Despite being the number one seed in the Western Conference, the road for the Dallas Stars hasn’t always been easy this postseason. On Monday night in Game 3 versus the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas proved its toughness and valor once again. After falling behind 2-0 in the first period in hostile territory, the Stars relied on their best players to perform a brilliant comeback and win 5-3, handing them a 2-1 advantage in the Western Conference Final.
Jason Robertson Hat Trick Spurs the Comeback
That Dallas never gave up shouldn’t surprise anyone. Less so because they are an excellent club, but more so because they’ve demonstrated impressive consistency when playing away from home this spring. Heading into Game 3, they were already 5-1 on their playoff travels.
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Even so, the opening frame didn’t go well at all. Both Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid netted for the hosts for a 2-0 lead. The lead was deserved given that the Oilers thoroughly outclassed the visitors.
But everything changed in the middle period, with Jason Robertson at the center of the action. His first of the night was a rip-roaring one-timer from the circle. That halved the deficit to 2-1. His second to make it 2-2 involved tapping home a loose puck amidst traffic in Stuart Skinner’s crease. Teammate Wyatt Johnston then made it 3-2 before Edmonton levelled the terms with a redirect in close by Adam Henrique.
Ultimately, Robertson would have the last laugh in the third period. Solid Dallas pressure in the Edmonton zone allowed the young American to scoop up the puck from Skinner’s right. The Oilers goalie surely believed Robertson was going to attempt a wrap-around, and it looked as if he was. Instead, Robertson found the thinnest of seams to bounce the puck off the goalie and into the net. It was as unexpected as it was clever.
Oddly, the Oilers failed to muster much pressure after that and even had to kill a time-consuming penalty. Miro Heiskanen sealed the deal with an empty netter. Make the final 5-3 for the Stars, who lead the West Final 2-1 and improve to 6-1 on the road in these playoffs.
Game 4 is set for Thursday night in Edmonton.
