The Dallas Stars scored four times in the third period to extend their winning streak to seven games with a 5-1 victory against the visiting Nashville Predators on Thursday.
Mason Marchment had a goal and an assist, and Jason Robertson, Matt Duchene and Mikko Rantanen each had two assists for the Stars (50-21-4, 104 points). Jake Oettinger made 28 saves.
Steven Stamkos scored, and Justus Annunen stopped 22 shots for the Predators (27-41-8, 62 points), who have lost five straight.
Dallas struggled to generate much in the first period and was outshot 17-5 but emerged unscathed as the two sides played to a scoreless draw through the opening 20 minutes.
Stamkos gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 4:37 of the second period. Filip Forsberg spun around in the right corner and lobbed a pass to Stamkos, who took it to the bottom of the right circle and snapped it through Oettinger’s pads.
Mikael Granlund tied it 1-1 at 19:24 when he got his stick on Duchene’s shot from the half wall to deflect it under the bar over Annunen’s left shoulder.
Marchment put the Stars in front 2-1 just 39 seconds into the third period. Duchene won a battle along the wall and backhanded the puck to Marchment, whose snap shot from the left faceoff dot beat Annunen five-hole.
Roope Hintz finished off a three-on-one rush to push the lead to 3-1 at 5:47, taking a cross-crease feed from Robertson at the left side of the net and tapping it in.
Wyatt Johnston extended his goal streak to six games to make it 4-1 at 9:45. Mavrik Bourque collected a loose puck by the bench and sent it up to Johnston, who stickhandled on the approach before slipping it by Annunen’s left pad.
Lian Bichsel’s snap shot from the left circle beat Annunen short side at 12:42 for a 5-1 advantage.
The Stars outshot the Predators 12-3 in the third period.
Dallas captain Jamie Benn sat out due to a lower-body injury, ending his consecutive-games streak at 371.
–Field Level Media
