Penguins' 10-game winning streak ended by Stars

DALLAS --The Pittsburgh Penguins had their 10-game winning streak end in a 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Saturday.

It was the longest winning streak in the NHL this season.
"We knew they've been good at home," Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin said. "They're a hard, hard team, so we knew we had a big challenge with these guys. It's tough to let this one slip, especially with our lead."
The Stars scored three straight goals, including the tiebreaking goal by Roope Hintz with 3:46 remaining off a goalmouth scramble.
"There was a loose puck and then we got a 2-on-1," Hintz said. "I tried to sell it to [Jason Robertson] and then after that, he got it from the air and he just whacked it. Miro (Heiskanen) tried to get it over the goalie, and then I was there behind him, and then I just got it into the open net."

Denis Gurianov and Joe Pavelski scored for Dallas (17-12-2), which won its fourth straight. Robertson had three assists, and Jake Oettinger made 27 saves.
"We definitely got better as the night went on," Pavelski said. "There was a lot of energy in the building all night. All the way from warmups, you could feel it growing as our game got better."
Dumoulin and Kasperi Kapanen scored for the Penguins (20-9-5). Tristan Jarry made 29 saves.
"It's a game of momentum," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "Sometimes they have it, sometimes we had it. I thought we had it a fair amount in the first half of the game. I thought the third period, in particular, we got on our heels a little bit."

Dumoulin gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead with a snap shot from the circle at 6:02 of the first period.
Kapanen tipped a Marcus Pettersson shot that beat Oettinger high glove side 25 seconds later to make it 2-0 at 6:27.
"I think it was right there for us," Pettersson said. "Our start was good. Like I said, just timely goals from them late in the second like that…it was right there. It's really tough right now. We've been playing some good hockey, so we have to look at what we can do better and move on."
After his initial shot was blocked, Gurianov scored on the short side to cut the lead to 2-1 at 16:01 of the second.
Pavelski scored on a rebound past Jarry's skate to tie the game 2-2 at 14:59 of the third period.
"What we talked about after the first period, it just seemed to me we were giving them a little too much respect," Dallas coach Rick Bowness said. "That's a great hockey club over there. … They play very hard. I think after the first we were just giving them a little too much respect, and then I think in the second and the third we started to play Dallas Stars hockey against them and being more aggressive."

The Penguins lost for the first time this season when leading after two periods; they had been 18-0-1.
"I think they're a tough team to beat," Kapanen said. "I think throughout the game, we were pretty good in front of our net. We know they've got big guys, skilled guys that tip pucks and have a presence at the net. Obviously, those last two goals, they were just better in front of the net and cost us the game."
NOTES:With an assist on Dumoulin's goal, forward Jake Guentzel extended his personal point streak to 17 games (26 points; 15 goals, 11 assists). … The Penguins dressed 11 forwards and seven defenseman after forwards Bryan Rust and Brock McGinn were placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol Saturday morning. … Forward Jeff Carter had an assist in 21:11 of ice time in his return to the lineup after missing three games in protocol. … Robertson extended his point streak to six games (three goals, six assists) and his home point streak to 10 games (five goals, 10 assists).