Cory Conacher scored with 41 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-4 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday in a thrilling match at the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas.

Conacher rushed down the right wing and crashed into the crease while being dragged down by Dallas' Jamie Benn but still had enough to get the puck through Dallas netminder Ben Bishop for the game-winner.

The Lightning, 5-0-1 in their past six games and 13-5-1 in their past 19, have the best record in the NHL and hold a seven-point lead on the Toronto Maple Leafs for first place in the Atlantic Division.

The Stars, 3-4-1 in their past eight matches following a five-game winning streak, held on to the first wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference, with a two-point lead on Anaheim and St. Louis. Dallas trails Minnesota by three points for third place in the Central Division.

Brayden Point opened the scoring for Tampa Bay just 1:02 into the match, beating Bishop after a forecheck and a nitty feed from the recently acquired J.T. Miller.

Dallas answered when Jamie Benn, working on the power-play, slipped a pass into the high slot for Tyler Seguin, who rocketed a one-timer past Tampa Bay goalkeeper Louis Domingue. Alexander Radulov also garnered an assist on the goal.

Seguin gave the Stars a 2-1 lead 8:13 into the second period when he roamed the front of the goal and waited for a pass from John Klingberg before pushing it past Domingue. Esa Lindell also assisted on the score.

Tampa Bay answered in spades, scoring three times over the ensuing eight minutes to put the Stars in a 4-2 hole.

First Anthony Cirelli burst down the wing and wired the puck short side on Bishop, tying the game at the 9:20 mark of the second period with his first career goal in his NHL debut. Victor Hedman and Chris Kunitz had assists on the score.

Cirelli also had a hand in the Lightning's next goal, forcing a turnover to help gain entry into the offensive zone before Alex Killorn crashed the crease to poke a rebound of Cedric Paquette's shot past Bishop with 6:07 remaining in the second period.

Then, about two and a half minutes later, Miller's tape-to-tape stretch pass to Steven Stamkos produced a breakaway and Stamkos took advantage of the opportunity to move Tampa Bay's lead to 4-2.

Brett Ritchie cut Dallas' deficit in half 1:50 into the third period as he one-timed a pass from Jason Dickson past Domingue. It was the first NHL assist for Dickson; Remi Elie also got credit for a helper on the play.

Then Mattias Janmark tied the match with just four seconds to play, as he found room above a sprawled Domingue after a scrum in the crease. Seguin and Radek Faksa got assists on the play.

Tampa Bay heads home for a season-long eight game homestand when it plays Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon. The Stars continue on their late-season run of home games by hosting St. Louis, also on Saturday afternoon.

--Field Level Media