Predators' six-game winning streak ends in loss to Stars

NASHVILLE -- The Nashville Predators had their six-game winning streak end with a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.

Colton Sissons scored for the Predators (19-18-1), who were 0-for-3 on the power play. Juuse Saros made 27 saves.
"I think there's lots of good things that we've done," Nashville coach John Hynes said. "Obviously the No. 1 and most important thing is I think we understand what we need to do to be able to win games and be a difficult team to play against. I think the lesson out of this game is when we get away from that, we're not as good of a hockey team."
Joe Pavelski had two assists for the Stars (12-12-10), who had lost three in a row (0-1-2). Anton Khudobin made 21 saves.
"Any win feels good right now," Dallas captain Jamie Benn said. "We got a lot of good efforts out there from every player that played in that game tonight. We'll take that two points and enjoy it and then move on."
Esa Lindell gave the Stars a 1-0 lead at 2:39 of the first period when he took a pass from Blake Comeau and scored on a wrist shot from the slot.
"It just happened last second," Lindell said. "I called for the puck from [Comeau] right away, but he held on to it and then I had a little bit of luck that I got the puck there with me. I had a little time to take a look where to shoot."

Sissons tied it 1-1 at 16:21 of the first period on a shot from the slot after a pass from along the boards from Yakov Trenin.
Jason Robertson one-timed a cross-ice feed from Roope Hintz on a 2-on-1 rush to give the Stars a 2-1 lead at 8:49 of the second period.
"[Hintz] is a great player," Benn said. "What he does for our lineup is huge. He brings it every night, and you saw it again tonight. He just makes things happen out there. I can't say enough good things about him."

Dallas outshot Nashville 13-4 in the second period.
"I've been saying this all year, that timely goal, that timely save, that's how close it is," Stars coach Rick Bowness said. "We're in every game other than a couple, and at some point in the game you need that goal to give you a boost and you need that save to give you a boost, and we got both tonight. That's probably one of the better games we've played all year."
Benn ended an eight-game goal drought at 1:41 of the third period on a redirection on the power play to make it 3-1. Miro Heiskanen scored an empty-net goal at 17:51 for the 4-1 final.
"It was a tough, physical game tonight," Hynes said. "I think you credit Dallas. They were the better team for lots of parts of the game and we weren't at the level that we needed to be at tonight to have success."
NOTES: Predators center Ryan Johansen was limited to 14:00 of ice time because of an undisclosed injury, and defenseman Alexandre Carrier (undisclosed) left the game in the second period. Hynes did not have an update on either player. … Stars defenseman Joel Hanley left in the first period because of a lower-body injury. Bowness said they won't know the severity "until it settles down." … The Stars were 1-for-2 on the power play and are 11-for-20 against the Predators this season.