Stars roll past visiting Predators
DALLAS -- Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza each had a goal and two assists, and Kari Lehtonen stopped 34 of 36 shots for the Dallas Stars in a 5-2 win against the Nashville Predators Thursday at American Airlines Center.
Antoine Roussel and Tyler Seguin also had a goal and an assist each for the Stars (11-11-6), who also got a goal from Brett Ritchie.
The Stars, who led the NHL with 267 goals last season, scored four or more goals for just the sixth time this season. Dallas is now 27-8-1 at home all-time against Nashville.
Viktor Arvidsson and Calle Jarnkrok scored for the Predators (12-10-4).
Mazanec stopped 18 of 19 shots in relief of Rinne.
Jarnkrok scored his fifth goal of the season by beating Lehtonen top shelf and to his short side on a wrist shot from the right circle with 4:41 remaining in regulation.
Dallas hits the road for a back-to-back at Philadelphia on Saturday and at Central Division rival Chicago on Sunday.
Dallas took an early 2-0 lead thanks to goals 23 seconds apart midway through the opening period. Stars captain Jamie Benn beat Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne top shelf over his blocker on a wrist shot from the inside edge of the left circle 9:55 into the game.
It was Benn's eighth goal of the season and 200th of his career.
Brett Ritchie then made it a two-goal game with his seventh goal of the season at 10:18 of the first. Ritchie scored after receiving a Roussel pass from the left side. It appeared that Rinne had at least initially stopped Ritchie's attempt. However, the puck trickled through Rinne and crossed the line, giving Dallas another big lift.
Nashville pulled one back when Arvidsson scored a shorthanded goal 3:57 before the first intermission. Dallas was 1:15 into a power play after Predators captain Mike Fisher was called for hooking at 14:48.
After John Klingberg broke his stick on an attempted slap shot from the slot, Austin Watson started the rush the other way by sending the puck to Arvidsson, who dashed up the right side of the ice. Initially, it appeared Lehtonen had denied Arvidsson's wrist shot from the right circle with a glove save, but the puck scooted over the line to make it 2-1.
Dallas has now allowed five shorthanded goals so far this season, tying it with Chicago for second most in the NHL.
The Stars led 2-1 and had outshot the Predators 15-6 after one period.
Jason Spezza gave the Stars a 3-1 lead 3:27 into the second period with his first goal since Nov. 3 against St. Louis. After receiving the puck from Benn inside the left circle, Spezza displayed some deft stickhandling, drawing Rinne out of the crease. Spezza then finished the sequence by scoring on a wrist shot that deflected in off Ryan Johansen.
Roussel made it 4-1 with his fifth goal of the season 5:47 into the second period when he tapped in a Lauri Korpikoski pass at the far post. Fifteen seconds before scoring, Roussel left the penalty box after serving a cross checking penalty.
Roussel's goal chased Rinne, who stopped 14 of 18 shots prior to departing, from the game. Marek Mazanec relieved Rinne.
Dallas had a goal by Radek Faksa off a rebound with 1:00 remaining in the second nullified after Ritchie washed Mazanec out on the play. However, the Stars made it 5-1 when Tyler Seguin scored his 10th goal of the season 44 seconds later with Dallas on the power play.
NOTES: The Predators scratched C Reid Boucher and D Petter Granberg. ... The Stars scratched D Jordie Benn, C Cody Eakin and D Julius Honka (upper body). ... Predators G Pekka Rinne was starting his second consecutive game. ... Stars G Kari Lehtonen was starting a third straight contest. ... Predators D Adam Pardy, who played 36 games for Dallas during the 2011-12 season, made his Nashville debut. ... Stars coach Lindy Ruff made morning skate optional on Thursday. ... Predators LW James Neal spent two seasons (2009-2011), in Dallas while C Mike Ribeiro was a Star for six seasons (2006-2012). ... Dallas is ending a two-game homestand. ... Nashville is starting a two-game road trip that will also take it to Arizona on Saturday. ... Stars C Jason Dickinson made his season debut and was appearing in his second NHL game after scoring in his NHL debut against Colorado on April 7, 2016.