‘A Very Unique Player’: Wyatt Johnston Lauds Jamie Benn After Scoring First Power-Play Goal Of Season In Dallas Stars’ 5-2 Loss To Montreal Canadiens

DALLAS — Wyatt Johnston scored his first power-play goal of the season Thursday night, 11 games after leading the NHL with 27 of them. The goal tied the game 1-1 at 12:53 of the first period, but the Montreal Canadiens beat the Dallas Stars 5-2 at American Airlines Center.

Mikko Rantanen found Johnston at the bottom of the right circle on Dallas’ first power play of the night. Johnston snapped the puck low into the far side of the net. Montreal answered with 2 goals in 27 seconds late in the period, and Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook finished with 2 goals each.

Johnston also had the second assist on Jamie Benn’s second-period goal and finished with 2 shots on goal. Through 11 games, he has 3 goals, 7 assists, and 10 points.

Benn’s wrist shot from the left circle came off a Rantanen feed from below the goal line. Johnston said the 37-year-old can fit anywhere in the lineup.

“He’s a very unique player,” Johnston said. “He can play with anyone. He can kind of do it all. … Obviously, a nice goal tonight.”

Wyatt Johnston’s Record Season On The Power Play

Last season, Johnston set career highs with 45 goals, 41 assists, and 86 points in 82 games. His 27 power-play goals led the NHL. The total broke the franchise record of 22, set in 1986-87 when the team played in Minnesota.

Johnston’s 42 power-play points tied for third in the league. His previous career high in power-play goals was 11, set in 2024-25.

In the playoffs, Johnston had 4 goals, 2 assists, and 6 points in six games, with 3 of the goals on the power play. Minnesota eliminated Dallas in six games in the first round.

The 23-year-old missed two games with an illness in mid-October. Before that, he had played all 333 games of his NHL career consecutively since his debut on Oct. 13, 2022.

Dallas Stars Power Play Through 13 Games

The Stars went 1-for-3 on the power play Thursday and are 6-for-30 this season. They entered the night last in the NHL in power-play opportunities at 2.25 per game. Dallas killed all 4 Montreal power plays, and every Canadiens goal against Jake Oettinger came at 5-on-5.

“When you win the specialty teams game, which we ended up doing, but you give up four 5-on-5 goals, it’s not good enough,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “You can’t win in the League like that.”

Johnston, the 23rd overall pick in 2021, entered Thursday with 136 goals, 135 assists, and 271 points in 338 career games. He led all 2021 draftees in goals, assists, points, and power-play points. Against Montreal, he now has 6 goals, 3 assists, and 9 points in 9 career games.

Dallas is 7-5-1 and closes its six-game homestand Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets at American Airlines Center. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CT on Prime Video.