Dallas Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith (1) makes a save with his leg during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Utah Hockey Club, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
Roope Hintz scored his team-leading 15th goal to help the Dallas Stars beat Utah 3-2 on Monday night.
Hintz snapped a 1-1 tie 12:39 into the second period. Jamie Benn and Colin Blackwell also scored for Dallas, and Casey DeSmith made 24 stops.
The Stars had lost two in a row.
Kevin Stenlund and Barrett Hayton scored for Utah, and Karel Vejmelka had 27 saves. Utah has won just one home game in December.
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Dallas jumped in front in the first when Blackwell scored following a Utah turnover. Stenlund responded with his sixth of the season at 12:41.
Benn lifted the Stars to a 3-1 lead when he got his seventh with 2:10 left in the second.
Utah pulled one back on Hayton’s goal with 8:21 left in the third but couldn't find the tying goal.
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Takeaways
Stars: Aggressive defense and relentless attacking helped Dallas create several quality shots during a dominant second period.
Utah: Home ice struggles continued for Utah, which fell to 1-4-3 in its last seven home games.
Key moment
The second-period goals for Hintz and Benn gave the Stars enough of a cushion to pull out a second road win against Utah in December.
Key stat
The Stars had an 18-6 advantage in shots on goal in the second.
Up next
Dallas hosts Minnesota on Friday, and Utah hosts Colorado on Friday.
