Another strong third period sends Stars past Wild

Tyler Seguin scored two goals and Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist as the Dallas Stars recorded a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday in Saint Paul, Minn.

With the score tied 1-1 after the second intermission, Dallas jumped ahead on Johnston's tip-in score at 3:29 of the third period. Jamie Benn extended the Stars' lead with a power-play marker 10 minutes later, and Seguin iced the game with a late empty-net score.

It was yet another late breakthrough for the Stars, who have outscored opponents 53-30 in third periods this season. That includes a 7-0 edge over the third periods of Dallas' ongoing three-game win streak.

The Wild lost for just the second time in nine games (7-2-0). The Thursday loss also snapped Minnesota's seven-game winning streak on home ice.

Kirill Kaprizov scored his 20th goal of the season for Minnesota's only tally, despite several quality chances. Matt Boldy and Jordan Greenway each rang shots off the goalpost, while Samuel Walker had a late goal disallowed after a video review revealed an offside violation.

Despite these close calls for the Wild, Dallas largely dominated the action. The Stars won 70 percent of the faceoffs and outshot Minnesota by a 43-24 margin. The 43 shots allowed matched the Wild's high for the season.

Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 23 shots for the win.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 39 saves, doing his best to keep the Wild in the game despite the Stars' constant pressure.

It was the third multi-point game of Johnston's rookie season, as the 19-year-old has already become a solid contributor in his brief career. Johnston has 11 goals and six assists over his first 37 NHL games.

Seguin has nine goals this season, with four of those tallies coming in his past six games.

The Stars were 2-for-3 on the power play, and they are now 10-for-25 with the extra attacker over their past seven games.

--Field Level Media

1/3: Dec 29, 2022; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) and defenseman Matt Dumba (24) defend Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) in front of the net in the first period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

2/3: Dec 29, 2022; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Jon Merrill (4) in action against the Dallas Stars in the first period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

3/3: Dec 29, 2022; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski (16) skates behind the net defended by Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon (46) in the first period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports