Roope Hintz scored twice, including the go-ahead goal in the second period, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-2 on Thursday night, securing their third consecutive win.
With Dallas down 2-1, Jamie Benn and Hintz scored within 1:08 in the second period. Jake Oettinger made 11 saves, and the Stars’ defense was strong, allowing just two shots in the third period and only 13 shots in total.
Matt Duchene added a goal in the third period to help seal the win. He also had an assist, while Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnson each recorded two assists. Dallas extended their unbeaten run to 4-0-1 in their last five games.
Brady Tkachuk scored and assisted on Ridly Greig’s goal for Ottawa, who were limited to their second-lowest shot total of the season. Leevi Merilainen stopped 21 shots in goal for Ottawa, which went 0-for-4 on the power play and started the new year with a loss after a strong December (9-3-1).
Dallas started strong, getting a power-play goal just 4:39 into the game. Robertson sent the puck toward the net, where Hintz redirected it past Merilainen.
Ottawa responded quickly, scoring twice in 24 seconds. First, Tkachuk scored off a faceoff win, and then he stole the puck behind the net, setting up Greig for a goal.
Dallas tied the game in the second period when Benn’s shot deflected off Ottawa defenseman Travis Hamonic and past Merilainen. Hintz then scored after a turnover by Ottawa in their own zone, giving Dallas a 3-2 lead.
Oettinger denied a breakaway attempt from Shane Pinto early in the third period. Duchene’s snap shot with 6:23 left added an insurance goal for the Stars.
