EDMONTON 鈥� Jason Robertson has ramped up his production lately for the Dallas Stars.
The 25-year-old forward recorded a second-period natural hat trick as the Stars won their third game in a row, and came away with a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers despite a furious late-game comeback attempt by the home team Wednesday.
鈥淎t the end of the day we won, that鈥檚 the best part,鈥� said Robertson after his team took a 4-0 lead into the third period and held off the Oilers who were minus injured captain Connor McDavid and star forward Leon Draisaitl.
"It was one of the few times these past weeks where we had a big lead going into the third period and I wouldn鈥檛 say we took our foot off the gas, but we got in penalty trouble and then their crowd came alive and their players started to feel it. We were able to survive, but we definitely don鈥檛 want to repeat that again.鈥�
Robertson leads the NHL in goals since Jan. 1 with 23 and also leads the Stars this season with 32.
鈥淗e had a slow start to the season. He had off-season surgery and it was non-weight-bearing, so he really couldn鈥檛 do anything," Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said. "So, he really didn鈥檛 get his legs under him until almost Christmas time, and I think once he got healthy and caught up, you鈥檙e seeing now what he鈥檚 capable of doing.
"Now he鈥檚 on pace from that point on to be that 100-point, 40-goal guy that he is.鈥�
Robertson also became the sixth player in franchise history to record three 30-goal seasons at age 25 or younger.
The Californian played major junior hockey for the Ontario Hockey League's Kingston Frontenacs and Niagara IceDogs and was drafted by Dallas 39th overall in 2017.
Wyatt Johnston also scored and Roope Hintz had three assists Wednesday for the Stars (46-21-4) who have gone 4-0-2 in their last six games.
Hintz says Robertson is peaking at the right time with 11 games left in the regular season and the Stars ranked second in the Central Division.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been really good now and is getting scoring chances,鈥� Hintz said. 鈥淏ut everyone knows he can score goals and that鈥檚 good for our team and (hopefully) he can keep it up.鈥�
Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger, who made 42 stops for the win, said he expected Robertson to regain his form.
鈥淛ust his hockey IQ, is through the roof,鈥� Oettinger said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a rink rat, he wants to shoot on the goalies every day, wants to learn how to score on the goalies, what we鈥檙e looking to take away and what we鈥檙e giving up and stuff. He works his butt off and being the smartest guy on the ice when he does that stuff, I don鈥檛 think anyone in here is surprised.鈥�
Robertson鈥檚 play was a plus, but DeBoer wasn't pleased overall with the Stars' overall game in Edmonton.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a hard league to win in and I haven鈥檛 had many disappointing wins in my career, but this would be one of them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 thought we played a really immature, sloppy game tonight, especially in the first and third.
"It鈥檚 concerning, it鈥檚 late in the season and playoffs are around the corner. It鈥檚 a concerning trend here lately.鈥�
The Stars play a second road game in as many nights when Dallas visits the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
The Oilers also play the second of a back-to-back in Seattle against the Kraken.
Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner left Wednesday's game in the third period after taking a Mikko Rantanen knee to the head.
Corey Perry, Adam Henrique and Zach Hyman scored for Edmonton after the goalie switch to Calvin Pickard.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said following the game he didn't anticipate Skinner travelling with the team to Seattle.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2025.
Shane Jones, The Canadian Press
