Josh Norris' 2 goals help Senators beat Stars, end skid

[October 30, 2021] Josh Norris scored twice and Filip Gustavsson made a career-high 38 saves as the visiting Ottawa Senators snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday night.

Brady Tkachuk recorded his first goal of the season and Connor Brown also scored for the Senators, who have posted two of their three victories in seven games this season over Dallas. Norris, who had 17 goals last season, has five already in 2021-22 for Ottawa, which clamped down defensively following a 7-5 loss to the Washington Capitals on Monday.

Gustavsson, meanwhile, has made both of his starts this season against the Stars. He was even more stout Friday night than on Oct. 17, when he recorded 32 saves during a 3-2 home win over Dallas.

The Senators were playing their first game in the United States since March 2020.

Joe Pavelski had the lone score for Dallas, a power-play goal about midway through the second period. The Stars are mired in an 0-2-1 rut and have registered just 14 non-shootout goals in their eight games. Braden Holtby stopped 20 shots for the Stars.

For the fourth consecutive game, Ottawa scored the game's first goal. On the power play, Norris was open in the slot to bury his chance 5:49 into the contest. The Senators made it 2-0 a little more than two minutes later when their forecheck led to a turnover in Dallas' own zone, then a successful laser from the slot by Tkachuk.

 Dallas Stars goaltender Braden Holtby (70) stops a shot by Ottawa Senators left wing Alex Formenton (10) during the first period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Norris came through again, this time at the 7:41 mark of the second period. Off a one-touch pass from Drake Batherson, Norris flicked his shot past Holtby for a 3-0 Ottawa lead.

Dallas finally got on the board through the power play with 9:22 left in the middle period. Taking a perfect cross-slot pass from Alexander Radulov, Pavelski buried his second goal of the season -- both against the Senators. Pavelski has at least one point in 10 straight games versus Ottawa.

The Senators, though, regained their three-goal advantage when Brown drove home a nifty pass from Victor Mete just 3:11 into the third.

--Field Level Media

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