DALLAS - The New York Rangers have been strong against Western Conference foes this season, going 15-8-2.

And on Saturday afternoon, thanks to defenseman Kevin Klein scoring the winning goal with 2:53 remaining and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist stopping 36 of 38 shots, the Rangers defeated the Dallas Stars 3-2 at American Airlines Center.

"I thought the whole game was just a big battle, a great game," Lundqvist said. "Two teams that play physical and a lot of energy, the building was going too, so I think everybody enjoyed it."

Klein scored his sixth of the season on a wrist shot from the slot that beat Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen, who stopped 26 of 29 shots.

Left winger Chris Kreider and defenseman Ryan McDonagh also scored for the Rangers (36-20-6), who have won six of their last seven on the road.

"Well, in our last three road games, other than that second one in [New] Jersey, I'm very happy how we played," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "These last two buildings [St. Louis and Dallas] are really tough buildings that we came into and I thought we played real solid."

Dallas (38-19-6), who has lost two straight, got goals from center Colton Sceviour and right winger Valeri Nichushkin.

The Stars had an apparent equalizer by center Jason Spezza waved off 9:30 into the third. Lundqvist denied the initial shot from center Tyler Seguin and it appeared Spezza poked the puck over the line, but after an official review, evidence was inconclusive and the original call of no goal on the ice stood.

"I thought it was a goal. I guess if there's no call on the ice, they say it's inconclusive," Spezza said.

New York's best chance in the first came 2:50 before the first intermission when center J.T. Miller hit the far post with a wrist shot from the edge of the right circle.

Late in the first period, Stars right winger Ales Hemsky left the ice. Hemsky did not return because of illness.

"He left with some stomach pain," Ruff said of Hemsky. "Right now, we don't know what it is. It was nothing that happened during the game. He was getting some pain that had him doubled over."

Dallas nearly struck first when a wrist shot by center Vernon Fiddler 3:46 into the second period got behind Lundqvist, but the Rangers were able to cover the puck to quash the chance.

The Rangers scored the first goal while on the power play 4:38 into the second period when Kreider scored his 13th goal of the season on a redirection. After center Derick Brassard won a faceoff in the left circle against Fiddler, defenseman Keith Yandle gained possession and sent a wrist shot toward the Dallas net from near the blue line.

Kreider got his stick on the end of Yandle's shot, sending the puck through Lehtonen's five-hole. New York was four seconds into a power play resulting from Stars defenseman Jason Demers being called for delay of game at 4:34 after shooting the puck over the boards from inside his zone.

Dallas tied it at 9:08 of the second when Sceviour scored his seventh of the season off a rebound. Lundqvist denied a one-timer by Seguin from the right circle, but Sceviour was waiting to knock in the carom, which he did for the equalizer.

The score was 1-1 after two periods.

McDonagh flipped in a backhand off a rebound 8:26 into the third for his eighth of the season. Lehtonen denied the initial shot from center Oscar Lindberg, but McDonagh's backhand from near the red line deflected in off Lehtonen's left elbow.

Nichushkin tied it at 2-2 when his slap shot from the left circle deflected in off the stick of Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi with 4:01 remaining.

Stars left winger and captain Jamie Benn nearly put Dallas back ahead with 3:37 remaining, but his wrist shot from the left circle struck Lundqvist in the chest and then hit the far post.

NOTES: Rangers D Dylan McIlrath and LW Rick Nash (bone bruise) and Stars RW Patrick Eaves (illness), D Jyrki Jokipakka and D Patrik Nemeth were scratched. ... Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist was starting his fourth consecutive game. ... Stars G Kari Lehtonen was starting his first game since Feb. 20 against Boston. Lehtonen relieved G Antti Niemi to start the second period of a 6-3 loss to Winnipeg on Thursday. ... The Rangers are concluding a three-game road trip. ... Stars D Jamie Oleksiak returned to the ice for the first time since Feb. 2 at Winnipeg, ending a streak of 11 straight games as a healthy scratch. ... Scouts from the Blue Jackets, Hurricanes and Red Wings were in the press box. ... The Stars are in the second game of a three-game homestand, which ends Monday against the Detroit Red Wings.