Stars rally to deny Predators in Winter Classic

[January 02, 2020]    Mattias Janmark collected one goal and one assist and Blake Comeau, Alexander Radulov and Andrej Sekera also scored as the host Dallas Stars scored four unanswered goals en route to a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators in the Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl Stadium on Wednesday.

Fans arrive before the 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl Stadium between the Dallas Stars and the Nashville Predators. Mandatory Credit: Tim Flores-USA TODAY Sports

Before 85,630 fans, the second-largest crowd in NHL history, goaltender Ben Bishop made 31 saves for the Stars, who are on a three-game winning streak and have erased two-goal deficits in each of their last two outings.

With his team trailing 2-0, Comeau began the comeback with 68 seconds remaining in the second period. Comeau, who missed much of the first period after a hard check, was left alone in the slot while Jason Dickinson circled behind the net, received the pass and quickly fired to net his fifth goal.

Buoyed by that momentum, the Stars dominated the third period. Janmark tied the game 58 seconds into the final period when he deflected John Klingberg's point shot for the power-play tally and Radulov netted the game-winning goal with another power-play goal -- a one-timer from the left faceoff dot set up by Klingberg -- at 5:06 of the period.

Sekera snapped a 104-game goal drought 89 seconds later to round out the scoring. The defenseman charged to the net during a scramble and was rewarded with his first NHL goal since March 23, 2017.

Nashville took a two-goal lead thanks to a pair of first-period power-play goals, both coming during the five-minute major and game misconduct assessed to Dallas veteran Corey Perry after a vicious elbow to the head of Ryan Ellis, who left the game and didn't return.

Matt Duchene opened the scoring when he buried a wrist shot from below the right face-off dot at the 5:46 mark. Dante Fabbro doubled the lead less than two minutes later when he one-timed the cross-ice feed from Duchene for his fourth goal. By assisting both goals, Predators captain Roman Josi extended his career-high point streak to eight games, in which he's collected seven goals and eight assists.

Goalie Pekka Rinne stopped 31 shots for the Predators, who have lost three straight games.

--Field Level Media

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