NEW YORK (AP) - Urged to shoot more, Esa Lindell came through with his first career multi-goal game to help the Dallas Stars get a big road win.
Lindell scored twice during Dallas’ four-goal second period and the Stars beat the New York Islanders 6-2 Sunday.
“(Assistant coach Rick Bowness) came to say in the morning skate on Friday that I want you to shoot more,” Lindell said. “It worked today.”
The 24-year-old defensemen, who had one goal in his first 19 games this season, had six shots on goal in the Stars’ overtime win against Boston on Friday night after totaling one in his previous four games.
“Just tried to keep up the shooting,” said Lindell, who came in with 14 goals in 176 games. “I thought sometime it’s going to go in. Just trying to shoot a lot and play the game I used to play the whole season.”
Alexander Radulov had two goals and an assist, Tyler Seguin had a goal and two assists, and Roope Hintz also scored for the Stars, who have won two straight. Jamie Benn had three assists, Jason Spezza had two to top 900 points in his career, and Ben Bishop stopped 37 shots.
Dallas improved to 4-4-1 on the road in the opener of a stretch of seven of eight away from home.
“We’re in a tough stretch in the schedule,” Spezza said. “When you have games like this, have contributions from up and down the lineup everybody feels a part of that and it’s a good springboard going into some tough games coming up.”
Anthony Beauvillier and Scott Mayfield scored for the Islanders, who lost in regulation for the third time in 12 games (7-3-2). Thomas Greiss had 16 saves, but was pulled after giving up three goals on six shots in the first 7:08 of the second period. Robin Lehner came on and finished with 11 saves.
“We didn’t play 60 minutes,” Mayfield said. “We lost a lot of battles. It just wasn’t there. We’ll look at video, keep it in-house. … Guys know we threw away two points. We’ve got to be better.”
Mayfield pulled the Islanders to 4-2 just 24 seconds into the third as his centering pass from the left side of the goal went off Bishop’s stick and in.
Radulov then scored twice in less than two minutes to help the Stars pull away.
First, he restored Dallas’ three-goal lead as he scored with a backhand on a breakaway at 7:35. Radulov then tapped in a puck lying in the crease with Lehner out of position for his eighth of the season and 100th of his career to make it 6-2 at 9:16.
Trailing 1-0 after one period, the Stars went ahead with four goals in the second.
Lindell tied it as he got a pass from Seguin in the center above the circles and beat Greiss at 2:09.
Hintz put the Stars ahead with his first career goal as he got a pass from Spezza in the left circle and fired a shot through Greiss’ five-hole at 4:40.
“It’s nice to get the goal today and get the win, too,” Hintz said.
Spezza got his 900th point on the play.
“I love being a part of guys’ first goal, they always remember you,” the 35-year-old said. “I had high expectations of myself a lot of years and I guess that leads to good production.”
Lindell gave Dallas a two-goal lead as he got his second of the game and third of the season with a one-timer from the right faceoff dot that also went through Greiss’ legs at 7:08.
That prompted Islanders coach Barry Trotz to pull Greiss in favor of Lehner.
Seguin made it 4-1 as he knocked in the rebound of a shot by Radulov for his sixth with 5:53 left in the middle period.
Beauvillier, who had his first career hat trick and four-point game Thursday night against the Rangers, got the Islanders on the scoreboard 3:36 into the game off a pass from Leo Komarov.
NOTES: Benn has six assists and nine points in his past 10 games. … Seguin has seven goals and 12 assists in 18 games against the Islanders. … Dallas has won three straight meetings with the Islanders, and four of the past five. … The Stars improved to 10-0-1 when leading after two periods. … Mathew Barzal had an assist on Mayfield’s goal, giving him a point in five straight games (goal, five assists). … Islanders F Michael Dal Colle made his season debut, appearing in his fifth career game. … Mayfield played in his 100th career game. … Islanders F Cal Clutterbuck celebrated his 31st birthday.
UP NEXT
Stars: At the New York Rangers on Monday night in the second of three road games in four nights.
Islanders: At the New York Rangers on Wednesday night to start a stretch of four games in six days.
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