National Hockey League
Detroit 3, Dallas 2
When: 8:30 PM ET, Monday, February 29, 2016
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Referees: Francis Charron, Dan O'Rourke
Linesmen: Darren Gibbs, Pierre Racicot
Attendance: 18532

DALLAS -- Since 2010, the Detroit Red Wings have owned the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.

On Monday, the Red Wings got a game-winner from center Pavel Datsyuk 2:23 into overtime, and goaltender Jimmy Howard stopped 39 of 41 shots in Detroit's 3-2 overtime win, the Red Wings' seventh consecutive victory in Dallas.

"We need to get points, lots of points, to make the playoffs," Datsyuk said. "More importantly, Jimmy (Howard) played well in net and our team played together."

Datsyuk scored his 13th of the season, sending a wrist shot high into the Dallas net from the edge of the left circle off a rebound with Detroit on the power play.

The Red Wings (32-20-11) gained the man advantage 1:51 into overtime after Stars rookie center Mattias Janmark was called for hooking right winger Gustav Nyquist.

Center Andreas Athanasiou had two goals for Detroit, who won their third straight overall.

After Athanasiou's second of the game 6:38 into the third put Detroit ahead 2-1, Dallas tied it with 1:31 remaining when center Vernon Fiddler, appearing in his 800th career game, collected his own rebound for his eighth of the season.

Howard denied Fiddler's initial shot on the backhand, but Howard bobbled the puck and Fiddler dashed in, flicking the puck into the back of the net for the equalizer.

The Stars had the extra attacker after goaltender Antti Niemi, who stopped 30 of 33 shots, headed to the bench with 2:15 remaining.

"Obviously, we got an opportunity to play at the end and got a good bounce and got rewarded," Fiddler said. "It's been a couple tough months offensively for me, but you just try to work your hardest every night and hopefully get rewarded."

Center Colton Sceviour also scored for Dallas, which finished its three-game homestand winless (0-2-1). The Stars (38-19-7) lost their fourth straight on home ice.

Dallas had a great chance to strike first with 2:19 remaining in the first when a wrist shot by defenseman Jason Demers was deflected off Howard's pad and then off center Luke Glendening's skate before glancing off the left goalpost.

"Right now, we don't have an ounce of puck luck going on," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "We can't get anything to redirect, hit crossbars, posts. Jamie (Benn) and Tyler (Seguin) dominated the game and couldn't get one in the back of the net."

Stars right winger Ales Hemsky had a breakaway 9:37 into the second but fired his wrist shot from the slot directly into Howard's midsection.

Detroit broke the scoreless tie with 8:10 remaining in the second when Athanasiou scored off a rebound. Niemi turned away the initial effort by Nyquist, but Athanasiou tapped in the rebound.

Dallas tied it with 2:28 remaining in the second when Sceviour scored his eighth of the season off a deflection. Fiddler collected his own rebound after his wrist shot deflected off the end boards. Fiddler then passed the puck to Sceviour, who was near the far post, and Fiddler's pass deflected off Sceviour's right shin and in.

"Last game was a better game," Sceviour said. "It was more of a tight-checking, less-chances-against (contest). The kind of game you want to be in and you've got to be comfortable in and winning. We need to find a way to bury one sometime."

Athanasiou scored his second of the game 6:38 into the third period when he displayed some deft stickhandling to maneuver around Stars defenseman Johnny Oduya before finishing the sequence with a backhand into the back of the Stars net.

Athanasiou's fourth of the season, giving Detroit a 2-1 lead, came seconds after Dallas right winger Patrick Sharp fired a wrist shot wide right of the visiting net, creating a rush opportunity for the Red Wings.

"He doesn't have speed, he has lightning," Datsyuk said of Athanasiou.

Stars left winger and captain Jamie Benn had a great chance to tie the game again 8:51 into the third, but his wrist shot from the left circle instead found the crossbar.

NOTES: Red Wings G Petr Mrazek (groin), LW Teemu Pulkkinen and D Brendan Smith were scratched. ... Stars RW Patrick Eaves (illness), LW Travis Moen (groin), D Jamie Oleksiak and D Kris Russell were scratched. ... Mrazek wasn't able to back up G Jimmy Howard, so G Jared Coreau was recalled from AHL Grand Rapids on Monday and backed up Howard. ... Russell was acquired by Dallas in a trade with Calgary on Monday. D Jyrki Jokipakka, LW Brett Pollock, currently playing for Edmonton of the WHL, and a conditional second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft went to the Flames for Russell. ... Red Wings C Brad Richards played in Dallas between 2007 and 2011. ... Stars rookie C Mattias Janmark was a third-round pick of Detroit in the 2013 draft.
Top Game Performances
 
Detroit   Dallas
Andreas Athanasiou 2 Points Vernon Fiddler 2
Andreas Athanasiou 2 Goals Vernon Fiddler 1
Luke Glendening 1 Assists Vernon Fiddler 1
Pavel Datsyuk 1 Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Jimmy Howard .951 Save Percentage Antti Niemi .909
Jimmy Howard 39 Saves Antti Niemi 30
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Detroit 33 3 1-4 4-4 8 26
Dallas 41 2 0-4 3-4 8 41
Upcoming Games
  • Dallas will play their next game on the road against Nashville. The Stars have a W/L % of .553 after a win and .654 after a loss.
  • Detroit will play their next game at home against Chicago. The Red Wings have a W/L % of .469 after a win and .548 after a loss.