Jamie Benn scores twice in Stars victory

CALGARY -- Jamie Benn scored twice and Kari Lehtonen made 29 saves to help the Dallas Stars to a 4-2 win against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday.
Lauri Korpikoski and Antoine Roussel also scored for the Stars (5-6-3), who ended a three-game losing streak.
"It's good confidence for this group," Benn said. "It wasn't easy. We grinded one out here tonight. We've got to learn as a group here that it's not easy to win in this league. Every night you have to bring it. With the young group we have here, it was nice to get this win."

WATCH: All Stars vs. Flames highlights
Johnny Gaudreau scored twice and Brian Elliott made 18 saves for the Flames (5-9-1), who have lost three straight and five of six.
"We have to get out of this funk, this slump, and turn the season around," Gaudreau said.
Benn ended a nine-game goal-scoring drought in the first period, and then completed a three-way passing play started by Roussel and Tyler Seguin to score his second of the game and put Dallas up 3-2 at 7:20 of the third period.
"I think we all knew that eventually [Benn] would come out of it," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "But I thought tonight, obviously, it was the best game he's played in a while."

Roussel scored into an empty net with 53.6 seconds remaining.
Korpikoski put Dallas up 1-0 after taking a pass from Radek Faksa and shooting by Elliott's glove at 12:31 of the first period. Korpikoski attended training camp with the Flames on a professional tryout prior to signing a one-year contract with the Stars on Oct. 10.
Benn made it 2-0 at 15:35 with his first goal in 10 games.
"It seems like I go through a streak like that every year," he said. "It just so happened to come pretty early this year. They are things you have to work through and learn from. It was definitely nice to get two, but it was a lot better to win."
Gaudreau scored twice in 1:58 in the second period to tie the game.
Lehtonen got a piece of Brett Kulak's shot from the point, but Gaudreau tapped the rebound over the goal line from inside the crease at 1:33 for his first goal in seven games.
Gaudreau scored again on his next shift, deflecting Kulak's shot by Lehtonen at 3:31.
"Johnny had some big, timely goals tonight," Flames captain Mark Giordano said. "Their line was really generating."

Goal of the game

Benn trailed the rush and took a pass from Stars defenseman John Klingberg before skating into the slot to lift a backhand by Elliott for his third goal of the season.
"I saw a little bit [of weight] lifted off him," Seguin said. "He was really buzzing out there tonight."

Save of the game

Elliott made back-to-back saves on Klingberg's initial shot and Benn's rebound attempt a second apart in the opening minute of the third period to keep Calgary tied 2-2.

Unsung moment of the game

With the Stars under pressure, defenseman Johnny Oduya blocked a shot by Flames forward Freddie Hamilton after he circled out of the corner with the puck with 6:12 remaining in the second period.

Highlight of the game

Benn took a pass in the slot from the corner by Seguin and beat Elliott to give the Stars a 3-2 lead.
"We found a way to take advantage on the power play," Benn said. "We moved the puck around pretty good there. I think almost all five guys touched it. [Roussel] made a good play and [Seguin] made a great pass."

They said it

"We competed hard. We defended first. When we defend first we're going to get opportunities. We have a lot of speed and skill on this team. It was nice to see tonight and a nice rebound." -- Stars forward Tyler Seguin

"We are finding ways to lose. There are certain things we are doing well but we are finding ways to lose. We need somebody now to step up and find a way to win and stop playing the victim. That is really what we need. We just need someone to step up and find ways to win games." -- Flames coach Glen Gulutzan

Need to know

Stars forward Patrick Sharp, who missed his 10th game because of a concussion, resumed skating with teammates Thursday but has no set timetable on his return. … Flames rookie forward Matthew Tkachuk, the No. 6 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, missed the game because of a cut on his wrist sustained in practice Wednesday. … Calgary defenseman Dennis Wideman was a healthy scratch for the fourth game in a row and the seventh time this season.

What's next

Stars: At the Edmonton Oilers on Friday (9 p.m. ET; SNW, FS-SW, NHL.TV)
Flames: Home vs. the New York Rangers on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN1, MSG+, NHL.TV)