SALT LAKE CITY — The Dallas Stars secured a 2-1 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on Monday night, marking their third consecutive win.
Evgeni Dadonov and Jamie Benn each contributed a goal to the Stars’ success, while goalkeeper Casey DeSmith delivered an impressive performance with 34 saves. This victory adds to Dallas’s strong streak, having won eight out of their last eleven matches.

For the Utah squad, Nick Schmaltz managed to score, and Karel Vejmelka recorded 19 saves. This loss dropped Utah’s recent performance to 3-2-1 over their last six games.

Dadonov found the net during a power play at 7:07 in the second period, while Benn extended the lead to 2-0 just before the period ended. Schmaltz then brought Utah onto the scoreboard at 6:57 of the third period.

A noteworthy milestone was reached by Utah defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, who played in his 500th career game on the same night.

Takeaways from the game revealed that Utah is continuing to struggle with consistency, as they have not won back-to-back games since their first three victories at the season’s start. In contrast, the Stars now hold 32 points, which consolidates their position in third place in the Central Division and places them just four points behind Minnesota and Winnipeg, who are leading the division.

A pivotal moment in the match occurred early in the first period when DeSmith skillfully deflected a loose puck with his shoulder pad, setting a commanding tone for the evening.

In terms of significant statistics, Utah now stands at 2-8-1 for the season when conceding the first goal, while Dallas has recorded a strong 12-2-0 record when they score first.

Looking ahead, the Stars are set to visit Los Angeles on Wednesday, while Utah will head to Buffalo on Saturday.