Vancouver Canucks top Dallas Stars 3-1 behind Boeser goal

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (40) defends against Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski (16) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Saturday, March 25, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

DALLAS (AP) -

Brock Boeser scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and the Vancouver Canucks held the Dallas Stars scoreless on four power plays, including one late in the third period, for a 3-1 win Saturday night.

Jack Rathbone and Dakota Joshua also scored for Vancouver, which swept the three-game season series against Dallas and has won the past six meetings dating to last season. Thatcher Demko made 19 saves to help the Canucks open a three-game road trip with a victory.

Ryan Suter scored the lone goal for Dallas, which closed out a 1-1-1 homestand.

With the game tied at 1, the Canucks took control with two goals in the second period.

Boeser's goal four minutes into the period made it 2-1. Rathbone increased the lead just 1:33 later on a straightaway shot past third-stringer Matt Murray, who was giving the Stars' Jake Oettinger a night off. Usual backup Scott Wedgewood has been injured the past month.

It could have been worse for the Stars, who survived a power play that included a stretch of 5-on-3 toward the end of the second. The Canucks outshot the Stars 11-4 in the period.

The Stars took a 1-0 lead on Suter's goal from the blue line despite the Canucks controlling the action for much of the first 10 minutes, including a 5-0 advantage on shots.

Vancouver tied it with a short-handed goal by Joshua with 1:30 left in the opening period. It was the 14th short-handed goal for the Canucks, the most in the NHL. Vancouver has scored 10 short-handed goals in their past 17 games.