Senators 5, Stars 4, OT

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OTTAWA - Jason Smith scored 3:30 into overtime to give the Ottawa Senators a 5-4 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night.

The Senators had lost five of six and netted only five goals in their previous five games, including one into an empty net.

Daniel Alfredsson, Antoine Vermette, Jason Spezza and Alexandre Picard also scored for the Senators (12-14-5). Martin Gerber made 25 saves.

The Stars got goals from Matt Niskanen, Brad Richards, Toby Petersen and Loui Eriksson. Marty Turco stopped 27 shots.

Dany Heatley's assist on the game-winner was his 500th career point, while Mike Fisher hit the 250-point plateau with the second helper.

"I don't score very many, but it's obviously nice to score a goal and help the team get a big win," Smith said after recording his first goal in 104 games.

The Senators took a 1-0 lead when Alfredsson beat Turco with a wrist shot to the far side. However, the period ended poorly for Ottawa as Gerber allowed Niskanen to tie the game.

Ottawa made it 2-1 early in the second with a power-play goal as Vermette scored his first in 20 games.

The Stars got even again with a power-play goal of their own. Richards carried the puck from the side boards into the middle uncontested and beat Gerber glove side.

Dallas took the lead at the halfway point of the period on Petersen's goal.

With the Senators on the power play, Jere Lehtinen ran Alfredsson into the boards near centre ice and the Ottawa captain was down on the ice in obvious pain. Alfredsson required assistance to get to his feet and was diagnosed with an undisclosed upper body injury. He will be re-evaluated Sunday.

The Senators managed to make something of that advantage as Spezza tied it by beating Turco at the side of the net.

Ottawa took the lead in the opening minutes of the third period with its third power-play goal when Picard beat a screened Turco.

Eriksson made it 4-4 with just over five minutes remaining in regulation, beating Gerber after a scramble at the front of the net.

Notes: The Senators were without RW Dean McAmmond (pneumonia), RW Jesse Winchester (lower body) and D Christoph Schubert, who was a healthy scratch ... Stars RW Jere Lehtinen returned after a 14-game absence caused by a groin injury. Lehtinen has only played four games this season ... Dallas was without LW Brenden Morrow (knee) and D Sergei Zubov (hip) ... A crowd of 19,486 attended the game at Scotiabank Place, where the Senators won't play again until Jan. 10. Their next eight games are on the road as the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship takes over the building.