Detroit — The Red Wings head into the second half of the season on a bit of a downer.
Dallas tied the game late in regulation, then won it overtime on Roope Hintz’s power-play goal, giving the Stars a 5-4 overtime victory.
Hintz was alone in front of goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic and tapped in Joe Pavelski’s pass for his 17th goal.
Stars forward Jason Robertson, who played his youth hockey in the Detroit area, tied it 4-4 at 18:57 of the third period, sending the game into overtime.
With the Stars pulling goaltender Braden Holtby for an extra attacker, Robertson pounced on a loose puck in the slot and snapped a shot past Nedeljkovic at 18:57, Robertson’s 16th goal.
BOX SCORE: Stars 5, Red Wings 4 (OT)
Tyler Bertuzzi — who just missed an empty net goal seconds before Roberton’s goal — scored a power-play goal at 13:46 of the third period, temporarily breaking a tie.
Bertuzzi had the puck outside the crease and drew Holtby toward him. Seeing Stars defenseman Esa Lindell prone in the crease, Bertuzzi lifted a shot that bounced off Lindell and into an open net for Bertuzzi’s 19th goal, tying Bertuzzi for the team lead with Dylan Larkin (who scored earlier in the game).
The Wings fell to 18-17-6 to complete the first half of the season. Dallas is 20-16-2.
The Wings play Saturday in Nashville (8:30 p.m./BSD/97.1).
Robby Fabbri, Pius Suter and Larkin had the other Wings goals.
Ryan Suter, Joel Kiviranta and Esa Lindell scored for Dallas.
Kiviranta gave Dallas a 2-1 lead early in the second period.
Kiviranta got the puck near the hashmarks and lifted a shot that Nedeljkovic was screened on and never reacted, Kiviranta finding a corner for his first goal this season at 5:50.
But similar to the first period, the Wings came right back.
Bertuzzi left the puck on a rush for Pius Suter, who ripped a shot from the top circle that eluded Holtby at 7:34, Suter’s ninth goal.
Almost two minutes later, Larkin quickly broke the tie.
Larkin took the puck nearly coast to coast, sidestepped Dallas defenseman John Klingberg, and lifted a shot that dribbled over Holtby’s shoulder and into the net at 9:16, Larkin’s 19th goal.
The Wings appeared to be headed with the lead into the final 20 minutes, but Nedeljkovic allowed his second quirky goal of the evening.
Lindell lined a shot that may have glanced off a stick, and found an open spot between the post and Nedeljkovic at 18:47, Lindell’s third goal.
Blashill talked after Friday’s morning skate about the strength Dallas displays at both nets.
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“They’re really big, and they’re really hard at the net, and then vice versa, they’re really hard at their own net,” Blashill siad. “They’re really long, excellent defenders, and they take away a lot of time and space. If you aren’t ready to shoot the puck you won’t get it off, because of how long they are.”
Dallas opened the scoring with Ryan Suter scoring a fluky goal.
Suter snapped a shot from along the goal line that somehow found a hole with Nedeljkovic attempting to get to the post, Suter’s fourth goal, at 12:03 of the first period.
But the Wings, behind Fabbri, quickly tied it 23 seconds later.
Bertuzzi saw Fabbri open on a dot to dot pass, and Fabbri faked Holtby into the ice before depositing his 11th goal, tying the game 1-1.
Friday’s gam marked the return of former Red Wings forward Luke Glendening, who returned to LCA for the first time as a member of the Dallas Stars.
Glendening spent eight years with the Wings before signing as an unrestricted free agent with Dallas last summer. Glendening had xxx in minutes.
“To me, he’s a guy that can help teams win. Any coach that’s coached him has loved him for that reason,” Blashill said. “Beyond that, his character, not just his character as a person, he’s a great person, but his winning character from a hockey standpoint is outstanding. He’s got unbelievable work ethic, he drags people into the weight room, his practice work ethic every day is outstanding.
“I’ve got nothing but great things to say about Luke as a person, as a player and as a competitor.”
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan