Filppula scores 2, Red Wings beat Stars 4-1

[January 30, 2013]  DETROIT (AP) -- Valtteri Filppula scored two goals -- both off nifty passes from Pavel Datsyuk -- and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Dallas Stars 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Henrik Zetterberg scored on a two-man advantage in the final minute of the second period to give the Red Wings a 2-1 lead, and Damien Brunner and Filppula scored 23 seconds apart in the third.

The Red Wings rallied after Loui Eriksson opened the scoring in the second period for Dallas.

All six of Dallas' previous games this season were decided by one goal, but the Stars couldn't keep this one close in the third.

Jimmy Howard made 25 saves for Detroit.

Jordin Tootoo of Detroit and Eric Nystrom of Dallas dropped the gloves 3 seconds into the game, and Tootoo was in another fight later in the first period, this time with Brenden Dillon.

The Stars had a two-man advantage for 39 seconds late in the first but couldn't convert, and the period ended scoreless. The Red Wings have not scored in the first period all season.

Eriksson gave the Stars a 1-0 lead, lifting a rebound over Howard, but Filppula tied it later in the second when Datsyuk found him in front of the net.

Dallas was hurt late in the period by a pair of high-sticking penalties. Jamie Benn was given a double-minor with 3:41 remaining, and although Zetterberg went off 41 seconds later for tripping, Ray Whitney took a penalty for the Stars with 2:18 to play.

The end result was that the Red Wings had a 5-on-3 once Zetterberg's penalty was over, and the Detroit captain took advantage for the go-ahead goal, beating goalie Kari Lehtonen with a slapper to the upper-right corner.

Lehtonen came within 3.4 seconds of a shutout in a win at Detroit last week, but he made only 21 saves this time and was pulled with 4:30 remaining in the game.

Brunner made it 3-1 in the third when he deflected a shot from the point past Lehtonen. Although there was some question as to the height of Brunner's stick when he touched the puck, the goal stood. Datsyuk then stickhandled around a defender and sent a nice pass across the front of the goal to Filppula, who scored into an open net with Lehtonen out of position.

NOTES: Red Wings F Darren Helm was scratched with back inflammation, an ailment that is expected to improve with medication -- instead of surgery that would've put him out of the lineup for a much longer period of time. ... Jaromir Jagr's assist on Eriksson's goal was his first point since a two-goal, two-assist game against Phoenix in the season opener.

[Associated Press; By NOAH TRISTER]

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