National Hockey League
Ottawa 7, Dallas 4
When: 8:30 PM ET, Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Referees: Tim Peel, Brad Watson
Linesmen: Don Henderson, Brandon Gawryletz
Attendance: 18532

DALLAS -- Seven was a good number for the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. For one, the Senators, led by two goals each from centers Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mike Hoffman, scored seven goals in a 7-4 victory.

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."

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.
Top Game Performances
 
Ottawa   Dallas
Jean-Gabriel Pageau 3 Points Jamie Benn 3
Jean-Gabriel Pageau 2 Goals Jamie Benn 2
Mark Stone 2 Assists Jamie Benn 1
Mike Hoffman 1 Power Play Goals N/A
Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1 Short Handed Goals Jamie Benn 1
Craig Anderson .892 Save Percentage Antti Niemi .688
Craig Anderson 33 Saves Antti Niemi 11
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Ottawa 20 7 1-3 2-2 4 33
Dallas 37 4 0-2 2-3 6 32
Upcoming Games
  • Dallas will play their next game at home against Vancouver. The Stars have a W/L % of .706 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Ottawa will play their next game on the road against Colorado. The Senators have a W/L % of .545 after a win and .500 after a loss.