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 Dallas center Tyler Seguin scored the game-winning, power-play
goal from the left-wing circle with just 2.9 seconds left.
"Crazy is a pretty good word," said Seguin. "Desperation, compete by
everybody. We really wanted that game."
Penguins center Sidney Crosby notched a power-play goal of his own,
but he also took the tripping call in the closing seconds that lead
to the Dallas power play that cost his team the game. Pittsburgh's
penalty-killing struggles continued. The unit ranks last in the NHL
having allowed six goals in just three games.
"Tonight we didn't get a point out of that and it's a little
frustrating," said Crosby.
With the Penguins clinging to a 2-1 lead late in the third period,
it appeared that the Stars tied the game when they put the puck in
the net with 3:33 left in the game, but it was ruled that Seguin had
prevented Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from regaining his
position after driving hard to the net. The no-goal call appeared to
fire up the Stars, who tied the game just 36 seconds later when left
winger Jamie Benn picked up a rebound in the slot and snapped it
past Fleury to tie the game at 2.
The Penguins utilized Crosby, winger Evgeni Malkin and the NHL's top
power play early. With defenseman Brenden Dillon off for tripping,
Crosby broke into the Dallas zone and attempted a cross-ice pass
that deflected off defenseman Jordie Benn's stick and past the stick
side Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen at the 2:28 mark of the first.
The goal was Crosby's fourth on the young season, with Malkin
picking up the primary assist, moving him into sole possession of
fourth place on the Penguins' all-time points list with 637.
The Penguins' power play struck again just over five minutes later
when left winger Chris Kunitz gathered the rebound from a defenseman
Kris Letang shot from the blue line and roofed it over a sprawling
Lehtonen's glove.
"We did a real poor job of controlling our emotions and took a
couple of penalties that we didn't need to take," said Stars coach
Lindy Ruff.
The Stars halved the Pittsburgh league when winger Vernon Fiddler's
shot from behind the net slid diagonally through the crease and
right to the stick of winger Antoine Roussel, who dropped down to
one knee and one-timed a shot past the glove side of Fleury at 6:08
of the second.
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Penguins left winger Pascal Dupuis left the game with 6:58 left in
the second when he was cross-checked in front of the net by Dallas
defenseman and former teammate, Alex Goligoski, just as a slap shot
from Letang was heading toward the net. As Dupuis fell to the ice,
the puck appeared to hit Dupuis directly in the neck. Dupuis got up,
but was dazed and proceeded to throw off his gloves and fall back to
the ice. The trainers quickly came to Dupuis' aid and took him off
on a stretcher.
"I was looking up at the point to see where the puck was," said
Goligoski. "I gave him a little shot and he kind of fell forward. I
was kind of looking for the guy off the backside and I think it was
Letang who kind of came in and as he went to shoot, he ducked down
like this and put his head down and I'm not sure where it caught
him. Scary moment, though."
As he was being carted off the ice, Dupuis did give a thumbs up to
the crowd.
"I don't have any more information from the trainers other than he
said he had some numbness in his arm and it was coming back, so
that's a real positive sign but I haven't heard anything more," said
Pittsburgh coach Mike Johnston.
NOTES: Penguins C Nick Spaling appeared in his 300th NHL game. ...
Stars C Tyler Seguin is one of just 16 players with at least five
hat tricks before his 23rd birthday. ... The Penguins sold out their
336th consecutive game. ... The Stars are 13-0-1 all time when a
player has a Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist and a fight).
... Scratches for the Penguins were D Robert Bortuzzo (lower body),
D Scott Harrington and C Andrew Ebbett. ... Scratches for the Stars
were D Jamie Oleksiak, LW Curtis McKenzie and RW Valeri Nichushkin
(lower body). ... The next game for both teams will be Saturday
night, with the Penguins playing host to the New York Islanders and
the Stars at home to face the Philadelphia Flyers.
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reserved.]
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