Heika's Take: Top line trio does it again

Joe Pavelski was asked in the morning how it feels to get back together with linemates Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson after a stretch where he was playing with different players, and he was pretty matter-of-fact.

"Yeah," he said, "it's a good feeling."

That seems like a bit of an understatement, but that's the way of the top line. It was another quietly efficient game for the Stars' best trio as Hintz had two goals and an assist, Pavelski had a goal and an assist, and Robertson had three assists in a 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday at American Airlines Center. Dallas takes a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and has a chance to clinch a spot in the Western Conference Final when they play at Seattle for Game 6 on Saturday.

And as good as the best players were, it was also an important game for the depth of the team. Wyatt Johnston and Radek Faksa added goals, goalie Jake Oettinger made 29 saves, and players like Joel Hanley, Joel Kiviranta and Ty Dellandrea gave the team the depth it needed to battle through a game that was a bit of a grind.

"We bent, but didn't break," Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. "We battled hard. I didn't think we had great legs. 3-0 lead in hockey is a really tough lead because the other team has nothing to lose, and they poured it on. But we bent and didn't break. You have to win all kinds of different ways on a playoff run, and I was proud of our group."

Dallas was outshot 14-5 in the first period but was able to forge a 2-0 lead on big goals from Johnston and Hintz. The rookie Johnston converted off a nice pass from Jamie Benn, while Hintz cashed in on a fantastic setup from defenseman Thomas Harley. The Stars then made it 3-0 just 35 seconds into the second period on a great goal from the top line crashing the net. It was the kind of thing the team has done all year, and Pavelski now has seven goals in just five playoff games this series. The veteran forward was knocked out of Game 1 against Minnesota and missed the rest of that series on concussion protocol. He came back in the Seattle series and played the first three games on a line with Max Domi.

However, DeBoer switched him back to the top line last game, and it didn't take long for them to get right back to mid-season form.

"We've been on the same line for a couple of years now, so when he hops in and we get back together, everything comes natural," Robertson said. "In the playoffs, we need that."

Pavelski, 38, has played 16 NHL seasons. He has three of his top five points per game campaigns in the past three seasons while playing on the top line. Robertson had the second-best scoring season in franchise history with 109 points in 82 games this year. And Hintz is setting records in the playoffs with 18 points (8 goals, 10 assists) in 11 games.

Hintz was again dynamic on Thursday.

"He's been an absolute monster for us this playoff at the most important times," DeBoer said. "This is a critical game for our group, and he comes out in the first 10 minutes and lets everyone in the building know that he's here to play. And he's done that the entire playoffs. It's almost been a little bit of a coming out party. I think he's been a good playoff player before, but he hasn't been a dominant playoff player, and that's what he looks like."

Hintz's performance was one of the reasons DeBoer split up the line, to create more scoring balance. However, Robertson has struggled to score at even strength, and getting Pavelski back on the line certainly helps. Robertson's helpers were all at even strength and he also drew a penalty while driving to the net. DeBoer saw that as a great sign for Robertson and it could create the momentum needed to get his goal scoring going.

"The penalty that he drew was the best moment of the night for me, because that's what he's doing when he's playing well," DeBoer said. "When he's scoring goals, he's attacking those areas of the ice, and he's either scoring or drawing penalties. That's a great sign. I'm glad he got some points, because I think his game is definitely heading in the right direction."

All of that said though, DeBoer did joke that it's tough to call Robertson's 11 points in 10 playoff games a slump.

"He's close to scoring," DeBoer said. "I wouldn't be surprised if it's next game, he's getting that close. He's getting his swagger back. You look around the league and he's been such a story because he hasn't scored 5-on-5. But what's he got, 11 points in 10 games? If that's called a slump, sign me up."

And if Robertson starts scoring, the team as a unit would be heading in the right direction too. As much as the game was less than perfect, it creates a scenario that is very nice for the Stars. Last series against Minnesota, Dallas was down 2-1 and then won three straight. In this series against Seattle, they were down 2-1 and now have won two straight.

"We talked about that today," DeBoer said of the comparisons. "We had a chance to grab a hold of a series in Game 5 like we did in the Minnesota series, and we did that. Now it's on us to go there and end this on the road."

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Video: DeBoer talks about Hintz's game this series is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter Video: DeBoer talks about Hintz's game this series