EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Corey Perry scored to give the Dallas Stars a 1-0 lead on the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night as they try to avoid elimination.
Perry's goal with 2:08 left gave the Stars a boost of confidence against the Lightning, who lead the series 3-1. Tampa Bay last won it in 2004.
Stars winger Alexander Radulov had a big hand in Perry's goal by shaking up defenseman Mikhail Sergachev with a check. With Sergachev in pain, Tyler Seguin carried the puck toward the net, Perry ended up with it on his stick and he lifted it past Andrei Vasilevskiy for his second goal in as many games.
Getting a lead was crucial for Dallas against Tampa Bay, which is 9-0 in this postseason in the bubble when leading after one.
Goaltender Anton Khudobin made sure that wouldn't be the case. Among his 10 first-period saves, he stopped Yanni Gourde from close range on his blocker side, which has been the Lightning's prime target for goals the past three games to take over the series.
It wasn't all good for the Stars in the first. Reliable defensive defenseman Andrej Sekera limped off after blocking a shot from Sergachev midway through the period.
Depleted Dallas can't afford another injury after adding forward Roope Hintz to their growing list of unavailable players. Hintz was injured in Game 4 Friday night when he crashed into the boards. Forwards Radek Faksa and Blake Comeau, defenseman Stephen Johns and goaltender Ben Bishop are also out.
For Tampa Bay, captain Steven Stamkos was the only notable absence after he tweaked something in his triumphant Game 3 return that included him scoring on his only shot.
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