Mason Marchment broke a stalemate with 5:06 remaining in regulation, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Saturday night after a third-period surge that included three goals.
Marchment, closing in on a 2-on-1 break, drilled his fourteenth goal between the legs of Petr Mrazek.
As Dallas triumphed for the third time in four games, Matt Duchene scored for the third consecutive game, tying the game 1 all early in the third on a power play. Joe Pavelski sealed the game with 23 seconds remaining on an empty-net goal.
Boris Katchouk established a connection for Chicago, which has fallen five of nine and lost three consecutive games.
Dallas’ Scott Wedgewood made his debut in goal and blocked all fourteen shots he encountered prior to 8:49 of the second period, when he was replaced by Jake Oettinger due to a lower-body injury.
Oettinger secured the victory by blocking 21 of 22 attempts.
Mrazek accumulated twenty-seven saves. On Thursday, the Jets defeated the Blackhawks at Winnipeg by scoring twice in the final 3:29 seconds.
On Friday in Dallas, Oettinger, the starting goaltender for the Stars, made his return after missing 12 games due to a lower-body injury against Nashville (6-3). Oettinger, who was hurt against Ottawa on Dec. 15, stopped 32 of 36 Predators shots on Friday before Nashville sealed it with two empty-netters.
This season, Marchment improved to 3-0 against Chicago. His total in those contests is four goals.
The injury-depleted Blackhawks got a boost with the return of top defenseman Seth Jones, who missed 15 games with a shoulder injury. Jones entered the contest leading Chicago with a fourth-best mark in the NHL with 25:25 of ice time per game.
Jones, age 29, has accumulated eleven assists this season but has yet to score.
On December 29 and 31, the Stars defeated the Blackhawks in Dallas, sweeping a two-game series 5-4 in overtime and 8-1.
With a 1-0 lead, the Blackhawks dominated the second period, outshooting Dallas 19-9.
Sliding to the left side of the crease in order to block Philipp Kurashev’s close-in attempt rendered Wedgewood unpositioned. At 8:10 into the period, Dallas defenseman Ryan Suter thwarted Taylor Raddysh’s shot that was destined for an open net.
Wedgewood was succeeded by Oettinger 39 seconds later.
With 7:04 remaining in the second period, Katchouk ultimately scored by sliding in a rebound. A hand save by Oettinger thwarted a breakaway by Zach Sanford, but Katchouk continued on to score his fourth goal.
Duchene scored a screened power-play goal 2:32 into the third period to level the game at 1. With Jamie Benn in front of Mrazek at the edge of the crease, Duchene’s shot from inside the left point struck Mrazek and trickled in.
