Jason Robertson scored a second-period natural hat trick as the Dallas Stars beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Wednesday for a third win in a row.
Wyatt Johnston also scored for Dallas (46-21-4), who improved to 4-0-2 in its last six games. Roope Hintz assisted on Robertson’s three goals.
Corey Perry, Adam Henrique and Zach Hyman replied for the Oilers (41-25-5) in a late comeback attempt after starting goalie Stuart Skinner took a Mikko Rantanen knee to the head and was replaced by Calvin Pickard in the third period.
Edmonton was also without captain Connor McDavid and star forward Leon Draisaitl sidelined with injuries.
“I don’t think we could have played the first period any better than we did,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the loss.
“We made one mistake and were down one nothing after the first period, where I thought we had a lot of good chances — couldn’t put it in. In the second period, not that it was a back period; there were some mistakes, they capitalized on them. But then again, the third period was a lot more like the first, maybe a little more push and we we’re able to put the puck in the net. So, I was very, very pleased with our first and third periods.”
The Oilers were 3-1-1 in their last five games.
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Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 42 shots for the win. Skinner made 17 saves before leaving the game and Pickard stopped the three shots he faced in relief.
When asked if he had an update on Skinner’s condition, Knoblauch said “no I do not,” but also added “I anticipate him not travelling.”
TAKEAWAYS
Stars: Defenceman Thomas Harley continued to impress with top defender Miro Heiskanen out with a knee injury. Harley, who was selected 18th overall in the 2019 NHL draft, has four goals and 10 points in his last nine games. The 23-year-old had two assists Wednesday to match his career high of 47 points.
Oilers: It appeared Edmonton’s injury situation worsened in the second period when a pair of top players left the ice within minutes of each other. Zach Hyman went down awkwardly along the boards after colliding with Dallas winger Mason Marchment and went straight to the dressing room. Then, top defenceman Evan Bouchard was hit by a shot and also left the ice. Home fans were relieved to see both players return to the ice and complete the game. That relief was short-lived, however, with the departure of Skinner seven minutes into the third period when Rantanen’s knee struck the goalie’s head.
KEY MOMENT
Dallas led 4-0 late in the second period when Robertson tipped in a Harley point shot for a power-play goal, Robertson’s third of the game and his team-leading 32nd this season. The 25-year-old became the sixth player in franchise history to record three 30-goal seasons at age 25 or younger. He also leads the league in goals since Jan. 1 with 23.
KEY STAT
Dallas came into the game with the NHL’s best record since Jan. 24 at 16-4-3, including their 5-4 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton earlier in the month that spoiled the Stars debut of Rantanen. Dallas boasts an NHL-high five players with 25 or more goals this season (Robertson, Matt Duchene, Hintz, Johnston and Rantanen). Edmonton has three, but only Hyman was the lineup Wednesday with the injuries to McDavid and Draisaitl.
UP NEXT
Both teams play the second of back-to-backs Thursday. The Oilers are in Seattle against the Kraken and the Dallas Stars visit the Calgary Flames.
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