Jason Robertson scored twice, including the game-winning goal, to lead the host Dallas Stars to a sixth consecutive victory with a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
Tyler Seguin also scored for the Stars, while Joe Pavelski and Jani Hakanpaa both collected a pair of assists and goaltender Jake Oettinger made 20 saves.
Boone Jenner and Alexandre Texier replied for the Blue Jackets, who have lost three straight. Goalie Daniil Tarasov, the 2017 third-round draft pick making his NHL debut on an emergency basis, stopped 34 shots.
Both Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo were too ill to start, although Merzlikins was well enough to serve as the backup.
Robertson’s first goal not only put the Stars ahead 68 seconds into the clash to open the scoring, it also set an NHL record. Robertson pounced on a rebound chance, and the Stars became the first team in NHL history to score within 75 seconds of puck drop in four consecutive games.
Jenner replied before the seven-minute mark to make it a 1-1 game. Jenner blocked a shot in his own zone to set up his own breakaway, which ended when he held off the check before slipping home his 11th goal of the season.
Texier’s goal 85 seconds into the second period gave Columbus a 2-1 edge. After neatly redirecting the puck past a defender at his own blueline, Texier sped away down the right wing and snapped a wrist shot into the cage for his seventh goal of the season.
However, the Stars roared back. After creating a turnover deep in the offensive zone, Seguin went to the front of the net at the right time to redirect Hakanpaa’s shot at 16:25 of the middle frame.
Robertson’s go-ahead goal 49 seconds later put the Stars ahead again. Pavelski made a highlight-reel play by slipping the puck through a defender’s legs to create an odd-man rush before sending a cross-ice pass that Robertson converted for his seventh goal of the season.
The Blue Jackets weren’t the only team short-handed. Stars defenseman John Klingberg was not able to play due to non-COVID illness.
–Field Level Media