Jamie Benn’s night began by helping create a goal and reached its clearest point when he scored one himself. In between, the Dallas Stars turned a promising start into a 5-0 victory over San Jose, with Benn involved in two separate changes to the score.
At 18:51 of the first period, Benn was credited with an assist on Miro Heiskanen’s backhand goal. Roope Hintz also assisted, and Heiskanen supplied the finish, but Benn’s contribution put him directly into the opening scoring sequence. The goal came with 69 seconds remaining before intermission, converting Dallas’ first-period advantage into something more valuable than a favorable shot count.
The Stars had outshot San Jose 11-2 in the opening period. That imbalance showed Dallas was generating more attempts, although it did not guarantee a lead. Hockey remains stubbornly unimpressed by promising arithmetic. Heiskanen’s goal finally gave the pressure a scoreboard consequence, and Benn had a hand in getting Dallas there.
His next meaningful contribution required a different job. At 6:19 of the second period, Benn scored on a snap shot, with Jason Robertson and Hintz receiving the assists. The goal made the score 3-0 and arrived 3:02 after Joel Kiviranta had scored to double Dallas’ advantage. That spacing mattered: Kiviranta’s goal made San Jose’s deficit uncomfortable; Benn’s finish made it considerably harder to repair.
The Stars did not need a long wait for the next expansion, either. Robertson scored unassisted at 16:30, sending Dallas into the second intermission with a 4-0 lead. The Stars scored three times on nine second-period shots, and Benn’s goal occupied the middle of that burst.
It was the play that separated the early cushion from the kind of margin that could withstand a quieter final period.
Benn’s individual line was compact and influential: one goal, one assist, four shots and 14:20 of ice time. Those numbers describe a different contribution from the teammates around him. Heiskanen supplied the first goal.
Robertson helped set up Benn before scoring later. Hintz recorded two assists without scoring, connecting the opening goal and Benn’s goal from the playmaking side. Kiviranta and Mikko Rantanen provided the other finishes, with Rantanen completing the scoring at 15:22 of the third period on a wrist shot assisted by Sam Steel.
Benn’s two points also need the context of the other finishes. Dallas scored on five of 26 shots, an excellent return that no player can guarantee for the team. The empty power-play line remains an objection to calling this a complete offensive repair. Benn had contributed to a convincing win; he had not personally settled every question about the attack.
That distribution kept the game from becoming a one-player exercise. Five Dallas players scored, and the Stars finished with 26 shots to San Jose’s 13. All five goals came at even strength, while Dallas went 0-for-3 on the power play.
