Stars control middle period in 3-2 win over Canadiens

Field Level Media|published: Sat 10th February, 16:00 2024

Feb 10, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault (35) makes a toe save against Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski (16) during the first period at the Bell Centre. credits: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Seguin scored two of Dallas's three second-period goals and the Stars continued their run of strong play with a 3-2 victory over the host Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.

Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment assisted on both goals by Seguin, who increased his season total to 19 as the Stars capped a 2-1-0 post-All-Star break trip with their 10th win in 14 games.

Defenseman Thomas Harley scored his 13th goal and Jake Oettinger made 18 saves for Dallas, which held a 39-20 shots-on-goal advantage.

Nick Suzuki had a goal with an assist, Juraj Slafkovsky scored in his third straight contest and Cole Caufield extended his point streak to 11 games with an assist for the Canadiens.

Mike Matheson notched two assists for Montreal and Sam Montembeault stopped 35 shots for Montreal, which was 2-0-1 over its previous three games.

Following a scoreless opening period, where the shots on goal were even at six apiece, Montreal struck 38 seconds into the second.

Off the Canadiens' own-zone face-off win, the puck found its way to Caufield, who sent a long stretch pass off the opposite board that connected with Suzuki, who got behind the Dallas defense. He broke in alone and went high to beat Oettinger.

The Stars tied it 3:51 into the middle frame when Harley jumped into the slot to grab the puck and convert through Montembeault's legs. Dallas took the lead 24 seconds later when a well-positioned Seguin got a pass in the slot and converted right in front of Montembeault.

Seguin added his second via a tap-in of another Duchene pass with 2:15 remaining in the middle frame for a 3-1 Stars edge.

Though Montreal was outshot 21-8 in the second period, it managed to get within a goal before the second intermission. With 1:23 left in the second, Slafkovsky converted an angled shot for his 10th goal of the season off a below-the-end-line pass from Suzuki.

The Canadiens killed a late third-period, four-minute Dallas power play, when Suzuki was unable to convert a pair of short-handed opportunities.

—Field Level Media

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