Dallas Stars Top Canucks, Robertson & Hintz Shine

On Friday, January 31st, at the American Airlines Center, the Stars made it four in a row with a convincing win over the Canucks, who couldn’t overcome the Dallas attack and saw their own win streak snap. A four-goal outburst from Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson fueled the Stars’ victory, as both players tallied two goals. Oskar Back had also found the back of the net for Dallas. Vancouver’s three goals came from Conor Garland, Jake DeBrusk, and Carson Soucy. While the Canucks and Stars game was underway, Vancouver sent forward J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers for forward Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini, and a future first-round draft pick (with conditions) in the deal. The Stars will be hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets while the Canucks head home to take on the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.

Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

DeBrusk – Pettersson – Boeser
Joshua – Suter – Garland
Hoglander – Blueger – Karlsson
Heinen – Raty – Di Guiseppe

Hughes – Myers
Forbort – Hronek
Soucy – Juulsen

Demko
Lankinen

Oskar Back found the back of the net for his third goal of the season on the Stars’ third shot on goal to put them in a 1-0 lead with 10:48 on the clock in the first period. He took a pass from Colin Blackwell, who had stolen the puck behind the net from Filip Hronek before handing it over to Back, who scored through the legs of Aatu Raty from the low slot.

Early into the second, Conor Garland knotted it up 1-1 on his 14th of the season at 14:53 during a 3-on-2 rush with Nils Hoglander and Teddy Blueger. He took a pass from Hoglander, putting the puck past Jake Oettinger from below the left circle. Jason Robertson untied the knot to put Dallas back in the lead 2-1 for his 18th of the season on the power play in the slot off a passing sequence with Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene.

Roope Hintz added to the Stars’ lead, making it 3-1 with 15:57 on the clock in the third frame by sliding a backhand five-hole on Thatcher Demko after holding off a backcheck from Noah Juulsen and getting behind Vancouver’s defense after the Stars got the puck out of their zone, Hintz racing down the ice with it. Pushing it to 4-1, Hintz struck the Canucks’ empty net for his second of the night and his 22nd of the season. Jake DeBrusk stuffed it in to cut it to 4-2 with 2:09 left to play after a few failed attempts off a pass from Elias Pettersson, who received the puck from Quinn Hughes for DeBrusk to get it in past Jake Oettinger from the top of the crease on the power play. Jason Robertson put home his second of the game with 53 seconds remaining to make it 5-2 into the empty net. With just four seconds left to play, Carson Soucy recorded his second goal of the season from the right circle on a one-timer.

Jason Robertson on the victory, what he saw on the path to Roope Hintz, and special teams: “At the end of the day, you’re happy winning any game. In an 82-game year, it’s all going to be different. I think it’s one of the few games where I don’t think we generated enough, but our special teams really took over, and just found a way to win. Obviously, we don’t want to be in that situation every night, but we were able to get it done tonight,” – “I just know he’s taken off so fast, I just got the puck, and then I try to make a crispy pass to him. He made a great effort driving the net, a good move, and that was a big goal for us. …Tonight was a game where special teams was a big difference, and hopefully, we build on our power play, and obviously, our PK is at the top of the league and excellent.”

Elias Pettersson on what trading J.T. Miller makes the Canucks lose, and if he thinks there’s going to be more pressure on him now to lead the team as a center: “A skillful, powerful forward. I mean, his play speaks for itself. All we can do now is look forward. Wish him the best. …Of course, but I want that pressure. I want that pressure and it’s up to me to take it.”

Game Notes:

– Jake Oettinger made 26 saves for Dallas, and Thatcher Demko made 11 saves for Vancouver.

– Stars: 33-17-1, Canucks: 23-18-10

– Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson each recorded a pair of goals and picked up an assist. …Wyatt Johnston gathered a pair of assists.

– In his past five games, Robertson has scored four goals and collected three assists.

– After already making a trade with the New York Rangers earlier in the night, the Canucks made a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins after the game. They sent Danton Heinen, Vincent Desharnais, Melvin Fernstrom, and the first-round draft pick from NYR to the Penguins for both Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor.

– The Stars played without Miro Heiskanen, who had sustained a knee injury in their 4-3 overtime win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.