Hintz, Benn each scores goal to lift Stars past Utah Hockey Club

SALT LAKE CITY -- Roope Hintz scored his team-leading 15th goal of the season, and the Dallas Stars held on to defeat the Utah Hockey Club 3-2 at Delta Center on Monday.

“They're a really dangerous team,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “I thought the second and third [periods] we played really well. Tough road game, gritty road win for us. [DeSmith] was great. I thought we got contributions from a lot of different guys, so [it was a] big win.”

Colin Blackwell and Jamie Benn also scored for the Stars (20-13-0), who have won three of their last five games. Casey DeSmith made 23 saves.

“They have a lot of really skilled guys and I thought we locked it down really well,” DeSmith said. “We made smart plays, hard plays, cleared the zone when we could and just didn't give them anything on the inside. A couple of big blocks by some guys, too. We did a lot of great things there.”

Barrett Hayton scored for the second straight game, and Karel Vejmelka made 27 saves for Utah (16-12-6), who lost for the first time in regulation in nine games (6-1-2).

“I'm proud of the effort of the guys,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. “I'm proud of the pushback we had because we all talk about the second period, which is totally true and fair, but in the third period we had a heck of a pushback, the guys never quit, and they gave their all. They had that passion until the end, so that was great to see the team react that way.”

Blackwell gave the Stars a 1-0 lead at 11:02 of the first period, beating Vejmelka blocker side on a 2-on-1 rush with Sam Steel.

“We've had some games here in this stretch where we played pretty well but haven't come up with wins,” Blackwell said. “So to be able to shut it down at the end there, have some guys step up today and do really well, and then get those two points to kind of go [into the break] feeling good for the next segment coming back after the holidays. So it's definitely a positive moving forward.”

Kevin Stenlund tied the game at 12:41, tipping in a slap shot from Ian Cole from the blue line to make it 1-1.

Hintz scored at 12:39 of the second period to give the Stars a 2-1 lead, scoring off a pass from Mavrik Bourque.

“It was huge. Huge for us,” Hintz said. “I haven't played that well the last few games, so it was great to come back like that and find a way to win.”

Benn made it 3-1 at 17:50 as Wyatt Johnston came around the net and found Benn in front for the goal.

Hayton scored at 11:39 of the third period to make it 3-2, tipping in a shot from Nick Schmaltz as he fell to the ice.

“I think that second period is the learning lesson,” Hayton said. “I thought we did a great job in the first period. We were urgent, we were intense, we were on the ball, and playing the right way. You just can't afford those lapses against good teams, and that was what our second period was.”

It was the final game for each team before the NHL break for the Christmas holiday. Each will resume play Friday.

“Nobody wants to go into Christmas on a losing note,” DeSmith said. “Everybody wants to go home and be with their families and just feel good about hockey for a couple days, but get away from it as well.”

NOTES: Hintz has four goals in his past four games. … Hayton got his 100th NHL point on his goal in the third period. ... Clayton Keller had an assist on Hayton's goal to extend his assist and point streaks to five games (four goals, six assists).