DALLAS (AP) — Tyler Seguin scored 54 seconds into overtime on a play that required a review, and the Dallas Stars beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Seguin’s shot in transition was stopped by Connor Hellebuyck, and the goalie reached for the puck in midair as Seguin sent it back toward the goal. The original call was that Josh Morrissey had kept the puck out the net with his stick, but a video review after play showed the puck across the goal line.
The winning play came moments after Jake Oettinger made a pad save 1-on-1 against Morrissey at the other end. Dallas captain Jamie Benn secured the puck and went the other way with Seguin, who also had an assist.
Dallas beat Winnipeg for the sixth consecutive time at home in the fourth straight game between the Central Division clubs to go to overtime or a shootout, including all three this season. Both teams are trying to work their way into the Western Conference playoff picture.
Both captains opened the scoring for their teams, starting with Winnipeg’s Blake Wheeler in the first period. Benn scored short-handed in the second period. Pionk had two assists for the Jets.
Winnipeg took a 2-1 lead early in the third when Mark Scheifele scored on a power play moments after it appeared he could have been called for high-sticking against Benn.
Scheifele and Benn converged for a loose puck, and Benn crumpled to the ice after the stick appeared to make contact with his face. Benn got up, but Scheifele was alone in the left circle soon after for a one-timer that beat Oettinger.
Coach Rick Bowness was among several on the Dallas bench complaining about the apparent non-call, and Benn was still dabbing at his mouth with a towel after play had resumed.
Denis Gurianov pulled Dallas even with about seven minutes remaining when he scored into an open net from the crease on a nifty pass from Seguin, who has 50 points in 43 career games against the Jets.
Hellebuyck had 36 saves, and Oettinger stopped 20 shots after coming in with a 0.98 goals-against average in his previous three starts. It was his fourth consecutive start.
The teams had traded overlapping penalties without scoring in the second period when Dallas’ Michael Raffl was called for hooking. Pionk turned it over just inside the blue line to Roope Hintz, who took off on a 2-on-1 with Benn. The captain took a late pass and beat Hellebuyck between the legs.
Former Dallas player Brenden Dillon started the sequence for Winnipeg's first goal with a pass from his blue line to Scheifele. He passed in transition to Pionk, whose nifty backhand flip to Wheeler created an easy chance in front of Oettinger.
The Jets killed a four-minute penalty early in the second period, allowing just three shots and no good scoring chances after Josh Morrissey was called for high-sticking against Joe Pavelski, who was checking for blood after the contact.
NOTES: The crowd was sparse because of freezing weather and slick roads in the Dallas area. The announced attendance was a season-low 10,098. ... Benn extended his home point streak against Winnipeg to nine games. ... Five of Wheeler's six goals this season have come in the 15 games since his return from a nine-game injury absence.
UP NEXT
Jets: At Colorado on Friday. Winnipeg lost to the Avalanche 7-1 in its other visit this season.
Stars: At Nashville on Thursday to finish their first back-to-back in almost a month.
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Schuyler Dixon, The Associated Press