Stars keep lead after explosive first period

DALLAS (AP) -- Vernon Fiddler, Loui Eriksson and Steve Ott scored during a span of 3:05 in the first period and the Dallas Stars went on to beat the Nashville Predators 6-3 on Friday night. Dallas rookie Richard Bachman stopped 34 shots in his seventh consecutive start in place of Kari Lehtonen, who is out with a groin injury but is expected back within a week. Mike Ribeiro and Jamie Benn also scored for the Stars, who improved to 5-2 in their last seven games. The Predators were coming off a 6-5 home win over Columbus on Thursday night, when they rallied from a three-goal deficit. They almost pulled off another comeback against the Stars. Second-period goals by Matt Halischuk and Martin Erat drew the Predators to 3-2, but Ribeiro got one back for Dallas later in the second to extend the advantage. David Legwand's power-play goal at 4:38 of the third again pulled the Predators within a goal at 4-3, but Benn's goal 30 seconds later restored the Stars' two-goal cushion. Michael Ryder's empty-netter at 17:53 of the third period wrapped up the victory. Ryder also had two assists. Dallas struck first when Fiddler swept a loose puck into the upper right corner of the net from the left circle at 9:25 of the first period. Eriksson needed only 1:16 after Fiddler's goal to make it 2-0 on a wrister from the left circle, and Ott's deflection at 12:30 stretched Dallas' lead. Meanwhile, Bachmen kept the net clean in the opening period despite Nashville's 17-8 advantage in shots on goal. Predators coach Barry Trotz pulled starting goalie Pekka Rinne after Ott's goal, inserting Anders Lindback. Halischuk got the Predators on the board at 8:56 of the second, powering a rebound past Bachman during a pileup in front of the net. Erat struck from the right circle during a 5-on-3 at 11:45 of the second to make it a one-goal game, but Ribeiro extended Dallas' lead to 4-2 at 14:10 on a sharp-angle shot. NOTES: Dallas scored on three of its first seven shots. ... The Stars had allowed 13 goals in their previous three games. ... Dallas D Philip Larsen was back after missing two games with a lower-body injury. ... F Tomas Vincour (knee) and D Stephane Robidas (foot) are out for the Stars. ... Nashville D Kevin Klein (flu) missed the game. ... Ott's deflection goal stood after a video review to determine if his stick was above the crossbar when it made contact with the puck.