Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Cody Eakin scored the winning goal with 3:14 to play to lead the Dallas Stars in a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.
Jamie Benn had two goals and an assist while Patrick Eaves added a goal and a helper for the Stars, who have won six of seven. Kari Lehtonen turned aside 25 shots.
Dallas is still in the playoff chase as its recent surge has put the team eight points back of Winnipeg for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.
"The only thing we can do is try to win out," said Stars coach Lindy Ruff. "Just try and win out."
Brian Gionta had two goals and Matt Moulson added a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who have dropped their last three games. Anders Lindback stopped 35 shots in the loss.
"Seems everyone's focused on a draft choice, but our focus is trying to get these guys to compete & win," said Sabres coach Ted Nolan.
Dallas trailed by a goal entering the third and tied the game 1:56 in on the power play as Benn picked up a loose puck in the slot and from the circle snapped it in for his 26th of the season.
Buffalo took the lead back at 10:52 when Tyler Ennis charged down the right wing and got a shot off down low that hit the crossbar and popped into the air, landing to the right of Lehtonen where Moulson tapped it in.
The Stars, though, tied the game less than two minutes later as Tyler Seguin took a feed down the left wing and skated to the circle before throwing the puck to the slot where Eaves wristed it in.
Dallas then took its first lead of the night with 3:14 to play when Eakin took a feed at the inside left circle and put it home for a 4-3 advantage.
Buffalo got Lindback out of the net with over a minute to play, but was unable to net the equalizer.
The Sabres took the first lead of the game at 13:39 of the first on Gionta's first of the game, but Benn netted his first of the game with just 29 seconds left in the opening session.
Gionta's second goal of the game came on the power play at 11:07 of the second to give the Sabres a 2-1 lead.
Game Notes
Dallas plays its next three games on the road starting in Calgary on Wednesday ... Buffalo hosts Arizona on Thursday ... Both teams were 1-for-3 on the power play.
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