Jason Robertson scored three goals in one game for the first time in his playoff career during the third period, helping the Dallas Stars beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-3. This win puts the Stars ahead 2-1 in the NHL’s Western Conference final.
Wyatt Johnston and Miro Heiskanen also scored for Dallas, with Heiskanen’s goal being into an empty net. Jake Oettinger, the goalie, made 26 saves. Roope Hintz, Tyler Seguin, and Jamie Benn each had two assists.
Robertson said, “You want to help the team win, you want to score goals.” He hadn’t scored since Game 6 of the first round, so this boosted his confidence.
Connor McDavid scored a goal and assisted on another, reaching 100 career playoff points. Zach Hyman and Adam Henrique also scored for Edmonton, but their goalie, Stuart Skinner, only made 17 saves.
McDavid commented, “A real good start,” but criticized a bad 10-15 minute stretch in the game. Dallas has a great playoff record away from home, now standing at 6-1. They also welcomed back Roope Hintz, who hadn’t played since Game 4 of the second round due to an injury.
Dallas coach Pete DeBoer praised his team’s ability to perform even without key players like Hintz. He said, “Guys still found ways to contribute without a key player. That’s what I’m most proud of.”
The fourth game of the seven-game series will happen on Wednesday night.
Henrique came back to play after missing seven of Edmonton’s last eight games due to a suspected ankle injury. Hintz, who is the top center for the Stars, also returned after being absent for four games because of an upper-body injury.
Coach Kris Knoblauch of the Oilers commented on Henrique’s performance, saying it’s usually tough for a player to get back into the game after a break but he had no issues. Knoblauch praised Henrique for his nice plays and goal, as well as his performance in faceoffs.
In the game, the Oilers dominated the first period, but the Stars regained control in the second. Robertson broke the tie in the third period with a goal at 11:54, squeezing the puck past Skinner. Edmonton tried to equalize by pulling their goalie late in the game, but Heiskanen scored into the empty net with 1:55 remaining.
The Oilers started strong in the first period, with McDavid scoring just 2:02 into the game. The shot deflected off Hyman after a battle with Stars defenseman Ryan Suter.
The Oilers took a 2-0 lead at 7:37 when defenseman Mattias Ekholm skated around the Stars’ net and passed to McDavid. McDavid battled with Seguin for the puck and scored his fourth goal, his second of the series after scoring in double overtime in Game 1.
After the break between periods, the Stars came back strong.
Robertson scored his fourth goal at 5:35 of the second period with a powerful shot past Skinner’s ear. He scored again at 8:05, lifting the puck upstairs past the Edmonton goalie as Dallas kept attacking, overwhelming the home team.
