Fiddler Scores 2, Stars Rout Wild 7-1
DALLAS (AP) — Vernon Fiddler scored two goals and the Dallas Stars scored six or more goals in consecutive games for the first time since 1997, beating the Minnesota Wild 7-1 on Saturday night.
Kari Lehtonen made 21 saves for Dallas, after shutting out Arizona 6-0 on Wednesday. The Stars put 35 shots on goal against Wild goalies Darcy Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom, who combined for 28 saves.
Fiddler, Colton Sceviour, Tyler Seguin, Erik Cole and Antoine Roussel all scored second-period goals for the Stars. In the third, Brett Ritchie netted his second goal in two NHL games.
The Stars' Jamie Oleksiak had a career-high three assists, giving him six in 24 games this season. Seguin, Cole and Ritchie had an assist apiece for Dallas, which won its fourth straight and eighth in nine games.
Thomas Vanek had a power-play goal in the second for Minnesota, 2-4-3 in the last nine games.
Dallas last went back-to-back games with at least six goals March 16 and 19, 1997, against Pittsburgh and Phoenix.
Dallas scored a power-play goal 5:34 into the first period. Cole passed ahead in the left faceoff circle to Fiddler, who lifted the puck over Kuemper.
Dallas scored four times in a span of 6:12 in the second period, to put the game out of hand.
Sceviour put a slap shot from high in the right circle past Kuemper at 5:03. Fiddler scored again on a pass from Seguin at 7:44.
Seguin's league-leading 26th goal at 8:56 chased Kuemper. Cole scored at 11:15 with Backstrom out of position.
Minnesota killed the Stars' 5-on-3 power play following a fight in which four players drew 64 penalty minutes, including 37 for the Wild's Stu Bickel.
Vanek made 5-1 at 15:16 of the second, but Roussel put in a rebound at 17:41 to restore Dallas' five-goal lead.
NOTES: The Stars placed Shawn Horcoff (illness) on injured reserve, claimed D David Schlemko from Arizona on waivers and returned D Jyrki Jokipakka to the AHL's Texas Stars. Schlemko did not arrive in time for the game. . It was Fiddler's first two-goal game since April 9, 2013, against the Kings. Three of his four goals have been against the Wild. He hadn't scored since Nov. 1 at Minnesota. . A stomach virus has been going through the Wild locker room. LW Jason Zucker returned after missing four games, but Brett Sutter remained out for the second game. . Dallas has scored three short-handed goals, and Minnesota has allowed three. . Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise assisted on Vanek's goal. Parise has 15 points in his last nine games against Dallas, Vanek 10 in the last seven and Koivu eight in his l
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