• Recap
• Bleachers

Blackhawks pull out win as Stars struggle on power play

Oct 3, 2008 - 4:02 AM By John Tranchina PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DALLAS (Ticker) -- In a contest in which there was an almost constant parade to the penalty box, it took a shootout to decide it.

Andrew Ladd scored the only goal of the shootout and rookie Antti Niemi made 35 saves to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 preseason victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

Kevyn Adams' goal on a delayed penalty - a nice deflection of a shot by defenseman Jordan Hendry - with 96 seconds remaining in the third period tied it at 3-3 for Chicago, sending the contest into overtime.

In a very physical battle that featured numerous crunching checks, five fights and one ejection, the Stars' inability to capitalize on their many man advantages cost them.

With an unbelievable 15 power plays, including a 5-on-3 for a full two minutes and a five-minute advantage in the third period, the Stars had many opportunities to win this one. They even had a power play for the final 17 seconds of regulation and first 1:43 of overtime but could not score the decisive goal.

Kris Versteeg scored a goal and set up another for Chicago, while Hendry added two assists. Brad Richards collected a tally and an assist for Dallas.

Chicago got on the board first, when defenseman Aaron Johnson converted during a power play 6:42 into the contest, firing a one-timer from the high slot past goaltender Marty Turco.

After Dallas failed to cash in on two 5-on-3 advantages that each lasted over a minute in the opening period, it finally tied it on a power play just 45 seconds into the second, as Richards banked in the puck off defenseman Brent Sopel from behind the net.

The Stars converted on another man advantage 8:04 into the second on Fabian Brunnstrom's first goal, as the rookie Swede made a nifty redirection of Richards' pass from the right point for a 2-1 edge.

With another power play four minutes later, the Stars not only failed to capitalize but allowed the Blackhawks to score while shorthanded to knot it at 2-2. Versteeg fired a quick wrist shot over Turco's shoulder from the high slot.

Dallas jumped back in front with 5:03 left in the period, when rookie James Neal buried a loose puck in front for his second goal of the preseason.