DALLAS — Joe Pavelski scored his NHL-leading ninth power-play goal and the Dallas Stars tallied twice in the opening period for the first time this season, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-0 on Saturday night for only their second win in the past 12 games.
The 36-year-old Pavelski scored 45 seconds after Jason Dickinson poked a loose puck under the left leg of Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo.
Stars rookie goalie Jake Oettinger made 21 saves in his first career shutout, coming in his seventh start.
Columbus coach John Tortorella challenged the initial goal, claiming goalie interference. Dickinson's score stood after the challenge was denied on replay review, resulting in the delay of game penalty that gave the Stars a man advantage.
Dallas (7-8-4) dropped its previous four games. Before getting two goals in the third period of a 3-2 loss to Columbus on Thursday, the Stars had gone scoreless for 189 minutes, 46 seconds. They had won only one other time since a 6-3 victory at Columbus on Feb. 2.
That span of 9 1/2 periods without a goal included consecutive shutout losses to Tampa Bay in the first two meetings this season against the team the Stars lost to in the Stanley Cup Final last September.
The Blue Jackets (10-11-5) missed a chance for their first three-game winning streak this year.
Korpisalo stopped 18 shots before getting pulled midway through the third period after Roope Hintz scored with some nifty skating and a backhand to make it 4-0. Radek Faksa added a short-handed goal in the final minute against Veini Vehvilainen.
Hintz was the only player with multiple points, as he had the primary assist on the early power-play goal. Pavelski's 11th goal overall came 3:09 into the game.
Stars defenceman Miro Heiskanen scored for the second game in a row after coming up empty in his first 17. He gathered a puck that ricocheted off the side boards in the second period and snapped a wrist shot from about 37 feet for a 3-0 lead.
GETTING CHIPPY
Things got chippy between the teams as the game progressed, with players scuffling through several stoppages in play. There were no penalties for such discretions until Stars captain Jamie Benn and Columbus centre Max Domi both got 10-minute misconduct penalties midway through the third period.
HURTING HINTZ
Hintz is dealing with a lingering lower-body issue, and played for only the third time in six games. Even after he went through the morning skate, coach Rick Bowness called Hintz a game-time decision — and said that will likely be the case throughout the season. Hintz didn't play Thursday after going through the morning skate.
WHAT'S NEXT
Columbus plays four home games in a row, with the first of two against Florida on Tuesday night before hosting the Stars twice next weekend.
Dallas is home Sunday night to play Nashville, making up the first of two home games against the Predators that were postponed because of extreme winter weather and widespread power issues in North Texas last month.
