Stars recover in OT against Red Wings, extend point streak to 15

DALLAS -- Thomas Harley scored 2:06 into overtime, and the Dallas Stars tied a franchise record by extending their point streak to 15 games in a 3-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings at American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Harley got the puck in the neutral zone and scored on a breakaway after Lucas Raymond tied it 2-2 for Detroit with 3:26 left in the third period when the puck rebounded off his torso while driving the front of the net.

“There's a lot of open ice out there,” Harley said. “Speed and skill are the forefront of it. It’s pretty positionless out there and I like to play offense. (Overtime) fits me very well. I felt like I had a step on them and you never know. Put it on net and see what happens. Winning is fun. It’s a shame we blew our two-goal lead. But two points is two points.”

Dallas is 14-0-1 during the streak, which matched its 15-game run from Dec. 6, 1998, to Jan. 6, 1999 (12-0 with three ties). It’s also included a franchise-record 10-game winning streak that ended with a 5-4 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche on March 6.

“I thought we played a good game tonight,” Dallas forward Matt Duchene said. “I don’t know how many scoring chances we gave up, I don’t think it was many. This is a grind of a schedule. We’re playing a lot of good teams.

“I think maybe we got a little tired in the third, too, but found a way to get it done. Big goal by [Harley] there. We’ve got different guys stepping up at different moments for us right now and that’s why we’re going like we are.”

Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist, and Michael Bunting also scored for the Stars (42-14-10), who are tied for the second-longest point streak in the NHL this season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, behind the Colorado Avalanche (17 games). Jake Oettinger made 22 saves.

“I thought for the first two (periods) we were very stingy. We were good,” Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan said. “I thought the last three or four minutes of the second, we gave them a few looks we didn’t need to. Otherwise, for forty (minutes), we were very stingy. They got the goal, a little bit of a backspin on (Oettinger), and that gave them life. I think we can learn a few things from our third. We can tidy up a couple of things up there. You never want to say hey, you won the game, that’s great. We can tidy up a couple of things up there in the third.”

Simon Edvinsson also scored, and John Gibson made 21 saves for the Red Wings (36-23-8), who have lost five of their past six games (1-3-2).

“It’s a huge point for us, for sure,” Raymond said. “We wanted to get two, but it is tight this time of year and they are a good team over there. We put ourselves in a lot of bad spots, especially on the penalty kill, and didn’t really get it done on the power play. We will take the one point and move on.”

Johnston gave Dallas a 1-0 lead at 8:57 of the first period after his shot from the side of the net squeezed between Gibson’s arm and the post.

“Well, we kept it close when it wasn’t really going real good. Whether it was the goaltender or the penalty kill and they have a really good power play. Then, we applied some pressure. Maybe they had their way in the first period or period and a half, but then they backed off and we took advantage of it,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said. “We got some timely goals, and we will take them any way we can get them. It was a real character night for a lot of our players to compete as hard as they did and at least get us a point.”

Bunting’s power-play goal made it 2-0 at 2:19 of the second period when he one-timed a pass from Justin Hryckowian in the slot. It was his first goal for Dallas since being acquired from the Nashville Predators on March 5.

“That’s my role usually, play a little bit of power play, more offensive side of the game and I try to create,” Bunting said. “Coming in, (Dallas assistant coach Neil Graham) is great with a new guy teaching me where to go, what to do, and how the system works here. Guys move really well, the puck is really fast. Good power plays are always shifting the PK and creating little 2-on-1s, and I feel like we’re able to do that.”

Edvinsson cut it to 2-1 at 6:51 of the third period after Oettinger made the initial stop with his glove hand and the puck squeezed out and through his five-hole.

“A good battle back. Lots going on recently, obviously, but we found a way,” We kept pushing,” said Detroit forward David Perron, who played his first game since Jan. 20 following sports hernia surgery. “It was nice to get rewarded as a group to have one point there and we know all of the reasons right now.

“So, it’s interesting and really exciting. Just a good team over there. They’re a mature team, they play tight, they play hard and might as well get thrown in the fire against a group like that that’s obviously looking at being a Stanley Cup contender and all that.”

NOTES: Harley scored his seventh career overtime goal and passed John Klingberg (six) for the most by a Stars/North Stars defenseman. ... Oettinger extended his point streak to 12 games and matched Don Beaupre (1982-83) for the second-longest run by a Stars/North Stars goaltender. Casey DeSmith holds the franchise record, set earlier this season (13 games from Oct. 26 to Dec. 23, 2025). … Detroit recalled forward John Leonard from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League on Saturday on an emergency basis with forwards Michael Rasmussen and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard each ruled out due to undisclosed injuries on Saturday morning.