The Dallas Stars leave Ottawa by winning in overtime and earning two points

The Dallas Stars began their two-game road trip in Ottawa by taking on the Ottawa Senators tonight. The good news about the road trip is that Jamie Benn is now cleared to fly with the team and resume skating at practice. However, even better news is that the Stars snapped their losing streak in Ottawa by winning 3-2 in overtime tonight. Sometimes this team can be frustrating, but they always give 100% when they are trailing in the game.

It's funny that the three players I wanted to score against the Senators all scored a goal tonight. Perhaps I should consider buying a lottery ticket after finishing this article. Mikko Rantanen sparked the entire comeback by the Stars with that amazing breakaway goal at the end of the second period. If he hadn't scored that goal, they wouldn't have won tonight. Let's look at the four takeaways from tonight's win over the Senators in overtime.

Dallas Stars vs. Ottawa Senators Recap: 4. Where was everyone in the first period?

My one question I have about the first period is where the team was helping out Oettinger. Not much he can do on a 2-0 without any substantial help from his teammates. Like I mentioned in the pregame article tonight, Oettinger is not a two-way player with four hands. He needs help in the Stars' zone, which the team failed to do. When that happens, teams like the Senators take advantage of that in the nice early lead. That is not the Stars everyone knows and loves.

Dallas Stars vs. Ottawa Senators Recap: 3. Inconsistent play

I don't know why the Stars can't be consistent with their play. One night, they are dropping five goals, and the next night, they are twiddling their thumbs against a team like the Senators. The Senators deserved to win tonight's game based on how they came out in the first period. The fact that they can't just flat-out play hockey and win in regulation? I'm happy about the overtime victories, but can we not stress out the Stars fanbase?

Dallas Stars vs. Ottawa Senators Recap: 2. Rantanen deserved his paycheck tonight

Mikko Rantanen is the only reason the Stars had a shot of winning tonight's matchup against the Senators. Late in the second period, Rantanen stole the puck for a breakaway goal to cut the Senators' lead in half. He's one of the best players that the Stars had on the ice tonight overall. I hope Rantanen gets his rest before Thursday's game in Montreal. The Stars will need his physicality and his goal-scoring ability when they take on the Canadiens.

Dallas Stars vs. Ottawa Senators Recap: 1. Hintz ends it in overtime

Talk about effort in overtime tonight. Roope Hintz roofed it like Matt Duchene did against the Avalanche in overtime. Hintz is starting to find his groove again, and it's looking like a good thing for the Stars as they are winning games with some critical players not in the lineup right now. As of now, the Stars are second in the Central Division behind the Colorado Avalanche. The Stars will be back in action on Thursday night as they take on the Montreal Canadiens.