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Stars edge short-handed Penguins

Mar 20, 2015 - 3:37 AM Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Brett Ritchie and Jamie Benn scored within 83 seconds of each other in the second period and the Dallas Stars beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on Thursday night.

Kari Lehtonen made 31 saves for the Stars, who have won six of their last eight and improved to 1-1 on a four-game homestand.

Kris Letang scored and Marc-Andre Fleury gave up two goals on 26 shots for the Penguins, who have dropped four in a row.

Pittsburgh, still without Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist, are now tied for fifth place in the Eastern Conference with Washington, which beat Minnesota on Thursday.

Ritchie gave the Stars a 1-0 lead with a little help from Penguins forward Beau Bennett, who tipped the puck into his own net from in front of the crease after Ritchie received Jamie Benn's pass from the boards and turned to direct it into the slot.

Benn was all alone in front of the net when Tyler Seguin found him with a pass and a little stickwork in front of Fleury gave Dallas a 2-0 lead 3:37 into the second period.

Letang got Pittsburgh on the board at 13:26 of the second on a power play when he snapped a shot past Lehtonen from the left side.

Dallas was scoreless on four power plays but Lehtonen made 15 saves in the third period to keep his team in front.

Game Notes

Malkin has missed three straight games and Hornqvist the last two ... Benn scored his 24th goal of the season and first in 12 games ... Dallas swept the two-game season series after beating the Penguins 3-2 on Oct. 16 in Pittsburgh ... Pittsburgh will finish its road trip on Saturday against Arizona ... Dallas continues its residency on Saturday against Chicago.