Niemi, Stars shut out Penguins 3-0 in season opener

And Ales Hemsky had good feelings in the first game after a season he’d rather forget.

The free agent signee stopped 37 shots, registered his 33rd career shutout and tallied two assists in a 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. “We know we’re going to use both goaltenders, so for me, Antti is the guy that gets the nod”, Ruff said. “You have to have hard screens right around the goal area”. In addition to Niemi’s play, rookie Mattias Janmark scored on his first shot on goal, and winger Ales Hemsky showed no rust after hip surgery, tallying a goal and an assist.

“Not only scored, but skated very well”, Stars coach Lindy Ruff said of Hemsky. “He’s had a heck of a camp”.

Dallas Stars goalie Antti Niemi (31), of Finland, gets help from… Join us here and talk about the game!

“It took me a while past year to get into it and align the system and everything”, Hemsky said. “As each period went on, I felt better and more comfortable”, Sprong said.

Yahoo Sports Puck Daddy writer Sean Leahy put together a comprehensive preview for team looking at everything from the five most fascinating players to the teams nightmare scenario.

The Dallas Stars figure to have a high-scoring, high-powered offense during the 2015-16 season.

If Niemi can consistently provide the kind of goaltending he did in the opener, when he made 33 saves, Dallas likely can start printing playoff tickets this weekend.

Rookie center Mattias Janmark put Dallas in front to stay at 1:39 of the opening period when he charged down the left side of the slot and directed a feed from Alex Hemsky past Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. “It wasn’t lack of chances”. Brian Elliott finished with 23 saves.

“I couldn’t have had a better start at least”. “My first game, and to get that start, I never dreamed of that”.

Dallas went on its first power play of the season 4:57 into the second period when Penguins center Nick Bonino was guilty of hooking center Jason Spezza. Dallas was on a power play after defenseman Ian Cole high-sticked Seguin seven seconds earlier. With 7:21 remaining in the third, Benn made it 3-0 with a power-play goal on a redirect from the right circle on a shot by center Tyler Seguin.

NOTES: Dallas acquired Janmark as part of a March trade that sent Erik Cole to Detroit.

Sprong, an 18-year old from Amsterdam, was the Penguins second-round pick in this year’s draft out of Charlottetown in the Quebec Major Junior hockey league. Also making their Dallas debuts were LW Patrick Sharp and D Johnny Oduya, teammates with Chicago’s Stanley Cup champions last season…. Hailed as a potential first-round talent, he slid to the Penguins because of concerns about his two-way play.