Joe Pavelski had two power-play goals Monday to push the Dallas Stars past the host New York Rangers 5-3.

Pavelski, a free-agent signing for the Stars last summer, had been struggling with the puck, scoring his first goal in nine games on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.

Against the Rangers, he scored both goals in the first period as the Stars and Rangers fought to a 2-2 tie heading into the intermission.

The first 20 minutes did not go without controversy.

The Rangers started the night with just 2:29 ticked off the clock when Pavel Buchnevich took a sharp-angle shot from the sideboards and fooled Stars goalie Anton Khudobin.

Pavelski got the Stars on the board less than six minutes later at the 8:08 mark. Tyler Seguin rang the puck off the post with a big shot and John Klingberg got it back to Pavelski at the point.

The Rangers disputed the goal, claiming Seguin's shot caromed off the goal cage and hit the netting before returning it to the ice. Referees reviewed the play and determined it was a good goal.

Just 16 seconds later, with the Rangers tagged with another penalty for losing the review decision, Jamie Benn dished the puck from behind the net to Pavelski in the high slot. Pavelski made no mistake.

Before the end of the first period, the Stars were on a penalty kill, and Brett Howden scored but the referees waved it off, saying he put the puck in the net with his hand.

The slow-motion replay showed the puck going in off the stick and the call was overturned.

Stephen Johns and Blake Comeau scored unanswered goals for the Stars in second, chasing Henrik Lundqvist from the Rangers net. The Stars didn't let up on Alexander Georgiev as Corey Perry fired a shot past the netminder for the fifth Dallas goal.

Brendan Lemieux got one back for the Rangers but it was all they could muster.

Khudobin made 33 saves for the Stars, who fired 21 shots at the Lundqvist-Georgiev tandem.

The Stars next visit the New York Islanders on Tuesday. The Rangers host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

--Field Level Media