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Another Blackhawks comeback, but no victory

The never-say-die Blackhawks couldn't make it all the way back this time.

Returning to the United Center on Tuesday night following a highly successful road trip during which they won six of seven games — several in come-from-behind fashion — the Hawks fell 4-3 to the Dallas Stars.

Antoine Roussel's goal on a penalty shot at 3:01 of the third period snapped a 3-3 tie in a game the Hawks once trailed 3-0.

Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen turned away 47 of 50 shots by the Hawks, who had their six-game winning streak ended.

“We were very generous on the first 3 goals against us,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “We had one of those starts where we were trying to get ourselves in the game mentally. I don't think we were real sharp.

“We worked ourselves back with a heck of a second period and had a decent third period. We had some great opportunities to get the equalizer. We missed that 5-on-3 and that could have been it there.”

The Hawks trailed by a goal when they failed on a 5-on-3 early in the third period that lasted 74 seconds.

Roussel's penalty shot was awarded after Niklas Hjalmarsson hooked him from behind on a breakaway.

Earlier, Roussel fought Andrew Shaw, who no doubt remembered last week's game in Dallas when Roussel took aim at Patrick Kane with several big hits. Shaw got the better of Roussel in their scrap that didn't end when the linesmen jumped in as Shaw kept punching.

“I was kind of rusty, you know,” Roussel said. “I just wanted to keep going and I feel like the rivalry between the two teams is building up. I've been hit really hard tonight, punched really hard, so we got 2 points back and that was for everybody.”

Roussel was unaware the linesmen had stepped in to stop the fight.

“Yeah, well, he (kept) hitting me and, well, why not, huh?” Roussel said. “I didn't really stop. I wish that fight would have (kept) going for a minute and then we would've known, like, who was the toughest. We'll see, maybe next game.”

The Hawks and Stars meet again Tuesday in Dallas.

This was the 23rd time in 29 games that the Hawks outshot their opponent.

“We came back and I thought carried the play through most of the game if you look at the shots,” Kris Versteeg said. “Fifty shots. Kari really stood on his head tonight and kept them in it. We didn't get the full comeback this time, but we have to be happy with the way we played in the second and third periods.”

Trailing 3-0 midway through the second period, the Hawks rallied to tie the game on goals by Patrick Sharp, Nick Leddy and Johnny Oduya.

Sharp's power-play goal, a blast from the right point, at 9:39 made it a game. Shaw and Duncan Keith assisted on Sharp's 200th goal as a Hawk as he became the 18th player in team history to reach that milestone.

Shaw set the play up with a charge into the Dallas zone. He then headed to the front of the net after feeding Keith to help Jonathan Toews screen Lehtonen.

Kane set up the goals by Leddy and Oduya.

The Hawks outshot the Stars 16-5 in the first period but trailed 2-0 on Dallas goals by Valeri Nichushkin at 13:47 and a power-play goal by Alex Chiasson at 18:50.

Not even the spirited fight between Shaw and Roussel could pump any life into the Hawks in the first period.

Dallas got a second goal from its fourth line 3:07 into the second period to make it 3-0 when Nichushkin set up Erik Cole in front.

Follow Tim's hockey reports on Twitter @TimSassone and check out his Between the Circles blog at dailyherald.com.

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