Seguin, Benn explode in Stars' win in Columbus
Dallas coach Lindy Ruff challenged his top offensive players after the Stars' sluggish start to the season.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Dallas coach Lindy Ruff challenged his top offensive players after the Stars' sluggish start to the season.
Boy, did they listen.
Center Tyler Seguin had three goals and an assist, and left winger Jamie Benn had one goal and three assists, leading the Stars to their first win of the season, 4-2 at Columbus against the Blue Jackets before 15,995 in Nationwide Arena.
It was Seguin's fifth career hat trick. And a Gordie Howe hat trick for Benn, who had a second-period fight with Blue Jackets left winger Nick Foligno.
"That was an awesome display," Ruff said of Seguin and Benn. "They led the way. They had some pretty good support, but they led the way. They were dug in tonight."
Both Benn and Seguin came into the game with zero points and minus-3 ratings on the season.
"It was a good game," Seguin said. "We wanted that killer instinct. We kind of let them back in the game, but we got our first win.
"We felt like the compete level needed to rise. We weren't panicking, but we needed to be better. I thought you saw us rise up tonight and answer the challenge."
Seguin redirected a Benn slap shot from the high slot with 7:44 to play, putting Dallas ahead for good after blowing a 2-0 lead earlier in the game.
He completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal with 1.0 remaining.
Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen made 33 saves in the win.
Center Ryan Johansen scored both goals for the Blue Jackets -- his first two of the season -- while defenseman Jack Johnson had two assists. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves as the Blue Jackets suffered their first loss of the season.
"We talked about it before the game, that their coach (Ruff) laid into their top players," Blue Jackets right winger Cam Atkinson said. "They came out flying."
The Stars dominated the first period, taking the first eight shots of the game and taking a 2-0 lead only 6:20 into the game.
Only 3:36 into the first, Seguin got his stick on a Benn pass from the right circle, ramping it over Bobrovsky's left pad or a 1-0 lead.
Less than three minutes later, Benn scores his own goal off a tremendous individual effort near the blue line. Benn outworked Blue Jackets left winger Scott Hartnell and center Artem Anisimov, then found space in the slot and beat Bobrovsky to the far corner.
Johansen beat Lehtonen with a wrister from the right circle a 6:17 of the second to cut the Dallas lead to 2-1.
At 14:22 of the second, Johansen struck again, this time swooping in through the left circle to pounce a rebound left from a Foligno jam attempt, making it 2-2.
Atkinson had a chance to give the Jackets a 3-2 lead early in the third period after blocking a shot that led to a breakaway. The shot he blocked, however, cracked his stick, leaving Lehtonen with an easy save.
"That kind of night," Atkinson said.
NOTES: Stars RW Valeri Nichushkin remained in Dallas for further tests on a hip injury that has nagged him since early in training camp. Coach Lindy Ruff indicated Nichushkin could meet the club at some point on the current road trip. RW Colton Sceviour, playing in his 31st NHL game, took Nichushkin's spot on the top forward line. ... Blue Jackets D Ryan Murray, who missed most of training camp with a knee injury, could return by the weekend. He is due to visit with doctors Friday. ... Dallas LW Curtis McKenzie was recalled from AHL Texas, though he was scratched from the lineup Tuesday. He could make his NHL debut Thursday in Pittsburgh. ... The Blue Jackets, entering their 14th season, failed in the bid for their first 3-0 start.