In their first game back after a tough six-game road trip, the Vancouver Canucks looked like a team hoping to wipe away some bad memories.
Troy Stecher tied it with 1:40 left in the third period and Markus Granlund scored in overtime, helping Vancouver rally to beat the Dallas Stars 5-4 on Sunday.
Dallas held leads of 3-1 and 4-3, but Vancouver got goals from Louis Eriksson, Brandon Sutter, Bo Horvat and Stecher to force overtime. The Canucks were coming off a 1-5 trip and have two wins in their last 12 games.
"It was a tough (road trip) for us, but it's good to be back home and this was a good win for us," Granlund said. "Everybody in this room is sticking together and playing for each other."
Granlund scored 1:27 into overtime by finding a loose puck off a faceoff and snapping it past goalie Kari Lehtonen.
That came after Stecher slapped a puck through Lehtonen's legs, sending the arena into a frenzy. It was the first NHL goal for the 22-year-old rookie defenseman.
"It was a good feeling," Stecher said. "But getting that win on home ice is a lot better feeling. I'm sure you guys can see it throughout the room -- the vibes are up and we feel pretty good."
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Ryan Miller made 17 saves for Vancouver.
Patrick Eaves scored twice and Lauri Korpikoski and Antoine Roussel also scored for the Stars, who wrapped up a five-game road trip 2-1-2.
"We were right there," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "We made a little mistake on (Stecher's goal), just on coverage going out to the point. If we played that better, that puck definitely doesn't go in."
Lehtonen stopped 25 shots for Dallas, which had won 10 straight against the Canucks.
"Dallas had our number lately," Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins said. "I don't know if it was a must-win, but it certainly was a big win for us, and we needed to score some goals. It was good we battled in the third. I thought we showed great resiliency to stay with it."
Eaves, Horvat and Korpikoski scored during a one-minute span early in the first period. Eaves knocked in a rebound past Miller at 5:43, but Horvat tied it at 6:05 with a wrist shot off Lehtonen's shoulder. Korpikoski put Dallas back ahead on a 2-on-1 with Radek Faksa 20 seconds later.
Eaves made it 3-1 with 4:56 left in the second. Tyler Seguin got his second of three assists with a cross-ice pass to Eaves, who one-timed a shot by Miller.
Eriksson scored 3:26 into the third when a Stars turnover allowed Granlund to get the puck to him in the slot. The struggling forward put it through Lehtonen's legs for his second goal of the season.
Sutter tied it on the power play by finding the net from the slot with Lehtonen screened at 6:06 into the third.
A defensive gaffe put Dallas back ahead. The puck deflected off Nikita Tryamkin's skate and hit Miller's pad before popping out right to Roussel's stick for a tap in with 8:11 remaining.
The Canucks appeared to tie it when Burrows shoveled in a loose puck in the crease, but Dallas successfully challenged for goaltender interference to overturn the goal.
Notes
Stetcher was playing in his seventh game. The Richmond native had two assists and 16 shots prior to Sunday. ... Former Canuck Dan Hamhuis got a standing ovation during a video tribute. Hamhuis was with Vancouver for six seasons before signing a two-year free agent contract with Dallas in July.
Up Next
Stars: Return home following this five-game trip to host New Jersey on Tuesday night.
Canucks: Continue a four-game homestand Tuesday night against the New York Rangers.
