The Dallas Stars are officially in the win column to begin the 2025 slate.

Dallas used two goals from Roope Hintz and strong goal-tending from Jake Oettinger to get past the Ottawa Senators 4-2.

Hintz deflected a Jason Robertson shot into the net on the power play early in the first period to give Dallas a 1-0 lead.

“When he’s [Hintz] moving up and down the ice, he’s such a big man playing with speed like that. It’s really hard to handle,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “When he’s feeling confident, feeling good about his game, he covers the length of the ice as quickly as anyone in the League.”

However, that lead would not last long as just over three Ottowa would take the lead with two goals in 24 seconds apart.

Both goals were conceded via turnovers from usual sure-handed Stars defensemen. The first came to be on a puck coughed up by Thomas Harley leading to an easy goal.

The second of which came when Senators captain Brady Tkachuk ripped one away from Miro Heiskanen behind the Stars net.

It wasn’t until the second period at 10:19 that Dallas would tie the game when Jamie Benn went bardown from the left face-off circle.

Since Stars coach Peter DeBoer has switched up lines, the offense has unlocked but no line more than the newly formed combination of Benn, Wyatt Johnston, and Matt Duchene.

“[Johnston], Jamie and I, I think we see this game very similar and we like giving goals, and we forecheck and I think we’ve been getting goals and chances off good forecheck and then get pucks back and make plays,” Duchene said. “I think it’s pretty simple. [Johnston]’s got great vision out there, so does Jamie, and we got on the same page really quickly, so it’s felt pretty good.”

Hintz tallied again at 11:27 giving the Stars the lead when he buried home a net-front scramble to make it 3-2.

“We have had a lot of good looks before, but just haven’t scored. I think it’s good that now we have some go in,” Hintz said. “Just try to build on that and keep going. Try to create something every game, and sometimes it doesn’t go in. If you get chances, it’s always good. Can’t get frustrated, just keep trying and putting it to the net.”

Duchene would put the game away when he put home a feed from Johnston in the slot to make it 4-2.
The Stars will be back in action on Wednesday night when they close their homestand against the Utah Hockey Club who will make their first visit to the AAC.