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Flames edge Stars

Mar 31, 2015 - 4:57 AM Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Dennis Wideman, Johnny Gaudreau and Jiri Hulder each posted a goal and an assist to lead the Calgary Flames in a 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday.

"He's had a heck of a year and he's a heck of a player," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said of Gaudreau.

Raphael Diaz and Mikael Backlund also scored and Jonas Hiller made 33 saves for the Flames, who have won their past two.

The win, coupled with Los Angeles' loss to Chicago on Monday, gave Calgary a bit of breathing space for the third spot in the Pacific Division as the Flames now hold a three-point lead over the Kings. Also, Calgary is two points back of Vancouver for second place in the division.

Dallas, on the other hand, suffered a serious blow to its slim playoff hopes as the team sits six points back of Winnipeg for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference with just five games left.

Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza and Jason Demers all scored for the Stars, who have dropped two of three.

Kari Lehtonen was pulled late in the second after allowing four goals on 19 shots, while Jhonas Enroth stopped all five shots he faced in relief.

Demers scored on a one-timer from the slot 3:44 into the third to cut Dallas' deficit to 4-3, and the team peppered Hiller with 15 shots in the frame.

The Stars, though, were unable to net the tying goal and Backlund's empty- netter in the final second sealed the deal.

It took just 40 seconds for the Stars to get on the board as Spezza cruised down the middle and blew a shot over the glove of Hiller for his 17th goal of the season.

Calgary tied the game at 9:34 of the first on the power play when Gaudreau sent a chip pass from the right boards to the slot where Wideman was wide open for a wrister over Lehtonen's glove.

"I definitely think the tying goal was the key point of the game," Flames coach Bob Hartley said.

The Stars, though, took the lead back with 34 seconds remaining in the first as Seguin scored a power-play goal with a wrister from the left circle for his 35th of the season.

Calgary dominated the second period and at the end of the frame held a 4-2 lead.

Hudler tied the game at 9:25 when he backhanded in a rebound from the slot, and Diaz gave his team the lead when he skated around the net from right to left and stuffed it in at 12:27.

Less than four minutes later, the Flames padded their advantage as a dump in saw Sean Monahan pick the disc up in the left corner and throw it out front where Gaudreau shot it in to chase Lehtonen from the net.

Game Notes

Dallas hosts St. Louis on Friday ... Calgary plays in St. Louis on Thursday ... Calgary was 1-for-3 on the power play while Dallas went 1-for-4.