Seguin, Stars send Devils to 4th straight loss with 4-3 win (Jan 04, 2018)

DALLAS (AP) Tyler Seguin's short-handed goal was more than just his first in the NHL.

The high-scoring Dallas forward said it was the first one of his life, which makes sense because Seguin said this season is the first time in his career he's part of the penalty-kill unit.

Seguin's short-handed tally was his team-leading 20th, Alexander Radulov had a goal and two assists and the Stars beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Thursday night.

''I love being on the PK,'' Seguin said. ''I've felt that extra responsibility since training camp and since we first talked when (Ken Hitchcock) first got named coach here. He said I was going to get that opportunity. Happy I got one.''

Brett Ritchie had the tiebreaking goal on a power play after a second straight penalty against Sami Vatanen, and the Devils matched their season high with a fourth straight loss. The skid follows a season-best five-game winning streak that started with a win at home over the Stars.

Taylor Hall had a goal and two assists for the Devils, but his diving attempt was stopped in the final seconds of 6-on-5 against Ben Bishop. The Dallas goalie stopped 39 of a season-high 42 shots faced for his fifth win in a season-high ninth straight start.

Radulov's 15th goal got Dallas even early in the second period when Devils captain Andy Greene's blind, backhand pass from behind his own net went right to the Russian forward.

''I was trying to make a play there,'' Greene said. ''I thought I saw we had a guy in front there. Obviously we didn't and they made us pay. It was kind of the theme of the night. It's too hard in this league to win by doing that.''

Seguin had a breakaway with Miles Wood chasing him and decided to send the puck backward to Jamie Benn. After Benn's shot went across the crease to Seguin, his shot caromed in off Wood's skate as the defenseman tried to close his feet with goalie Cory Schneider out of position.

''Great pass,'' Seguin said, smiling when it was suggested Benn was clearly trying to score. ''We talked about it on the ice and said that was a pass.''

The Devils scored in the final minute of each of the first two periods, starting with Brian Boyle on a power play with 14 seconds left in the first.

New Jersey pulled to 3-2 with 28 seconds left in the second when Bishop stopped Hall's shot but had the puck go over him when the rebound caromed off defenseman Greg Pateryn.

Martin Hanzal assisted on Mattias Janmark's goal after missing three games with a lower-body injury. Hanzal has missed 15 games with various injuries.

New Jersey had another power-play goal when Kyle Palmieri sent a shot from the boards through the legs of Bishop late in the third period. Hall got credit for his team-leading 26th assist.

Ritchie redirected a shot from John Klingberg and the puck bounced over Schneider, who stopped 29 shots.

Vatanen touched the puck as he was coming out of the penalty box for cross-checking, and the interference call put the Stars right back on the power play midway through the second period. It was Vatanen's third straight penalty for the Devils.

''We have the game in control and we come out and play a totally different game in the second period,'' New Jersey coach John Hynes said. ''The worst way you can lose is when you beat yourself.''

NOTES: Three Dallas-area natives have played in the past two games against the Stars. Seth Jones, son of former Dallas Mavericks player Popeye Jones, had an assist in the Blue Jackets' 2-1 win. Plano natives Blake Coleman and Stefan Noesen are forwards for the Devils. ... Stars D Marc Methot had two shots and three hits in 16 minutes after missing 26 games following arthroscopic knee surgery. ... There were nine penalties two nights after Dallas and Columbus combined for just one in the Blue Jackets' 2-1 win that ended the Stars' four-game home winning streak.

UP NEXT

Devils: At the New York Islanders on Sunday afternoon before a weeklong break.

Stars: Home against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday afternoon before a weeklong break.

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