Flyers' 10-game winning streak ends in Dallas

DALLAS - A week earlier, the Flyers used a late rally to erase a Dallas lead and extend their winning streak.

In the rematch Saturday afternoon, there was no comeback, no third-period heroics.

No extension on their longest winning streak in 31 years.

Dallas ended the Flyers' 10-game winning streak, 3-1, at the American Airlines Center.

The Flyers' Ivan Provorov fired a shot off the post with 1 minute, 17 seconds left - it would have tied the game - and Jordie Benn then secured the win with an empty-net goal with 17.1 seconds remaining.

Provorov hit iron twice late in the game, including the aforementioned shot while the Flyers were on a power play.

"We can't hang our heads. I thought we had a good run," right winger Jake Voracek said after the Flyers swarmed the net in the frantic last few minutes in a desperate attempt to score the equalizer. "Now we have to refocus ... and get five points before Christmas at least."

The Flyers face Nashville (Monday), Washington (Wednesday), and New Jersey (Thursday) before the holiday break.

Antti Niemi, who helped end the Flyers Stanley Cup dreams when he was with Chicago in 2010, made 31 saves to end the winning streak, which was tied for the third-longest in franchise history.

The Flyers' franchise record: 13 straight wins in 1985.

Niemi stopped Voracek and Travis Konecny on a scramble in front with about 3:20 left. The Flyers then got their only power-play of the game with 2:58 to play, but came up empty.

With the Flyers trailing, 2-1, Niemi stopped Taylor Leier's wraparound attempt with 10:40 left in the third. With 9:54 remaining, Provorov's shot beat Niemi but hit the crossbar, just inside the left post.

After being thoroughly outplayed in the second period, the Flyers regrouped and outshot the Stars, 15-7, in the final 20 minutes. But Niemi had all the answers.

"We didn't get a positive bounce on any of those plays," coach Dave Hakstol said about several near-misses, "but that's how it is."

Dallas had taken a 2-1 lead on a play that started when defenseman Radko Gudas lost the puck behind his own net. The puck eventually was sent to John Klingberg at the right point. Steve Mason stopped Klingberg's drive, but fourth-line forward Adam Cracknell put the rebound past him with 17:33 remaining in regulation.

Earlier, Leier, following Nick Cousins' shot, scored on a rebound for the first goal of his NHL career, giving the Flyers a 1-0 lead with 3:16 left in the opening period.

"It feels unreal. So surreal," said Leier, who was playing in his fifth game this season and the 11th of his career. "When I put my hands up in the corner, I just couldn't believe it. All the guys were really excited and it's an exciting time."

Dallas tied it early in the second period as Radek Faksa converted a juicy rebound. Other than that goal, Mason stood tall in the second period. Dallas had numerous golden chances in the second, and outshot the visitors, 14-7.

"The second period wasn't necessarily one of our best periods, but you've got to give the other team credit some times," Leier said.

A week earlier, Brayden Schenn scored a hat trick - all three goals were on the power play + as the Flyers rallied for a 4-2 win over the Stars. Schenn tied the game at 2-all with 3:48 left, then made it 3-2 with 2:15 to go.

The Flyers had six power plays in that game, but just one Saturday.

"The discipline to make sure we weren't putting ourselves in a bad place today was really important," Dallas coach Lindy Ruff said.

In Saturday's game, Schenn had his stick slashed out of his hands by Cracknell with 6:33 remaining in the second. Cracknell was originally assessed a slashing penalty. But the referees conferred and it was ruled that offside was called before the slashing incident, negating the penalty. Thus, the Flyers, who went 3 for 6 on the power play in last week's win over the Stars, were denied their first man-advantage sequence of the afternoon.

"They called a penalty back. I've never seen that before in my life," right winger Wayne Simmonds said. "Go figure, right?"

scarchidi@phillynews.com

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