Holtby helps Stars top Coyotes for fourth straight win

GLENDALE, Ariz. --Braden Holtby made 25 saves, and the Dallas Stars won their fourth straight game, 3-2 against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on Saturday.

Holtby was making his first start since Nov. 10 because of a lower-body injury. He made four saves in 7:22 of ice time in a 3-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday after starter Jake Oettinger briefly left because of concussion protocol.
"What helped Braden was last night, he went in and made some saves and it got him back into game mode," Dallas coach Rick Bowness said. "He was outstanding for us. Their two goals were bouncy goals, he had no chance, but he made all the key saves."
Said Holtby, "Playing a back-to-back after a big win last night, this is a game that's almost 100 percent mental. We stuck to the game plan from the start and it was a very impressive mental win."
Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist, and Joe Pavelski had two assists for the Stars (10-7-2), who have won six of their past seven games.
"You could tell in the third we were running a little low on energy because of the game last night and having to travel," Bowness said. "But we stuck to it and we just did all the little things necessary to win the game. So we'll take the win and run."

Travis Boyd scored for the third straight game, and Scott Wedgewood made 26 saves for the Coyotes (4-15-2), who have lost two straight.
"They had a couple of goals that they got behind us, were able to get loose and we kind of lost coverage," Wedgewood said. "Against a team like that with a lot of dangerous weapons up front, they'll find a way to put them in. We were kind of playing an uphill battle though the whole game."
Robertson, left undefended at the right post, tapped in a backdoor pass from Andrej Sekera to make it 3-2 at 8:57 of the second period. Robertson has scored 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in his past 12 games.
Roope Hintz scored 54 seconds into the game to give the Stars a 1-0 lead, getting the rebound of Pavelski's chance in front after Wedgewood stopped Hintz's initial shot from the left circle.
"I got the puck at the right time," said Hintz, who has scored seven goals in his past eight games. "We're on the right track right now, we just have to keep going and play like that."
The Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski line has scored 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in the past six games.
"That line has been dynamic," Bowness said. "You need a line to carry your team, and right now they're doing their job."

Antoine Roussel tied it 1-1 at 3:54 of the first when he batted in Anton Stralman's shot after it deflected into the air off Loui Eriksson and John Klingberg, who were tangled in the crease.
"I felt we were chasing it," Roussel said. "They've got a lot of veteran players on their team, they were grinding it out. They had the goal of getting to the finish line, and they just did it."
Jacob Peterson gave Dallas a 2-1 lead at 18:36 of the first, finding the loose puck in the crease after Radek Faksa's attempt was saved by Wedgewood's right pad.
Boyd tied it 2-2 at 4:24 of the second by deflecting Kyle Capobianco's shot.
"We've had a really good week, and now we've got to keep playing like we played in these past (four) games," Hintz said. "That was a big win for us."
NOTES: Hintz's goal was his 50th in 178 NHL games. Since the Stars relocated to Dallas in 1993-94, only James Neal (151 games) and Jamie Benn (172) reached 50 goals faster. … Boyd has scored five goals in 14 games this season, tying his NHL career high he also set last season (39 games) and in 2018-19 (53 games). … Dallas is 12-1-0 in its past 13 games against Arizona dating to March 31, 2016.