ST. LOUIS — Rookie Mattias Janmark ignited a three-goal first period and Kari Lehtonen made 35 saves for the Dallas Stars, who forced Game 7 with a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Monday night.

Vernon Fiddler and Jason Spezza also scored for Dallas, which reclaimed home ice for the deciding game Wednesday night despite getting outshot 37-14 with the Blues dominating the last two periods.

Alexander Steen and Patrik Berglund scored for St. Louis.

Home ice has meant little, given that the road team has won three straight and 4 of 6 in the series.

Blues goalie Brian Elliott, who had played well throughout the postseason, was replaced with the Stars leading 3-0 on just seven shots at 16:49 of the first.

Jake Allen finished in his first appearance of this postseason, facing just seven more shots in the final two-plus periods.

St. Louis will be seeking its first trip to the Western Conference final since 2001 and Dallas, which finished first overall in the West, previously made it that far in 2008.

The Stars were ahead 3-0 after the first, their first two- and three-goal leads of the series. That early show of strength muzzled another standing-room crowd of 19,808 at the Scottrade Center with the first two goals coming in a span of 20 seconds.

Janmark blocked Colton Parayko’s dump-in from just inside the blue line and skated in alone on Elliott, scoring on a high shot. Fiddler made it 2-0 on a deflection at 5:13 not long after Elliott couldn’t clear the puck.

Elliott was pulled after the Stars made it three goals on seven shots, with Spezza scoring on a power play from the slot at 16:49. Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester fell down seconds before Spezza’s first of the series and fifth of the playoffs.

The Blues had several good chances in the first but often missed the net.

Steen’s goal on a rebound of Robert Bortuzzo’s shot gave the Blues life in the second period. Berglund cut the deficit to one at 8:59 of the third.

PREDATORS 4, SHARKS 3: Viktor Arvidsson scored 2:03 into overtime, and Nashville won at home to force a deciding seventh game for their second straight series.

Arvidsson jumped the puck between three Sharks and skated up the left side before throwing a backhander past goaltender Martin Jones.

No road team has won in this second-round series, and the franchise that had never forced a Game 7 until this postseason will play in its second straight with a berth in the Western Conference finals on the line. The Predators also earned their first two-day break between playoff games this postseason with Game 7 on Thursday night in San Jose.

Colin Wilson, Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi also scored for Nashville.

NOTES

PANTHERS: Defenseman Erik Gudbranson agreed on a one-year contract.

The Panthers announced the deal on Monday. Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon said Gudbranson is an “important part of our young core.”

PENGUINS: Pittsburgh is sticking with rookie goaltender Matt Murray.

Coach Mike Sullivan said Monday that Murray will remain in the net for Game 6 of his team’s Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Washington Capitals. Murray has started eight straight playoff games for the Penguins.