Stars Cruise Past Wild For 4-0 Victory

DALLAS -- Erik Cole and Ray Whitney scored power-play goals, and the Dallas Stars stopped a three-game losing streak with a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

Kari Lehtonen made 18 saves as Dallas (22-20-8) won for the second time in its last 11 games. It was his second shutout of the season and No. 24 for his career.

Jordie Benn scored on a penalty shot, beating Darcy Kuemper at 11:22 of the third period.

Minnesota (27-20-5) dropped to 7-3 in 2014.

Most of the first period was played in the Minnesota end. Dallas finished with 12 shots on goal to only three for the Wild. The Stars also had all three power plays in the first.

Dallas scored at 13:18 when Vernon Fiddler sent a wobbly drive from the top of the left faceoff circle over Kuemper.

The Stars then added to their lead by scoring a power-play goal for the fifth consecutive game. Cole put the puck in the upper right corner from the left circle at 16:45, with former Sioux Falls Stampede defenseman Alex Goligoski earning his second assist of the game.

Whitney got on the board at 13:18 of the second period, lifting the Stars to a 3-0 lead just two seconds before a high-sticking penalty on Minnesota's Justin Fontaine ran out.

Sergei Gonchar skated toward the net, and then passed to Whitney. He pulled the puck away from Kuemper, and then pushed it behind him. The shot crossed the goal line before a Wild defenseman could knock the puck away.

It marked the Stars' fourth game this season with two power-play goals.

Dallas outshot Minnesota 16-6 in the period, and 36-18 for the game.

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