Spezza's skate turns tide for Stars

The score was tied late in the second period at Xcel Energy Center.

A Wild power play had just ended, without a goal, and suddenly Dallas was taking the puck the other way, with Jamie Benn passing to Jason Demers.

Driving down the slot toward the net, Jason Spezza yelled for the puck. Demers responded. The puck found Spezza right in front of Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk, glancing off Spezza's skate and into the net for what turned out to be the game-winning goal, with only 69 seconds left in the second period.

Stars 3, Wild 2.

"Sometimes it's funny how hockey works," Spezza said minutes after the Stars had rallied to take a 3-1 lead over the Wild in their first-round playoff series.

Spezza was saying that because about three minutes before his goal, and just before the Wild got that power play, he had found himself alone with the puck on a breakaway.

Dubnyk stopped that shot, but not the one off Spezza's skate.

It took awhile — the better part of a year — for Dallas to feel like home. Now all he wants to do is bring a Stanley Cup there.

He had a goal and an assist in Game 1 of this series, a 4-0 Dallas victory. He did the same Wednesday night, assisting on the game-tying power-play goal, then driving to the net for the eventual game-winner.

Spezza has settled into a role and has enjoyed a big-time bounce-back season. And the Stars — out of the playoffs a year ago — entered the postseason this spring as the Western Conference's top seed.

"When we didn't make the playoffs last season, I put a lot of that pressure on myself," Spezza said. "When you come to a new team, you expect big things. And we had a bit of an off stretch there."

In 11 seasons in Ottawa, Spezza totaled 687 points in 686 games. He scored 251 goals, getting 20 or more eight times, 30 or more four times. He served as the team's captain.

This season is a different story.

Both the Stars and Spezza warmed up. Spezza came back with 33 goals in 75 games. A big (6-3, 220), strong player, Spezza has both power and skill. His slapshot is wicked and his wrist shot is accurate. The Wild learned that in Game 1 of the series when he skated down the right side, faked a slapshot, then beat Dubnyk with a high wrist shot.

If that goal was all about skill, Wednesday's was about grit. Mixing his lines, Stars coach Lindy Ruff had Spezza and Benn on the ice together for the game-winner, a goal that started with Benn but ended with Spezza.