Chris Tierney's pair of power-play goals in the second period were the difference as the host Ottawa Senators claimed a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Sunday.

Nick Paul also scored for the Senators, who received a strong 32-save performance from goaltender Filip Gustavsson. Before closing the door in the final minutes, Gustavsson was perfect during the middle frame, stopping all 17 shots the Stars fired on net.

Connor Brown collected three assists, which gives him 100 in his career.

Ottawa has won two of three games to start the season, and without last season's top point scorer, Brady Tkachuk, who has not played after missing all of training camp before signing a new contract hours before the team's first game.

Tkachuk is expected to play the next game, on Thursday against the visiting San Jose Sharks.

Michael Raffl and Joe Pavelski scored for Dallas, which has dropped two straight games. Goaltender Anton Khudobin made 24 saves.

Raffl opened the scoring at the 4:34 mark when he converted a pass from Alexander Radulov while parked in the crease.

The Senators stormed back, however, beginning with Paul's goal 50 seconds later. He gathered the puck from his feet and sent a short-side backhand home to tie the score.

Tierney netted the go-ahead goal just before the game's midway point when he nudged Shane Pinto's wayward shot attempt into the net. Then, with 60 seconds left in the period, Tierney crashed the net and chipped the puck over Khudobin from the doorstep for his third goal of the season.

Pavelski breathed life into the Dallas hopes when he pulled the Stars within a goal with 5:43 left in regulation by jamming home a loose puck for his first goal of the season.

The Stars, however, could not find the equalizer.