ST. LOUIS — Rookie Mattias Janmark ignited a three-goal first period and Kari Lehtonen made 35 saves Monday for the Stars, who forced Game 7 with a 3-2 win over the Blues.
Vernon Fiddler and Jason Spezza also scored for Dallas, which reclaimed home ice for Wednesday's deciding game despite getting outshot 37-14.
Alexander Steen and Patrik Berglund scored for St. Louis.
Blues goalie Brian Elliott, who had played well this postseason, was replaced with the Stars leading 3-0 on just seven shots at 16:49 of the first.
Jake Allen finished in his first appearance of this postseason, facing just seven more shots in the final two-plus periods.
The Stars led 3-0 after the first, their first two- and three-goal leads of the series. The first two goals came in a span of 20 seconds.
Janmark blocked Colton Parayko's dump-in and skated in alone on Elliott, scoring on a high shot. Fiddler made it 2-0 on a deflection at 5:13 after Elliott couldn't clear the puck.
Stars | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Blues | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
First Period—1, Dallas, Janmark 2 (Nichushkin), 4:53. 2, Dallas, Fiddler 1 (Sceviour, Russell) 5:13. 3, Dallas, Spezza 5 (Sceviour, Benn), 16:49 (pp). Penalties—Demers, Dal (high-sticking), 12:01; Brouwer, StL (cross-checking), 16:14.
Second Period—4, St. Louis, Steen 4 (Bortuzzo, Tarasenko), 7:29. Penalties—None.
Third Period—5, St. Louis, Berglund 3 (Lehtera, Backes), 8:59. Penalty—Russell, Dal (delay of game), 2:41. Shots on Goal—Dallas 7-5-2—14. St. Louis 9-14-14—37. Power-play opportunities—Dallas 1 of 1; St. Louis 0 of 2. Goalies—Dallas, Lehtonen 6-2 (37 shots-35 saves). St. Louis, Elliott 7-7 (7-4), Allen (16:49 first, 7-7).
Boucher feels more prepared this time
OTTAWA, Ontario — Pierre Dorion said he knew he had found the next Senators coach after his first meeting with Guy Boucher. The new general manager said Boucher, the former Lightning coach, was the first candidate he interviewed for the position and was his front-runner from the start, countering reports that Ottawa was snubbed by new Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau.
Boucher, 44, was Tampa Bay's coach for two-plus seasons, going 97-78-20 and leading the Lightning to the East final in 2011. The team missed the plays the next season, and Boucher was fired during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
Boucher was new to the NHL when Tampa Bay hired him in 2010. He said he is better prepared now. "Coming in a second time the perspective is different, the planning will be different. Managing players, though, that won't be any different. I think that's something that's been one of my strengths."
Around the league: Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said goaltender Matt Murray would start tonight's Game 6 against Washington though Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh's starter until sustaining a concussion on March 31, is healthy. … Panthers defenseman Erik Gudbranson agreed to a one-year deal.