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Smith propels Senators past Stars in overtime

Dec 21, 2008 - 4:55 AM OTTAWA (Ticker) -- Veteran defenseman Jason Smith netted his first goal of the season with 90 seconds remaining in overtime to help the Ottawa Senators edge the Dallas Stars, 5-4, on Saturday.

Captain Daniel Alfredsson, Antoine Vermette and Jason Spezza all tallied in regulation and defenseman Alexandre Picard snapped a 3-3 tie with the man advantage 96 seconds into the third period for the Senators, who had lost five of six.

Blue-liner Matt Niskanen, Brad Richards and Toby Petersen each scored for the Stars before Loui Eriksson notched his sixth goal in three games to tie the game at 4-4 with 5:34 left in the third.

"At least we got one point, but we need all the points we can get," Eriksson said. "Two points for us is a must right now. We didn't get it, so it's disappointing."

Signed in the offseason as a free agent to act as a replacement for the departed Wade Redden, Smith enabled the Senators to avoid a losing streak of three games or more for the fourth time this season.

"I don't score very many," Smith said. "But obviously it's nice to score a goal to help the guys get a big win."

Smith took a pass from across the slot from Mike Fisher and fired a slap shot from the right faceoff circle past Marty Turco to end a two-game skid.

"It was an unfortunate one there, but that's the way it goes some nights," Turco said. "As a team we've been making good strides in the right direction. Our defense hasn't been the most consistent part of our game."

Dany Heatley was credited with the other assist and notched his 500th career point.

"It's all right to give Heatley the puck," Smith said. "Five hundred points is pretty special. I was just happy."

Heatley was happier about getting the victory, though.

"No doubt we couldn't predict that Jason would get the winner. It was a great team effort tonight," Heatley said. "We really had to grind it out. It's a good number (500), obviously very positive. It took me five or six games to do it, so I'm glad it's finally over."

Ottawa took a 4-3 lead early in the third when Picard unleashed a hard slap shot from the top of the slot, but Eriksson later forced the extra session with his team-leading and career-high 18th tally of the season.

Petersen gave Dallas a 3-2 lead midway through the second, but the resilient Senators knotted the game when Spezza converted passes from defenseman Filip Kuba and netminder Martin Gerber two minutes later.

"There's lots of confidence inside the room," Smith said. "This game should helps us turn things around and head into the right direction. If we come out like this every night, the results will be positive."

Vermette registered his third goal of the season 3:52 into the session and Richards capitalized with the man advantage two minutes before Petersen struck.

"It's frustrating," Richards said. "We gave up five goals. It's tough to score six or seven every night. You know that's not going to happen every time. Allowing three goals on the penalty kill shows we lost the special teams battle.

"I guess you can take one positive out of this game and that is we scored five goals. I believe with the start we had in the first period, we should have ended with a better result."

Niskanen pulled Dallas even at 1-1 with 51 seconds left in the first after Ottawa got on the board, thanks to a goal from Alfredsson, who left midway through the period with an undisclosed injury.

Alfredsson attempted to gain possession of a loose puck along the left boards, but suffered the injury after being checked by Dallas' Jere Lehtinen. Alfredsson was helped off the ice in obvious pain and did not return.

"It's in the upper body," Alfredsson said. "We'll come in tomorrow and evaluate it then. I don't think it's serious."

Ottawa coach Craig Hartsburg was extremely receptive of his team's prowess without their star right wing.

"It was as physical we've ever played after (Alfredsson's injury) and it was one of our strong spots in the game," Hartsburg said. "The win right now is huge, obviously. The way it happened, the emotions we played with, was obviously a constant we need every night."

Gerber finished with 25 saves.