Game Recap: Stars Top Line Dominates In 5-2 Win Over Kraken

RoboRooSki, The Minutemen, or Pavelski & Sons. Whatever nickname you prefer, the top line of the Dallas Stars was on fire Wednesday night against the Seattle Kraken on home ice.

Hintz kicked things off early once again when he deflected a Jason Robertson shot past Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer just 50 seconds into the contest. Then, shortly after a Seattle power-play goal tied the game at one, Joe Pavelski buried a big rebound off the end boards to restore the Stars' one-goal lead.

Later in the frame, and with Dallas on a 5-on-3 power play, Pavelski made a crisp cross-ice pass to Hintz, who then found Robertson wide open in front. Robertson took his time, slid the puck around Grubauer, and put it into the empty cage to put Dallas up 3-1.

The top trio accounted for seven points in the first 15 minutes of the game, giving the Stars exactly the start they needed.

“It’s hard to say, you know,” Pavelski said when asked about the success early in games. “I think our guys are just ready. Our game doesn’t change from our first shift to a shift in the second period where we are trying to accomplish certain things, but we are definitely ready out of the gates. I wish you knew exactly what it was but it is just being ready and wanting to go right from the start.”

In the second period, both teams traded goals. First, it was Jared McCann for Seattle off of a sick saucer pass in front from Jordan Eberle. Then, just after Dallas killed off a Seattle power play, Esa Lindell found Pavelski alone on the backdoor for his second tap-in goal of the night.

Pavelski finished the night with five points for the first time in his long and successful NHL career. Achieving career-highs at the age of 37 and with over 1,100 games under your belt is no small task but the forward continues to impress despite his age.

“It was a fun night, pucks going in the net and we’re getting a lot of chances,” Pavelski said. “Usually when you have a night where you put a few points on the board, it’s your linemates that have been really good, which was a big part of the case here tonight.”

Other than Pavelski shooting for the hat trick, the third period seemed to float by. Each team had a few scoring chances mixed into a large number of turnovers, icings, and sloppy play. For Dallas, this was not the worst thing as the clock continued to roll, eventually ending in a 5-2 win (Jani Hakanpaa added an empty-net goal in the final 90 seconds to seal it). Although Pavelski could not complete the hat trick, his team did everything they could as they continuously fed him the puck in the final minute. Each chance was received by a roar of not only the home crowd but the entire Stars’ bench as well.

“The bench was cheering for him,” Rick Bowness said. “He’s a great team player and he had a great night. The whole bench was watching, the whole bench was excited, and every time he shot the puck, they were cheering for him. He’s a great player, a great teammate, and the whole bench - the whole rink - was cheering for him to get that third goal.”

In the end, the top line recorded 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) and contributed to all five goals on the evening.

With the win, Dallas moves to 14-3-1 at home, among the best in the league.

Jake Oettinger was not tested much in the game (22 saves on 24 shots), but as usual, he made a few key stops to ensure the game was not tighter than it needed to be.

Although he did not factor on the scoreboard, Tanner Kero returned to the lineup for the first time since his scary injury against the Chicago Blackhawks back in December. He wore a full face shield, protecting his head and jaw after the concussion, and his teammates were excited to see him back on the ice.

“It’s great obviously, Esa Lindell said. “It's been good to see him on the ice in practice, and now to see him playing, we’re all happy to have him here and it was lucky that is wasn’t anything bigger on that collision.”

The Stars now head out on the road, as they take on the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday and Saturday, respectively. The two teams sit atop the Atlantic Division and are virtually unbeatable on home ice this season.

Dallas has struggled on the road, holding a 4-10-1 record away from American Airlines Center, so this will be a huge test for them as they continue their efforts to leapfrog their way into the playoff picture in the West.