DALLAS — Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask stopped 36 of 37 shots and defenseman Dougie Hamilton had a goal and an assist in Boston’s 3-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night at American Airlines Center.
The Bruins (24-17-6) trailed 1-0 early in the second when Dallas center Vernon Fiddler scored off a backhand in his 700th career game.
Boston then erupted for three unanswered goals, getting goals from right winger and former Star Loui Eriksson, center Gregory Campbell and Hamilton.
Boston had a great chance to strike first when center Patrice Bergeron flicked a snap toward the Dallas net 6:58 into the game, but his shot instead found the crossbar.
The visitors then had an apparent goal by Campbell at 10:38 of the first period nullified after right winger Jordan Caron was called for hooking Stars defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who turned over the puck to set up Campbell’s goal.
Late in the first period, the Stars lost left winger Erik Cole to a lower-body injury. Cole did not return for the final two periods.
Dallas took the lead when Fiddler scored his sixth goal of the season 6:46 into the second period, a backhand that sailed in over Rask’s glove.
Fiddler then had a great look at another goal opportunity at 13:22 of the second, but saw his wrist shot from the right circle ring off the right post.
The Bruins tied it with 5:43 remaining in the second when Eriksson beat Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen with a wrist shot from the slot for his 11th goal of the season. Eriksson finished a nifty backhand pass from center Carl Soderberg with a shot that landed in the back of the net over a diving Lehtonen.
Boston took its first lead late in the second when Campbell scored his fifth goal of the season off a rebound with 1:33 remaining before the second intermission. Left winger Craig Cunningham took the initial shot from the right point, which Lehtonen made a pad save on.
Campbell was stationed at the near post to score his first goal since Dec. 31.
Dallas had another golden opportunity when a rising wrist shot by center Tyler Seguin from the right circle 1:29 into the third period found the crossbar with the Stars on the power play.
The Bruins took a 3-1 lead at 7:41 of the third when Hamilton scored his sixth goal of the season with Boston on the power play. Hamilton beat Lehtonen to his short side with a wrist shot from the right circle, a play on which Lehtonen was heavily screened by Soderberg.
Boston had gone on the power play 37 seconds earlier when Dallas defenseman Jason Demers was called for elbowing Soderberg into the boards on the far side of the ice.
A Dallas player found a post for the third time when, with 6:25 remaining in regulation, center Colton Sceviour sent a wrist shot off the near post from the left circle.
Lehtonen stopped 24 of 27 shots for Dallas before leaving the ice for the extra attacker with 1:29 remaining.
NOTES: Bruins D Matt Bartkowski and C Brad Marchand were scratched. Marchand was serving the final game of a two-game suspension for a slew-footing incident against the Rangers in New York on Jan. 15. … The Stars scratched D Trevor Daley (undisclosed injury) and D David Schlemko. … Bruins G Tuukka Rask made his fourth consecutive start. … Stars C Tyler Seguin spent three years in Boston and won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011 before being traded to Dallas on July 4, 2013. Bruins RW Loui Eriksson and RW Reilly Smith were also included in that trade. … Stars C Vernon Fiddler appeared in his 700th career game. … Boston started a three-game road trip that straddles the All-Star break. The Bruins play the Avalanche in Colorado on Wednesday, then the Islanders in New York on Jan. 29. … The Stars are off until a Jan. 27 road game against the Montreal Canadiens.