Benn’s hat trick propels Stars to rout in St. Louis
Jamie Benn had his first career hat trick and Kari Lehtonen was stingy in net again in the Dallas Stars’ 4-1 rout of the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.
Blues coach Ken Hitchcock yanked goalie Brian Elliott in favor of Jake Allen after the Stars took a 3-0 lead before the midway mark of the first period, the last two goals coming in a 20-second span.
Jason Spezza had three assists for the Stars, who have won four of five and triumphed on coach Lindy Ruff’s 55th birthday.
The victory gave the Stars 62 points and moved them within four points of the San Jose Sharks for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. The Sharks lost 5-1 at Nashville.
Patrik Berglund spoiled Lehtonen’s bid for a second straight shutout with 7:30 remaining. Lehtonen’s scoreless streak was 1:45:48. Lehtonen made 27 saves.
Benn scored twice in the first period and Cody Eakin scored 20 seconds after Benn’s second goal. Benn completed his hat trick on the power play with a wrister into the top of the net 3:39 into the second period for a 4-0 lead. It was the first hat trick by a Stars player other than Tyler Seguin since March 31, 2010 when former Star and current Blues left wing Steve Ott had one.
The Stars played their second game without star center Tyler Seguin (knee injury) and won in St. Louis for the second time this season.
Benn’s 20th of the season put the Stars on top at 2:47 of the first period. Spezza won a face-off in the Blues’ zone and John Klingberg got the puck back to the Stars’ captain, who stepped into a slap shot from the high slot and beat Elliott.
Benn’s second of the game came off a 2-on-1 after a missed pinch by Blues defenseman Chris Butler. Spezza fed Benn for a quick one-timer past Elliott at 8:18. Eakin scored 20 seconds later to make it 3-0 by following up Ryan Garbutt’s bad-angled shot, ending Elliott’s night.
Benn completed his hat trick on the power play when he took a puck along the right boards, skated into the circle and beat Allen with a top-shelf wrist shot to the near side 3:39 into the second to make it 4-0. It was the first hat trick by a Stars player other than Seguin since March 31, 2010, when former Star and current Blues left wing Steve Ott had one.
Berglund’s seventh of the season came off a Paul Stastny face-off win and wrist shot from the slot.
Blues defenseman Barret Jackman played in his 780th NHL game to pass Brian Sutter for second on the franchise’s all-time games played list. Bernie Federko is first at 927.
This story was originally published February 17, 2015 at 10:07 PM with the headline "Benn’s hat trick propels Stars to rout in St. Louis."