Penguins vs Stars Game Overview

Johnston has scored a goal in six straight games and the Stars (50-21-4, 104 points) have won seven in a row for the second time this season. The franchise record for consecutive wins in a season is eight, set from March 16-April 3, 2024.

Johnston's 31 goals trail only Jason Robertson (33) for the team lead. Johnston also scored in Dallas' 7-1 romp in Pittsburgh on Nov. 11.

The Stars overcame a sluggish start on Thursday to score five goals during a 13:18 stretch in a 5-1 win over the reeling Nashville Predators. The victory extended the Stars' overall point streak to 10 games (8-0-2) and home point stretch to 12 (11-0-1), with the latter run serving as the team's longest since a 13-game streak in 2010-11 (10-0-3).

Dallas moved within four points behind the first-place Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division.

Mason Marchment, who collected a goal and four assists in the previous encounter versus the Penguins, had one of each on Thursday.

"Once we start playing the right way, we can roll four lines and we're deadly," Marchment said. "It's awesome when you can trust all four (lines) going out and all pairs of defenses going out. It makes it easy."

Roope Hintz, Mikael Granlund and defenseman Lian Bichsel also tallied as Dallas handed Nashville its fifth consecutive loss.

Mikko Rantanen notched two assists to boost his point total to 13 (four goals, nine assists) in 13 games since joining the Stars at the NHL trade deadline.

Dallas continued its winning ways without captain Jamie Benn, who sat out for the first time in 371 games due to what head coach Peter DeBoer labeled as "maintenance" for a lower-body injury.

"We've got a lot of hidden leadership in that room behind Jamie," DeBoer said of Benn, who is stuck on 399 career goals. "Jamie's obviously the guy, but we've got a lot of layers of leadership underneath that you see when he's not around."

While the Stars are ascending, the Penguins (30-34-12, 72 points) are headed in the other direction with losses in four of their last five games (1-2-2).

Pittsburgh fell short in an encounter against the NHL's hottest team on Thursday. The St. Louis Blues tied a franchise record by posting their 11th straight victory with a 5-4 overtime decision against the Penguins.

Bryan Rust scored his fifth goal in seven games and also added an assist for Pittsburgh.

Rutger McGroarty scored from the low slot with 25 seconds left in the third period for his first career NHL goal.

"It was pretty cool, especially at that point in the game," McGroarty said. "Against a team like that and how hot they are, it was pretty cool for Ville (Koivunen) and I to do that on the same goal. We might have to split the puck in half, I'm not sure, but obviously the outcome (stinks). It happens. It's hockey and we'll get back at it on Saturday."

McGroarty joined Rust and Rickard Rakell with a goal and an assist and Connor Dewar tallied for Pittsburgh, which has lost four in a row on the road.

Penguins superstar captain Sidney Crosby is riding an 11-game point streak (eight goals, eight assists).

--Field Level Media