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 That win also snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Stars.
Prior to Tuesday, the Senators last defeated Dallas on Dec. 20, 2008
-- a 5-4 overtime win in Ottawa.
"Great two points, been eight years. Great two points," Senators
coach Dave Cameron said.
Right winger Mark Stone had a goal and two assists and right winger
Bobby Ryan and left winger Milan Michalek also contributed goals in
the win. Goaltender Craig Anderson stopped 33 shots for Ottawa
(11-5-5), which was outshot 37-20 but won its third straight and is
now 6-2-1 on the road.
Dallas (17-5-0), which saw its five-game winning streak snapped, got
goals from left winger Patrick Sharp, ending Anderson's shutout
streak at 147:04, two goals from left winger Jamie Benn and one from
center Tyler Seguin.
"We played last year's hockey and got last year's results," Stars
coach Lindy Ruff said. "Played some individual hockey and gave some
pucks away, and we got what we deserved."
Ryan gave the visitors and early lead when he converted a turnover
by Stars defenseman John Klingberg into his eighth goal of the
season. Ryan deflected Klingberg's attempted clearance in the right
circle, collected the puck, skated across the front of the Dallas
goal before finishing by slipping the puck around Stars goaltender
Antti Niemi.
Ryan now has a point in nine consecutive games. The goal came on the
Senators' first shot on goal of the game.
Ottawa doubled its lead when Michalek scored his fifth of the season
1:11 before the first intermission. Stone kicked the puck to Pageau,
who passed it to Michalek. Michalek then beat Niemi top shelf to the
far post with a wrist shot from the left circle.
Sharp cut the Ottawa lead to 2-1 with his eighth of the season 7:04
into the second period. Sharp's wrist shot from the right circle
beat Anderson far post. Anderson, who had two consecutive shutouts
heading into the game, was last scored on in a 4-3 overtime loss
against Detroit on Nov. 16.
Stone capitalized on another costly Dallas turnover, this one by
right winger Patrick Eaves, to put the Senators up 3-1 at 12:33 of
the second. Stone intercepted Eaves' attempted a pass to the middle
of the Dallas zone and scored his fourth goal of the season off a
wrist shot from the slot that struck Niemi's left pad before going
in.
"Yeah, it's big for me," Stone said of his goal. "Big time in the
game, I made a good play to kind of read their winger to try to come
across. Not a very good shot, but just one that kind of squeaks its
way in. Just a huge relief."
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That goal signaled what originally appeared to be the end of Niemi's
night as Kari Lehtonen replaced him in net. However, Niemi had to
re-enter the game 1:05 into the third after Lehtonen was injured
during a collision with Klingberg. Lehtonen made two saves in relief
of Niemi, who stopped 11 of 16 shots.
"He'll be evaluated (Wednesday)," Ruff said of Lehtonen.
Hoffman added a power-play goal to make it 4-1 before Pageau scored
a short-handed goal, his NHL-leading third of the season, 4:07 into
the third, converting on a breakaway to make it 5-1.
Benn then answered with a short-handed goal of his own at 6:07 and
Seguin beat Anderson top shelf with a wrist shot from the right
circle at 8:04 of the third to make it 5-3, but Pageau netted his
second of the night with 9:29 remaining to push the Senators' lead
back to three.
Benn cut it to 6-4 with his second of the night with 3:12 remaining,
but Hoffman's empty-net goal with 1:42 remaining capped the scoring,
coming seconds after Anderson denied Benn with a diving save at the
near post.
"Just trying to dive and get something over there and make him make
a good shot. Just got fortunate enough that he buried it right in my
chest and we were able to capitalize on the way out," Anderson said.
NOTES: Senators C Colin Greening and D Michael Kostka were
scratched. Greening was recalled from AHL Binghamton on Monday while
Kostka was recalled on Saturday. ... Stars D Jason Demers (lower
body), LW Travis Moen and D Patrik Nemeth were scratched. Nemeth
remains on a conditioning assignment with AHL Texas but should
return later this week. ... Senators G Craig Anderson started his
fifth straight game Tuesday. ... Stars G Antti Niemi was starting in
back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 31 against the
Ducks and Nov. 2 at the Maple Leafs.
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