Schenn's hat trick leads Flyers to 8th straight win (Dec 10, 2016)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) The Philadelphia Flyers still have that winning feeling.

Brayden Schenn scored three power-play goals to lead the Flyers to their eighth straight victory, a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

Jakub Voracek scored an empty-netter and also had three assists for the Flyers, who matched Montreal for the longest winning streak in the NHL this season.

Philadelphia last won eight straight games from Jan. 6-19, 2002.

''When guys get confident, I think there's always that winning feeling,'' Schenn said.

Schenn recorded his second career hat trick. He also scored three goals on Feb. 29, 2016, against Calgary.

Devin Shore had both goals for the Stars.

Tied at 1 entering the third period, Dallas went ahead when Shore scored his second goal of the game with 9:28 left.

But Schenn tied the game with his second goal of the game that was similar to the first one, a deflection from in front after Voracek's shot from the right side at 16:12.

Schenn then put Philadelphia in front with 2:15 left when he scored with a forehand shot on a rebound of Voracek's shot for his seventh goal of the season, resulting in hats flying on the ice.

Claude Giroux retrieved a hat for Schenn to save as a keepsake.

It was the second straight comeback for the Flyers, who twice responded from two-goal deficits in Thursday's 6-5 win over Edmonton.

''We have the confidence that if you do it over and over again, you know you can do it every game,'' Voracek said.

Steve Mason made 21 saves for his seventh straight win.

''When things go your way, they really go your way,'' Mason said.

Philadelphia has received contributions from a variety of areas during the streak. Schenn entered with just three points during the streak, but turned out to be the star this time.

''Different parts of our game have pushed us over the finish line on different nights,'' coach Dave Hakstol said.

Kari Lehtonen made 18 saves for the Stars, falling to 1-11-3 against Philadelphia.

Stars coach Lindy Ruff thought the penalty that set up the tying goal, a cross check on Jamie Oleksiak, was a soft call.

''I don't see much there,'' he said.

''I thought a couple of calls were maybe a little bit light and they still ended up putting it in the back of their net,'' Ruff added. ''When you get a call like that, you want to take advantage of it.''

Voracek had four points, tying his career high, for the second straight game and has 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) during Philadelphia's winning streak.

Shore gave Dallas a 2-1 lead with 9:28 remaining, scoring just as the Stars' power play expired.

Antoine Roussel sent the puck toward the net. Shore corralled the rebound at the far post. A sprawling Mason used his stick to stop Shore's first attempt, but Shore batted in the loose puck just before Mason could cover it.

Radek Faksa almost gave Dallas a two-goal advantage with 4:41 left, but his short-handed attempt on a 2-on-1 break caromed off the post.

''We've been on both sides and right now we're fortunate to have some lucky breaks,'' Mason said.

That play loomed large as Schenn tied it 53 seconds later.

Hakstol said the Flyers are focused on getting better each day rather than the winning streak.

''It is fun to come to the rink when you're having success, no question about that,'' he said.

''Beyond that, I don't know if anybody in our room really gives it much of a second thought. We have another game (Sunday). We're going to show up and try to put another determined effort on the ice.''

Lehtonen kept it tied 6 1/2 minutes earlier with the save of the game, fully extending his glove to snare Ivan Provorov's drive from the slot. Provorov began to celebrate when it looked as if the puck was headed in the goal.

Lehtonen's Stars teammates loudly tapped their sticks against the boards after the save.

Schenn tied the game at 1 with a power-play goal with 2:42 left in the first period. Schenn scored his fifth of the season on a deflection off Voracek's wrist shot from the side boards. Wayne Simmonds provided the screen of Lehtonen, as the puck went through Simmonds' legs and past Lehtonen.

Shore gave Dallas a 1-0 lead 7:30 into the game with a backhand that went high over Mason's left shoulder. The goal culminated hard work in the offensive zone by the Stars and a poor job of the Philadelphia defense clearing the puck from its goal line. Curtis McKenzie and Adam Cracknell picked up assists on the play.

The teams played an even second period that mostly was defensive in nature. Mason turned aside the Stars' best two chances, Roussel's wrist shot on a rush from close range and Tyler Seguin's wrist shot from the high slot.

Ruff stuck with a top line of Jamie Benn, Seguin and center Jason Spezza. In Thursday's 5-2 win over Nashville, the trio played together for the first time and combined for eight points. The line didn't register a point against Philadelphia.

NOTES: The Flyers held a moment of silence in the pregame for former scout and coach Bill Dineen, who died Saturday at 84. ... The teams will wrap up their two-game season series next Saturday in Dallas. ... Schenn and Stephen Johns fought to a draw in the second period though Schenn received a cut on his forehead.

UP NEXT

Stars: At Blackhawks on Sunday night.

Flyers: At Red Wings on Sunday night.