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Eriksson lifts Dallas over Vancouver in OT

Feb 27, 2012 - 4:46 AM Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Loui Eriksson scored the game-winning goal at 3:52 of overtime, sending the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks at American Airlines Center.

Steve Ott started the play by gaining the offensive blue line on the left wing off the rush. Ott took the puck all the way around behind the net and sent a pass back across the ice to Trevor Daley in the left circle. Daley looked up and found Eriksson, who tapped it home from in front for the winner.

Eriksson added an assist in regulation, while Mike Ribeiro had a goal and an assist and Michael Ryder also scored for the Stars, who snapped a six-game losing streak to Vancouver. Kari Lehtonen made 24 saves in the win.

"It took us 59 minutes to get that second goal," Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan said. "But I thought we stuck with it for 60 minutes, showed some resolve and it's a big win for our hockey club."

Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond scored and Chris Higgins had two assists for the Canucks, who had won six of their last seven coming in. Roberto Luongo was touched for three goals on 28 shots in the loss.

"It's been a tough trip, we've been all over the country and played a lot of games in not a lot of nights, so it's good we got a point, but I thought we deserved two," Higgins said.

After a scoreless first stanza, Vancouver struck first just 56 seconds into the second frame when Higgins brought the puck into the offensive zone on the left wing. Higgins sent it over to Raymond, who ripped a wrist shot from the left circle that beat Lehtonen to the glove side to give the Canucks the lead.

Vancouver extended its lead to 2-0 at 13:11 of the second stanza, and it was again Higgins playing the role of facilitator. Holding the puck just inside the blue line on the left wing, Higgins sent a pass down low to a streaking Raymond, who let a shot go from a sharp angle that snuck between the right arm of Lehtonen and the post.

Ryder got the Stars on the board with a power-play goal with just 1:56 left in the second period after he took a perfect feed from Ribeiro and one-timed a rocket slap shot past Luongo from the high slot.

With Lehtonen on the bench, Dallas tied the game with just 52 seconds left after Alex Goligoski fired a slap shot on net from the left point that deflected off the stick and skate of Ribeiro in front before finding its way inside the left post.

Game Notes

Ribeiro extended his point streak to seven games...Dallas improved to 4-1 in games decided in the overtime period, while Vancouver fell to 5-1 in the extra session...Vancouver went 0-for-2 on the power-play, while the Stars converted 1-of-2 man advantage opportunities...The Canucks will visit the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday, while the Stars will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.