Pavelski, Lindell score early as Stars beat Wild 7-4

Joe Pavelski and Esa Lindell scored on the first two Dallas shots on goal, and the Stars never trailed in defeating the Minnesota Wild 7-4 on Monday night.

Pavelski put in a backhand 1:31 into the game. Lindell scored short-handed and unassisted with a shot between goalie Cam Talbot’s legs 1:53 later.

Miro Heiskanen had a goal and an assist for Dallas, and Tyler Seguin, Roope Hintz, Jacob Peterson and Jamie Benn also scored. Jason Robertson and Denis Gurianov each had two assists and Jake Oettinger stopped 19 shots.

Kevin Fiala had two goals, and Ryan Hartman and Kirill Kaprizov also scored for Minnesota. Talbot had 22 saves.

Fiala’s second goal came with 4:54 remaining in the third period on a 6-on-4 power play after Talbot was pulled for a sixth skater with 9:20 to play.

Fiala and Hartman scored in the first period and Kaprizov in the second.

Coming off a four-point game (two goals, two assists) on Saturday, Pavelski has eight goals and nine assists in the last 12 games.

When Hartman scored at 5:25 of the action-packed first period, three of the five shots by the two teams were goals.

Fiala tied it 2-2 with a wrist shot with 4:18 left in the period. Gurianov passed the puck back to Seguin for a wrist shot 61 seconds later to put Dallas ahead for good.

Hintz scored on the power play at 8:02 of the second on a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot.

Kaprizov pulled Minnesota back within a goal with a wrist shot with 2:23 left in the middle period.

Peterson and Heiskanen scored one minute apart in the third before Benn hit the empty net with 1:32 to play.

NOTES: Because of an increase in positive COVID-19 cases, this was the only NHL game played of five scheduled for Monday. … Lindell’s goal was his first since April 17, a 51-game drought. It was the Stars’ third of the season and the first against Minnesota. Dallas is one of just four teams that haven’t allowed a short-handed score. … Brothers Jamie Benn (Stars) and Jordie Benn (Wild) played against each other for the first time since Nov. 19, 2019, when Jordie played for Vancouver. … Dallas C Tanner Kero (concussion protocol) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Saturday, when he was crashed into the boards against Chicago.

UP NEXT

Wild: At Winnipeg on Monday, Dec. 27.

Stars: Host Nashville on Monday, Dec. 27.