Lindell scores 1st goal, adds assist, Stars beat Canucks 2-1
DALLAS (AP) -- Esa Lindell scored his first NHL goal and had an assist to help the Dallas Stars beat the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 on Friday night.
Playing in his 17th game for Dallas, Lindell at first was credited with the goal at 9:32 of the second period that tied it 1. A scoring change gave the goal to Radek Faksa, who deflected Lindell's drive from the left point past goalie Ryan Miller.
With 4:02 left in the second, Lindell scored from the inside edge of the left faceoff circle past a screen from Patrick Eaves.
The Canucks' Jayson Megna scored his first goal of the season at 5:01 of the first period.
After that, Dallas' Antti Niemi shut down Vancouver and finished with 30 saves, 14 in the third period. The Canucks had a power play for the final 1:57.
Miller made 26 saves.
Bo Horvat set up Megna's goal by passing behind Dallas defenseman Dan Hamhuis to lead Megna into the right faceoff circle. He skated across the front of the net and put a short backhand past Niemi.
Vancouver's Luca Sbisa and the Stars' Antoine Roussel received major penalties for fighting at 11:12 of the first period. They had each other's helmets off when the linesmen stepped in to escort them to the penalty box.
Vancouver outshot the Stars 12-10 in the first. The Canucks killed the period's only power play.
Dallas had few good scoring chances until 9:52 of the second period, when Lindell sent in the low shot from the left point that Faksa deflected into the left side of the net.
Lindell took a similar shot from the inside edge of the left faceoff circle for the tiebreaking goal.
The Canucks had the best scoring chance in a fast-paced third period, when Niemi stopped Alexandre Burros' close-range shot at 6:36.
NOTES: Megna was playing in only his fifth NHL game this season, after spending time with Utica of AHL and on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. On Friday, he took the place of LW Sven Baertschi, who was scratched after blocking a shot with a toe in Wednesday's game. ... The Stars assigned D Stephen Johns to Texas of the AHL. ... Dallas F Jiri Hudler missed his 13th game because of an illness, but he had joined his teammates for an optional skate on Thursday. ... Vancouver's last win in Dallas was on Feb. 21, 2013. The Stars have won six straight home games vs. the Canucks. ... Dallas had been 0-7-3 when the opponents scored first.
UP NEXT
Canucks: They'll finish a three-game trip Sunday at Colorado.
Stars: Begin a four-game trip Tuesday at St. Louis.
