Stars 3, Penguins 0
DALLAS -- Ales Hemsky had a goal and an assist and Antti Niemi stopped all 33 shots he faced for his 33rd career shutout in his Dallas debut as the Stars defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 on Thursday night at American Airlines Center in the season opener for both teams.
Niemi also had two assists for Dallas, who received goals from rookie center Mattias Janmark and left winger and captain Jamie Benn.
Janmark opened the scoring by tapping in a cross-ice pass from Hemsky 1:39 into the game.
Hemsky was rushing up the right side of the ice and noticed Janmark streaking toward the far post, so he sent a pass in direction from the right faceoff circle. Janmark received it perfectly and scored with a quick flick, beating Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to his short side.
Dallas went on its first power play of the season 4:57 into the second period when Penguins center Nick Bonino was guilty of hooking center Jason Spezza. And the Stars wasted little time, making it 2-0 45 seconds later when Hemsky beat Fleury high on his blocker side with a wrister from the right point.
Stars defenseman Alex Goligoski picked up the primary assist on the power-play goal and Niemi was credited with the secondary helper, his second assist of the game.
Niemi denied Penguins center Phil Kessel's one-timer from the left circle 2:38 into the third period, sliding over for the save to protect the far post.
Dallas had an apparent power-play goal by left winger Patrick Sharp nullified at 6:49 of the third period because of goaltender interference. Replays showed Dallas left winger and captain Jamie Benn had pushed Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy into Fleury, knocking him to the ice and making it impossible for him to stop Sharp's wrist shot from the right circle. Benn received a minor penalty.
With 7:21 remaining in the third, Benn made it 3-0 with a power-play goal on a redirect from the right circle on a shot by center Tyler Seguin. Dallas was on a power play after defenseman Ian Cole high-sticked Seguin seven seconds earlier.
Dallas held Penguins center and captain Sidney Crosby without a shot.
Niemi robbed Kessel again at the far post with less than a minute remaining as the Penguins had an extra attacker.
Fleury stopped 19 of 22 shots for the Penguins. Fleury left the ice with 2:45 remaining in regulation.
NOTES: Penguins D Adam Clendening, D Tim Erixon and C Kevin Porter were scratched. ... Stars D Patrik Nemeth, D Jamie Oleksiak and C Colton Sceviour were scratched. ... Penguins RW Daniel Sprong was making his NHL debut and skated on Pittsburgh's fourth line alongside RW Bobby Farnham and C Matt Cullen. ... Stars C Mattias Janmark, who came over from Detroit in the March trade that sent RW Erik Cole to the Red Wings, made his NHL debut. Janmark centered Dallas’ fourth line alongside LW Antoine Roussel and RW Ales Hemsky, and scored his first career goal 1:39 into his debut, knocking home a pass from Hemsky. ... Penguins C Nick Bonino, Cullen, RW Phil Kessel and LW Sergei Plotnikov were making their Pittsburgh debuts. ... Before the game, Dallas honored LW Jamie Benn for winning the 2015 Art Ross Trophy after leading the NHL in points last season.