GLENDALE, Ariz. _ This time, the Dallas Stars saved their better play for the end of the game.
After struggling in third periods early in the season, the Stars on Thursday scored three times in the final stanza to take a 5-4 win against the Arizona Coyotes.
The win pushes Dallas to 4-3-0 on the year and drops Arizona to 0-6-1.
The Stars were all over the map on Thursday, coughing up pucks and chasing back to their own net. Ben Bishop kept them in it, and eventually survived with 27 saves, including several beauties.
Meanwhile, Dallas benefitted from Arizona rookie goalie Adin Hill, who wasn't quite as sharp in his second NHL game.
In the end, Tyler Seguin had two goals, Jamie Benn a goal and two assists
Arizona scored first as Derek Stepan continued a strong home-and-home for the Coyotes. Stepan went head-to-head with the Stars' top line for much of the two games, and he finished with two goals and several great scoring chances. Stepan tipped a shot past Bishop in the first period to open the scoring, and that was a great moment of momentum for the Coyotes and the crowd.
But Dallas answered quickly. With the Stars on the power play, a bouncing puck deflected to Jamie Benn alone in front of the net. Benn stickhandled Hill to the ice and then casually tucked in his third goal of the season. It was a tough moment for the Coyotes and their rookie netminder.
Things then got worse, as Tyler Pitlick took a hard shot on net from the corner. The rebound bounced off Hill, off Radek Faksa and into the slot. Arizona defenseman Luke Schenn accidentally knocked it into his own net.
Faksa got credit for the goal, his second of the season, and the Stars had a 2-1 lead and seeming control of the game.
But instead of seizing that momentum and taking control of the game against the winless Coyotes, they started chasing the game. Stepan scored again on a rebound in the slot at 2:47 of the second period and almost got his hat trick in the final minute of the second period.
Alexander Radulov couldn't push the puck over his defensive blueline, and Arizona forced a mad scramble for the Stars. Clayton Keller fed a wide open Stepan, and the Arizona center appeared to have Bishop beaten. But Bishop made a shocking poke check and knocked the puck away from Stepan.
Dallas then grabbed a 3-2 lead early in the third period when Stephen Johns was able to sneak a puck through Hill, who was handcuffed and had the proverbial goal "he'd like to have back."
Keller got it back for him quickly, as he jumped on Jamie Oleksiak's second consecutive giveaway and beat Bishop between the pads. But Dallas answered quickly as Jamie Benn whipped a shot off the iron, and Tyler Seguin forced the rebound in.
Dallas then finished off the game with a strong shift from the top line, as Benn fed Seguin for a beautiful shot through an Alexander Radulov screen to make it 5-3.
Keller was able to score with the Arizona goalie pulled, but Dallas survived.
