Golden Knights at Stars | Recap

DALLAS -- Jason Robertson scored twice in the second period, and the Dallas Stars held off the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 at American Airlines Center on Friday.

Robertson has six goals in his past five games.

“Ever since December I have really been feeling it and thinking that these pucks are going to come and try to make the most of it, as opposed to not knowing if it ever is," Robertson said. "I definitely think [I'm playing] more confident, and when you are feeling better and better, I think the puck just finds you in different situations."

VGK@DAL: Robertson scores his second goal of the game

Roope Hintz and Jamie Benn also scored, and Wyatt Johnston, Matt Duchene, and Evgenii Dadonov each had two assists for the Stars (30-17-1), who had lost three of four (1-3-0). Jake Oettinger made 18 saves.

“We needed him to be good tonight,” Duchene said of Oettinger. “That team, their big boys are feeling it this year. [Jack] Eichel is having a [heck] of a year, he’s one of the best players in the League right now. He’s making plays and they have some good weapons over there. [Oettinger] was awesome for us. He’s a big reason we won the game.”

Eichel scored twice, and Mark Stone had three assists for the Golden Knights (30-15-4), who were coming off a 4-2 win at the St. Louis Blues on Thursday but have lost five of six (1-4-1). Adin Hill made 23 saves.

“We are finding ourselves in the losing column a little too much lately, and we don’t want this to continue to go the way that it is going,” Eichel said. “They threw pucks at the net, and outsticked us a few times and got some second and third opportunities. I feel like that was probably the difference. I thought we did that in the third and had success, but you don’t want to give up those goals in the second and that ends up being the difference.

“It’s tough to chase games in this league, especially against a good hockey team. Give them credit. Their goalie made some big saves at the end of the game to ice it, and it’s frustrating.”

VGK@DAL: Eichel hammers one-timer for PPG and 1-0 lead

Eichel gave Vegas a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 4:04 of the first period, scoring on a one-timer from the top of the left face-off circle.

Hintz tied it 1-1 on the power play at 6:19 with a tip-in of Dadonov’s shot at the top of the crease.

Robertson gave Dallas a 2-1 lead at 7:31 of the second off the rebound of Duchene’s shot as he skated through the slot.

“They outcompeted us in the second period,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I thought the first was a fairly even game, not a lot going on, both power plays get a goal and the second period they turned it up a notch. We weren’t able to handle it. Breaking out below the goal line was an issue. It cost us a penalty. First period they score on some other opportunities and then again later in the second another goal that starts with that. They were good putting pressure on us, they do it well, they forecheck well.

“But once that breaks down you have to be able to take care of the front of your net, clear it out, find some loose pucks and settle things down. We weren’t able to do that and that’s been a bit of our stretch where one goal turns into two or three and now, you’re chasing. So, a bit of that is on the group to recognize it.”

Shea Theodore tied it 2-2 at 8:57 on the power play when he finished off a cross-ice pass from Tomas Hertl.

Benn put the Stars back ahead 3-2 at 16:18 by tipping in a point shot from Duchene.

“I think when you’re playing a top team that’s high in the standings, it makes me more hungry to play against them and try to shut down their top guys,” Dallas forward Logan Stankoven said. “I think the message from our team was to try to play down low and try to put some pressure on their defensemen. I thought we created some good chances tonight from that.”

VGK@DAL: Benn scores redirection goal to make it 3-2

Robertson’s second goal of the game extended it to 4-2 at 17:54 when he chipped a loose puck into the top of the net.

Eichel cut it to 4-3 at 10:35 of the third period with his second goal when he stuffed in his own rebound as he was falling to the ice at the side of the net.

Oettinger made two key saves with less than a minute left to seal the win for Dallas, including an outstretched glove save with 23 seconds remaining as he was sprawled on the ice on a bid by Vegas forward Pavel Dorofeyev from the side of the net.

“We had a couple of big plays there at the end. [Colin] Blackwell kind of dove and broke up a pass and Stankoven blocked a shot. [Oettinger] makes the big save,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “If you’re going to beat a team like that, you’ve got to have those big moments and have guys make those big defensive plays and big saves at the right time.”

NOTES: Robertson has 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists) in his past 26 games dating to Dec. 1. … Johnston extended his point streak to six games (one goal, eight assists), tied for his longest in the NHL. … Eichel became the first player in Vegas history to have three consecutive 60-point seasons, surpassing Chandler Stephenson (2021-22 and 2022-23) and Stone (2019-20 and 2020-21). … Stone became the fourth player in Golden Knights history with 300 points ( Jonathan Marchessault, 417; William Karlsson, 385; and Theodore, 333.). … Hertl, who had his four-game goal streak end (five goals), extended his point streak to eight games (six goals, six assists).