Steel scores once, assists Tyler Seguin as Stars beat Blackhawks 3-1 in return home from Finland

DALLAS (AP) — Sam Steel had a goal and an assist in the Stars' 3-1 win over the Blackhawks on Thursday night in their first game since returning from Finland.

Jake Oettinger stopped 25 shots for Dallas, only allowing a power-play goal from Tyler Bertuzzi midway through the third period.

Steel scored with 8:54 left in the first period and assisted Tyler Seguin after sending a shot across the crease in front of Soderblom. Logan Stankoven added a empty-netter with 46 seconds left in the game.

The Blackhawks were also the opponent the last time Dallas played at home before playing the reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers twice in Finland last weekend. The Stars lost both games.

Arvid Soderblom got his fourth start in goal for Chicago and stopped 37 shots.

Blackhawks: Just like last month, Chicago lost at Dallas after also losing the previous night. They had only five shots on goal in the first period.

Stars: Pete DeBoer got his 620th career victory (107 in Dallas) to match Bryan Murray for 20th among NHL head coaches. ... Seguin, who didn’t play Saturday in the second game in Finland, has four goals and three assists in his last five games.

Oettinger stopped five shots in a 10-second span less than a minute after Seguin gave Dallas a 2-0 lead.

The Stars are 6-0 at home and have allowed only six goals and killed all 16 penalties they've faced.

Chicago is home against Minnesota on Sunday night, after the Dallas visits Winnipeg on Saturday.

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Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) and the rest of the line celebrate with the bench after Seguin scored in the second period of an NHL hockey game aginst the Chicago Blackhawks in Dallas, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom (40) defends against a shot as defenseman Alex Vlasic (72) helps against pressure from Dallas Stars' Logan Stankoven (11) in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) works against Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Nolan Allan (42) in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) and Chicago Blackhawks left wing Lukas Reichel (73) look on after a shot at the net by Reichel in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Nick Foligno (17) takes control of the puck on a breakaway play as Dallas Stars' Thomas Harley, rear defends in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) slaps a puck away on an attack by Chicago Blackhawks' Nick Foligno (17) as Thomas Harley (55) helps defend on the play in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars' Logan Stankoven (11), Sam Steel (18) and Esa Lindell (23)j celebrate a goal scored by Steel in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Dallas, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

NEW YORK (AP) — Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin was pulled in the second period against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night after giving up five goals on 12 shots.

The 28-year-old Russian, who entered the contest with a 6-2-1 with a 2.22 goals-against average, allowed a goal by Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin 26 seconds into the game.

He then gave up four goals in the second period — including three in a span of 2:12 span — as the Sabres took a 5-0 lead. Dylan Cozens, Tage Thompson, Jordan Greenway and Sam Lafferty scored in the middle period before Shesterkin was replaced by Jonathan Quick with 6:09 to go after Lafferty scored.

The Sabres went on to beat the Rangers 6-1.

“It really unraveled in the second,″ Rangers defenseman and captain Jacob Trouba said. “Our goalie has kind of kept us in this thing for the first 12 games. We’ve got to be better and give up less quality chances.”

The Rangers, who fell to 8-3-1 this season, have been winning largely because of Shesterkin's stellar play.

“This certainly was not our best,″ Rangers defenseman Adam Fox said. ”We left him out to dry. It’s not good enough.”

Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender in 2021-22 when he was 36-13-4 with a 2.07 goals against average. He won 37 games in 2022-23 and 36 last season as the Rangers finished with the NHL’s best record.

Shesterkin is in the final season of a four-year, $22.67 million contract and there has been talk of him wanting to be the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history.

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New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) and Adam Fox react as Buffalo Sabres' Jordan Greenway (12) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)