Johnston’s hat trick leads Stars past Senators 6-1 for 4th consecutive win

DALLAS (AP) – Wyatt Johnston’s fourth career hat track included two power-play goals, giving him an NHL-best 12, and Jason Robertson had the winning goal and two assists in his 400th career NHL game as the Dallas Stars beat the Ottawa Senators 6-1 on Sunday night.

Johnston also had an assist to match a season high with four points.

Mavrik Bourque and Jamie Benn also scored for the Stars, who have won four consecutive games and are 10-1-1 in their last 12 games.

Dallas backup goaltender Casey DeSmith is 6-0-2 after making 15 saves. Dallas allowed a season-low 16 shots on goal.

Robertson’s goal came 44 seconds after Jake Sanderson tied the score 1-1. Dallas outscored Ottawa 3-1 in the second period following a scoreless first.

Johnston and Robertson share the team lead with 16 goals each, tied for fourth in the NHL. Robertson has points in 10 of his last 11 games (13 goals, 9 assists) and leads Dallas with 35 points (fifth).

Linus Ullmark stopped 20 shots for the Senators, who are 3-3-0 heading into the finale of a season-long seven-game road trip.

The Stars’ 38 points are second most in the NHL but four behind league-leading Colorado in the Central Division.

Dallas’ NHL-best power play has scored 29 times in 26 games. Last season, the Stars’ 29th power-play goal came in game No. 49 on Jan. 26.

Mikko Rantanen had a season-high three assists.

The Senators went 6-4-3 in November, their first winning mark in the month since 2016-17.

Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel left late in the second period with an apparent injury to his left leg. He went into the boards after getting hung up with Ottawa’s Fabian Zetterlund.

Senators: At Montreal on Monday.

Stars: Begin a road back-to-back on Monday against the New York Rangers.