” Dickinson said. “You see it every night. He just finds ways to create space.”
The Stars improved to 10-4-1 since Rick Bowness was named interim coach on Dec. 10. Bowness took over after Jim Montgomery was dismissed. Montgomery announced earlier this month he entered alcohol rehab.
“It’s a testament to the maturity of this group,” Dickinson said of dealing with a mid-season coaching change.
NOTES: Stars F Radek Faksa was out with an upper body injury he suffered in a collision during practice. “I was looking one way but heard what happened behind me. I was like, ‘That doesn’t sound good,'” Bowness explained. … Stars RW Corey Perry served the last of a five-game suspension for elbowing Nashville’s Ryan Ellis in the head during the Winter Classic. … Klingberg had an assist in his return. He missed four games with a lower body injury. … Avs F Joonas Donskoi (concussion protocol) has been skating with the team
UP NEXT
Stars: Host Buffalo on Thursday.
Avalanche: Game No. 3 of a five-game homestand Thursday against San Jose.
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Pat Graham, The Associated Press