Stars score 3 in 3rd, rally past Blackhawks

CHICAGO -- Matt Duchene, Mason Marchment and Joe Pavelski scored in the third period, and the Dallas Stars rallied for a 3-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Saturday.

Jake Oettinger relieved Scott Wedgewood at 8:49 of the second period and made 20 saves for the Stars (25-12-5), who have won three of four. Dallas, which lost 6-3 at home Friday to the Nashville Predators, is 4-0-1 in the second game of back-to-backs this season.

“We said it in here in the [second] intermission, ‘Just be positive,’” Marchment said. “It’s tough coming, traveling back-to-back. Kind of the dog days here before the [All-Star] break. I’m very happy with our team for coming through and pulling that one out.”

Wedgewood saved all 14 shots he faced before leaving with a lower-body injury. Oettinger returned to the lineup Friday after having missed 12 games with a groin injury.

Stars coach Peter DeBoer did not have an update on Wedgewood other than to say the injury was “significant enough that he couldn’t finish the game. So, that’s not a good sign.”

“You never know what’s going to get thrown your way,” Oettinger said. “So, you’ve just got to be ready. I’m just happy to have played well and help the guys come back and get a win.”

Petr Mrazek made 27 saves in his fourth straight start for the Blackhawks (12-29-2), who are 1-7-1 in their past nine games and 1-3-0 since rookie center Connor Bedard was sidelined with a broken jaw on Jan. 5.

Chicago has scored one goal in each of its past three games.

“Yeah, even playing that well, I feel bad for the guys,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. “We just couldn’t get that finish again. We’re stuck on that one goal a game, and it’s just not getting us over the hump. Anytime we have one little hiccup or turnover, it seems to be in the net at the wrong time too.

“Guys are pretty down. I don’t usually go into the dressing room after the game, but I just wanted to let them know we’re really with them and we believe in them, and they have to have belief with the way we’re playing. It’s not acceptable to lose and only get one goal, but it’s going to lead to something if we continue that.”

Boris Katchouk gave Chicago a 1-0 lead at 12:56 of the second period, jamming the puck into the net after Oettinger saved a breakaway attempt by Zach Sanford.

“I think we played on our heels a little bit,” Katchouk said. “We got a little too comfortable with that 1-0 lead, and I'm a culprit of it too. But the little chips, it's always the little battles and the little things that you need to do to make your team win. And it's those little battles that really helped and we didn't really do it.”

Duchene tied it 1-1 on the power play at 2:32 of the third period. He put a wrist shot past Mrazek from the top of the left face-off circle with Jamie Benn providing a screen in front of the net to extend his goal streak to three games.

“I felt like Mrazek was playing great,” Benn said. “He saw a lot of pucks, and I don’t think we made it too tough on him in the first two periods, so we wanted to get some screens and get more pucks there. We did that.”

Marchment put the Stars ahead 2-1 at 14:54, getting around Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones at the blue line and putting a wrist shot between Mrazek's pads.

“I was definitely thinking shoot,” Marchment said. “I just kind of saw a little opening in that five-hole and lucky it went in.”

Pavelski scored into an empty net at 19:37 for the 3-1 final.

“We found a way,” DeBoer said. “We were fatigued. [It] wasn’t our A-game, you could see it. We were definitely off. I give Chicago credit; they played hard. They defended hard. They had good jump. They put a lot of pressure on us, particularly in the second period. It was a grind for us to get points here tonight. It was a gut check there in the third period to come back.”

NOTES: The Blackhawks activated Jones off injured reserve. He missed 15 games because of a shoulder injury. He was minus-2 with three shots on goal in 24:12 of ice time. “I felt OK,” Jones said. “My legs felt good, my skating did. Just some sloppy plays I can clean up going forward.” … Dallas has won six straight at United Center, their longest active road winning streak against one opponent.