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In an exciting matchup on Wednesday, Jason Robertson’s impressive second-period natural hat trick propelled the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, marking their third consecutive win.
Contributing to the Stars’ success, Wyatt Johnston also scored, contributing to a solid performance that improved Dallas’s record to 46-21-4. The team is now 4-0-2 in their last six games, showing significant momentum. Roope Hintz played a crucial role, providing assists on all three of Robertson’s goals.
Despite the loss, the Oilers, who currently sit at 41-25-5, made a late-game push with goals from Corey Perry, Adam Henrique, and Zach Hyman. The Oilers faced challenges, particularly losing starting goalie Stuart Skinner to an injury after he was struck in the head by Mikko Rantanen’s knee in the third period, necessitating his replacement by Calvin Pickard.
Adding to their difficulties, Edmonton was without its captain, Connor McDavid, and star forward Leon Draisaitl, both sidelined due to injuries.
“I don’t think we could have played the first period any better than we did,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch commented on the game. “We made one mistake and found ourselves down after the first period despite having numerous scoring opportunities.” He noted that while the second period included some mistakes that the Stars capitalized on, he was pleased with his team’s performance in the first and third periods.
Recently, the Oilers had recorded a commendable 3-1-1 in their previous five outings.
In goal, Dallas’s Jake Oettinger was a standout, making 42 saves to secure the win. Skinner had recorded 17 saves before his departure from the game, while Pickard managed to stop the three shots he faced in relief. When asked about Skinner’s condition post-game, Knoblauch indicated that he didn’t have an update, but anticipated Skinner would not be traveling with the team.
TAKEAWAYS
For the Stars, defenceman Thomas Harley continues to rise in importance, particularly in the absence of top defender Miro Heiskanen due to a knee injury. Harley, drafted 18th overall in 2019, has demonstrated exceptional skill, accumulating four goals and 10 points over his last nine games. He notched two assists during Wednesday’s match, matching his career-high total of 47 points.
The Oilers’ injury woes seemed to escalate during the second period when two key players left the ice in quick succession. Zach Hyman sustained an awkward fall after colliding with Stars winger Mason Marchment, prompting an early exit. Top defenceman Evan Bouchard also left after being struck by a shot. Although both players returned and completed the game, Oilers fans were disheartened by Skinner’s injury later in the third period.
KEY MOMENT
Dallas extended their lead to 4-0 late in the second period when Robertson tipped in a point shot from Harley for a power-play goal, marking his third goal of the game and his 32nd for the season. Notably, Robertson became the sixth player in franchise history to achieve three 30-goal seasons by the age of 25. Since January 1, he leads the league with 23 goals.
KEY STAT
Entering this game, Dallas had the best record in the NHL since January 24, boasting a 16-4-3 record, despite their previous 5-4 loss to the Oilers that interrupted the Stars’ debut of Rantanen. This season, Dallas highlights an impressive five players each with 25 or more goals, while Edmonton, dealing with injuries, fields only three players in this category, with Hyman being the only one active in this game.
UP NEXT
Both teams will continue their busy schedules with back-to-back matchups on Thursday. The Oilers will face off against the Seattle Kraken, while the Stars will visit the Calgary Flames.
Source
globalnews.ca