DALLAS — Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock could accept his team squandering an early two-goal lead and losing to the Dallas Stars 3-2 in a shootout Saturday in a hard-fought game at the American Airlines Center.

What he found hard to swallow was how officials could rule that the puck crossed the goal line on Steve Ott’s shot, the only goal in a shootout that lasted six rounds.

Referee Rob Martell, who was positioned on the goal line, immediately waved his arms to signal no goal. However, it was ruled a goal following a lengthy video review by league officials in Toronto.

“I think the video replay showed the puck didn’t go in the net. I thought that’s why we had video replay,” Babcock said. “The referee on the goal line called it (no) goal, but then it was determined he was blocked out and the other (official) decided it went in the net. So I don’t know how a guy that’s 20 feet away can make that decision when we have people in Toronto look at video replay. That makes no sense to me whatsoever. Disappointing.”

After Ott’s goal, Patrick Eaves fired a shot over the net, as Detroit went 0 for 6 in the shootout against goaltender Alex Auld.

Jimmy Howard, making his 11th consecutive start, was strong again, stopping 28 shots in regulation and overtime and making five big saves in the shootout before Ott slipped a backhand shot through his pads. Howard thought he trapped the puck on the goal line.

“I thought I stopped the forward motion. I was actually the one that knocked it backwards,” Howard said. “I thought it never crossed the line, but I guess they said otherwise. (Martell) is standing right there waving it off. I thought he had a great view of it.”

The officials were not available for comment. The Red Wings felt they were robbed of a point.

“The guy that’s coming in from the blue line called it, not right away, later on after they went upstairs I guess he made the call,” Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. “It’s hard to explain, especially when the guy that’s standing right on the goal line waves it off. It’s a tough call.”

Said forward Dan Cleary: “From what I’ve been hearing, it looks like we might have gotten robbed a little bit. But Howie really gave us a chance, was excellent in net. It’s too bad; we really wanted that extra point.”

Todd Bertuzzi and Brian Rafalski scored for the Red Wings. Henrik Zetterberg and Lidstrom each had two assists.

Dallas snapped a three-game losing streak and won the season series 3-1.

"Disappointing to give up the lead and then lose on that play,” defenseman Brad Stuart said. “I don’t know who’s right and who’s wrong on that one. But we probably shouldn’t have gotten ourselves into that one. No use complaining about it.”

The Stars tied the game at 2-2 at 3:53 of the third period on Loui Eriksson’s 19th goal. He knocked in a rebound from the slot.

Before that, the Stars trimmed their deficit to 2-1 on Brad Richards’ power-play goal at 2:37 of the second period. The Red Wings once again were burned by a penalty for too many men on the ice, one which Babcock disputed.

Jonathan Ericsson fanned on a dump-in attempt and was caught up ice, resulting in an odd-man rush for the Stars. Richards, skating down the left wing, faked a slap shot to freeze Howard and then fired a wrister past him.

“Once they got the power-play goal it gave them a lot of momentum and they were coming after us a little bit harder,” Lidstrom said. “You want to play a little smarter in that situation.”

The Red Wings scored on two of their first four shots and led 2-0 after the first period.

Bertuzzi opened the scoring at 5:10 with his 13th goal. Entering the zone with speed, he took a pass from Zetterberg, cut around Jeff Woywitka and tucked a backhand shot past Auld. It ended Bertuzzi’s eight-game goal-scoring drought.

Rafalski scored a power-play goal at 9:30. He cleaned up around the net, knocking in a loose puck after Zetterberg’s pass attempt to Bertuzzi was deflected in front of Auld.

The Red Wings couldn’t hold onto the lead, but Babcock didn’t fault their effort.

“I thought it was a real good hockey game and I thought our team played hard,” Babcock said. “I thought they played hard. I thought both goalies were good.”