DALLAS _ The puck never went in the goal. The hats were on the ice.
During the Dallas Stars' 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, captain Jamie Benn had a hat trick, capped by an awarded goal with 1:19 left in the third period. Benn was hauled down from behind by Andrei Svechnikov while on a breakaway with Carolina's net empty, prompting an awarded goal.
It was Benn's sixth career hat trick, and it came on the same night the Stars gave away free military-themed hats.
"The boys were giving it to me to smile," Benn said. "I try not to in those scenarios, but it felt good however many military hats were thrown onto the ice. Sorry for the fans not taking those home but it felt good."
It was Dallas' fourth win in the last six games and improved its record to 32-19-5. Denis Gurianov also scored for the Stars, blasting a one-timer on a second-period power play.
The Stars dominated the first two periods, outshooting the typically shot-happy Hurricanes 12-9 in the first period and 17-9 in the second period. Dallas' power play scored for the fifth straight game as the offense scored at least three goals for the seventh time in eight games after the All-Star break.
"That was one of our better games for 60 minutes for sure," interim head coach Rick Bowness said.
Benn scored his first goal 7:54 into the game on a Stephen Johns cross-ice pass that finished a 4-on-2 rush up ice. He tacked on his second with 4:54 left in the second period, whipping a shot from the high slot past Petr Mrazek on the power play.
Benn is now the team leader with 18 goals on the season, and has scored in consecutive games for the second time this season. He scored in three straight games from Nov. 16-21.
"When he gets going like that, he's a force," Bowness said. "He's tough to haul down as you saw with the empty-netter."
Benn has rebounded from a rough start to the season in which he scored just one goal in the first 20 games, including a 15-game goal-less streak that he ended by scoring the game-winner in overtime in Edmonton. During that game, he used purple tape on his stick for Hockey Fights Cancer night. On Tuesday, when the Stars wore military-themed warmup jerseys, goaltender Ben Bishop urged Benn to use camouflage tape.
"I decided to use it, might have to keep it around a little longer."
