Stars 3, Senators 1
DALLAS -- With their playoff hopes taking a hit during their current four-game winless streak, the Dallas Stars headed into their game Saturday against the Ottawa Senators in serious need of a win.
Dallas got that thanks to three unanswered goals, including the eventual game-winner from defenseman Trevor Daley early in the third period of a 3-1 victory at American Airlines Center.
Daley's goal, his sixth of the season, came following a flurry of activity in front of the Ottawa net.
After Stars left wing 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 goalie 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 wrister over his blocker off the rush at 6:58.
Dallas (33-26-11, 77 points), who snapped a four-game winless streak, received two assists from defenseman Jordie Benn, while goalie Kari Lehtonen stopped 26 of 27 shots.
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 wrister careened off the right post.
Turris' chance had come just after Dallas misfired on several close-range opportunities.
Lehner turned away a wrister from Stars rookie left wing Valeri Nichushkin at 8:00 and Jamie Benn also was off target with a backhand on the ensuing rebound three seconds later.
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 had 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.
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 wing 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.
Lehner, who left the ice with 40 seconds remaining, stopped 41 of 44 shots for Ottawa.
NOTES: Senators G Craig Anderson (shoulder), LW Matt Kassian, G Nathan Lawson (lower body) and D Patrick Wiercioch were scratched. ... Stars LW Erik Cole (upper body), D Kevin Connauton and C Rich Peverley (irregular heartbeat) were scratched. Cole's absence ended a streak of 296 consecutive games played. Cole last missed a game on March 10, 2010, when he played for the Carolina Hurricanes. ... The first-period goal by Senators D Erik Karlsson, his 19th of the season, increased his point streak to six games. ... Stars D Sergei Gonchar played the past three seasons for Ottawa before being traded to Dallas last June. The Stars are the fifth team Gonchar has played for in his 19-year NHL career. ... With Karlsson's first-period goal, Dallas has conceded the first goal in seven of their last 10 games. ... Announced attendance was 16,714.