Islanders 2 - 3 Stars
Final - OT
  for this game

Eakin leads Stars over Isles in OT

Mar 4, 2015 - 6:14 AM Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Cody Eakin scored the deciding marker 2:18 into overtime as the Dallas Stars snapped a six-game skid and overcame some late adversity for a 3-2 win on Tuesday.

The Islanders pulled Jaroslav Halak with over a minute to play and it paid off as Anders Lee took a failed clear and fired a shot on net from the left circle. His shot went off Stars defenseman Jordie Benn's skate and into the net with 1.7 seconds showing on the clock.

Dallas recovered during the extra session as Eakin finished off a 2-on-1 by snapping Jamie Benn's feed past Halak for the game-winning goal.

Brett Ritchie and Vernon Fiddler also lit the lamp and Kari Lehtonen made 35 saves in the Stars' first overtime win at home since Feb. 26, 2012.

"That was hard," Dallas head coach Lindy Ruff said. "To bounce back and come down the ice and score the goal we scored was something our fans needed."

Josh Bailey provided New York's other goal, while Halak stopped 32-of-35 shots in defeat.

"We had our chances," Islanders captain John Tavares said. "It's just nice that we were able to battle back."

In the third period, Ritchie tied the game at 1-1 by putting home the rebound of Jyrki Jokipakka's blast off a faceoff at 2:24.

Five minutes later, Fiddler put the Stars in front. Ryan Garbutt drifted across the blue line and a fired a shot that caromed off the boards behind the net and to the side of the net, where Fiddler tapped it past Halak.

The Stars were given a lengthy five-minute power play less than two minutes into the game after Matt Martin gets went off for kneeing Trevor Daley, but failed to convert.

Bailey opened the scoring for the Islanders with 4:35 remaining in the first with a quick wrist shot in front.

Dallas outshot New York 13-9 during a scoreless middle stanza.

Game Notes

Stars defenseman Patrik Nemeth returned from a 52-game absence due to an arm laceration and played in his first game since Oct. 18 ... Ritchie had a game- high six shots on net.






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