Stars Win Against Senators
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DALLAS — After going winless in their four previous games, the Dallas Stars rebounded nicely on home ice with a 3-1 victory Saturday afternoon against the Ottawa Senators at American Airlines Center.
“The last two periods we started to really come around and skate well,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. “We missed some good chances early, but I thought we stayed with it.”
Dallas returned to the win column courtesy of three unanswered goals, including the eventual game-winner from defenseman Trevor Daley early in the third period.
Daley’s goal, his sixth of the season, came following a flurry of activity in front of the Ottawa net.
After Stars left winger Ray Whitney was denied at the near post, Whitney regained possession and passed the puck to Daley, who converted with a shot that slipped in under the right shoulder of Senators goaltender Robin Lehner.
That gave the Stars their first lead, 2-1, at the 4:52 mark of the final period.
The Stars added an insurance goal just over two minutes later when center and captain
Jamie Benn beat Lehner with a wrist shot over his blocker off the rush at 6:58.
“It’s very hard losing. It’s a bad taste in our mouth right now,” Lehner said. “(I) thought we had decent control. Going into the third, (I) think they had a lot more push than we had.”
Dallas (33-26-11, 77 points) received two assists from defenseman Jordie Benn, while goalie Kari Lehtonen stopped 26 of 27 shots.
“It’s been a while (since my last win),” Lehtonen said. “It was nice to play at home.”
Ottawa, which lost its sixth straight, took an early lead when defenseman Erik Karlsson whistled a wrister from the slot under Lehtonen’s glove 3:27 into the game.
Senators center Colin Greening picked up the only assist after collecting a free puck inside the Dallas zone and feeding Karlsson from the left circle after a furious rush up the right side of the ice.
The Senators, who were outshot, 14-7, in the first period, had a nice chance to go ahead, 2-0, early in the second period when center Kyle Turris had a breakaway at 8:10, but his writs shot careened off the right post.
Turris’ chance came just after Dallas misfired on several close-range opportunities.
Dallas tied the game at 4:53 of the second when center Cody Eakin slipped the puck in while it was sitting under Lehner.
Again, the Senators netminder denied the initial effort by Nichushkin, but was unable to freeze the puck. Eakin alertly noticed this and saw the puck sitting under Lehner and popped it in for his 14th of the season.
“It feels like it’s been a long time for me (since my last goal),” Eakin said. “It was nice to chip in and relieve that top line. We get momentum when we play four lines and everybody is creating opportunities and putting pucks on the net.”
The Stars entered this game needing a victory after losing at Winnipeg, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia during a three-game trip earlier in the week.
Dallas also lost, 4-3, in the shootout to Calgary last Friday in their final home game before the trip.
Ottawa was dealt a blow when right winger Bobby Ryan had to be helped off the ice after crashing hard into the boards behind the Dallas net with 7:28 remaining in regulation.
Ryan headed into the boards with his right hip and after several minutes, was helped to the dressing room by Turris.
“We’re not sure (what is injury is),” Senators coach Paul MacLean said of Ryan. “It’s kind of up in the air. It’s just a re-aggravation of something. We’ll see how it is tomorrow.”
Lehner, who left the ice with 40 seconds remaining, stopped 41 of 44 shots.
