Robertson powers Stars over Oilers for lead in Western Conference final

Jason Robertson accomplished his first-career playoff hat trick halfway by the third interval because the Dallas Stars defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Monday to take a 2-1 lead within the NHL’s Western Convention last.

Wyatt Johnston and Miro Heiskanen, into the empty internet, had the opposite objective for Dallas. Jake Oettinger made 26 saves. Roope Hintz, Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn had two assists every.

Connor McDavid, with a objective and an help to provide him 100 profession playoff factors, Zach Hyman and Adam Henrique replied for Edmonton, which acquired 17 stops from Stuart Skinner.

Dallas, which re-established home-ice benefit with the victory and owned the league’s finest regular-season street document, is now 6-1 within the playoffs away from American Airways Heart.

Sport 4 of the best-of-seven sequence goes Wednesday within the Alberta capital.

Henrique returned to the lineup after sitting out seven of Edmonton’s final eight video games with a suspected ankle harm. Hintz, the Stars’ No. 1 centre, was additionally again following a four-game absence due to an upper-body harm.

When a best-of-seven convention last or semifinal is tied 1-1, the winner of Sport 3 has gone on to win the sequence 77 per cent of the time (59-18). 

After the Oilers dominated the opening 20 minutes and the Stars grabbed momentum again within the second interval, Robertson snapped a 3-3 tie at 11:54 of the third on a jam play that squeezed by Skinner.

Edmonton pulled the goaltender late trying to pressure additional time, however Heiskanen iced it into an empty internet with 1:52 left in regulation.

The Oilers got here out flying within the first inside a deafening Rogers Place.

McDavid wheeled out of the nook and fired a shot that went in off Hyman simply 2:02 into the sport as he battled with Stars defenceman Ryan Suter for place in entrance for his NHL-leading thirteenth objective of the playoffs.

Edmonton, which acquired simply three power-play alternatives in Dallas by two video games, acquired its first alternative a couple of minutes later, with Oettinger denying Leon Draisaitl on a one-timer.

The Oilers went forward 2-0 at 7:37 when blueliner Mattias Ekholm circled the Stars internet and fired a go for McDavid, who gained a battle with Seguin for the puck within the crease for the celebrity captain’s fourth — and second of the sequence after his double additional time objective in Sport 1.

The Stars pushed again in spectacular vogue popping out of the intermission.

Robertson blasted his fourth at 5:35 of the second on a one-timer previous Skinner’s ear earlier than shovelling one other upstairs on the Edmonton goaltender at 8:05 as Dallas got here in waves in opposition to the disjointed, flat house facet.

Johnston then made it 3-2 simply 63 seconds later to accomplished the three-goal barrage in 3:33 together with his eighth in entrance of a surprised crowd. 

Skinner made an enormous breakaway cease on Mason Marchment to maintain his group down by two because the Stars would finally lead 13-0 on the shot clock within the interval earlier than the Oilers lastly examined Oettinger.

Edmonton lastly steadied itself after taking these arduous physique blows, and acquired again even with 52.5 seconds left within the interval when Henrique redirected his second upstairs from in shut. Skinner denied Matt Duchene on the different finish on an enormous cease to maintain the groups even by 40 minutes.

EXCLUSIVE COMPANY

Solely 4 gamers in NHL historical past have reached 100 playoff factors quicker than McDavid: Wayne Gretzky (46 video games), Mario Lemieux (50 video games), Draisaitl (60 video games) and Jari Kurri (67 video games). 

PERRY’S INFLUENCE

Henrique’s return added a veteran voice on the bench, however one other battled-tested teammate continued to look at from the press field.

Oilers winger Corey Perry, a former Hart Trophy winner and Stanley Cup champion, was a wholesome scratch for a fifth straight sport.

McDavid stated Monday morning the 39-year-old nonetheless brings worth to the group.

“Simply because guys aren’t enjoying doesn’t imply they’re not large items within the room,” he stated.

DARK TIMES

Stars head coach Pete DeBoer was with the Vegas Golden Knights when the NHL used Rogers Place as one in all its two tightly managed “bubbles” amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Dallas eradicated Vegas within the semis earlier than shedding to Tampa Bay Lightning within the Stanley Cup last.

“A little bit PTSD strolling in right here each time,” DeBoer joked earlier than Sport 3. “It was a terrific expertise. It was an expertise I might by no means join once more.

“It was a social experiment. We had been primarily locked up for 60 days.”