DALLAS (AP) – Rookie Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist in the first period, and the Dallas Stars beat Detroit 5-2 on Tuesday night to sweep back-to-back games against the Red Wings and extend their winning streak to four games. Joe Pavelski, Tanner Kero, Blake Comeau, and Jamie Oleksiak also scored for the Stars (19-14-12), who finished a 4-0-1 homestand. Dallas has a season-best eight-game point streak (6-0-2). The Stars are one point behind fourth-place Nashville for the Central Division’s last playoff spot with two games in hand.
Stars rookie goaltender Jake Oettinger made 24 saves and improved to 9-5-6.
Jason Dickinson, who had two assists, said Dallas has played much more confidently recently.
“Even if we have a couple of bad shifts, a couple of bad plays, or a puck goes in our net, it seems like we respond well, and we keep trying to push,” Dickinson said.
Valtteri Filppula and Dylan Larkin scored for the Red Wings (16-25-7), 0-2-1 following a season-long three-game winning streak. Jonathan Bernier allowed all four goals on 12 shots and was replaced 3:36 into the second period by Thomas Greiss, who stopped 11.
“We haven’t given up any grade-A’s comparative to the rest of the league, like the big-time grade-A’s, and tonight I thought we were terrible defensively,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “Especially in the first half of the game.” “We wanted to establish the forecheck,” Dallas coach Rick Bowness said of his team’s first-period success. “That’s the strength of our team, is when we’re going north. We’re going hard, and we’re forechecking aggressively.”
Kero scored 2:55 in, sending a wrist shot into the near top corner following a feed from Jamie Benn from the low slot. A little over two minutes later, Robertson took a pass from Jason Dickinson, dipped his left knee, and lifted a one-timer over Bernier. Robertson is second in rookie goals (14) and points (35).
Dallas’s third first-period goal resembled the first, with Robertson feeding Pavelski at the right post for his team-best 19th season.
Oleksiak came upon the rush on the goal that chased Bernier. About 80 seconds later, Filppula got the Red Wings on the board with a wrist shot to the stick side.
Larkin scored with the extra attacker at 16:13, and Dallas answered with Comeau adding an empty-net goal in the final minute, skating in alone for hockey’s version of a dunk.
The teams will play Thursday at Detroit for the third of four straight games against each other. Dallas is playing nine of its remaining 11 games on the road.
WISH YOU WERE HERE
The Stars played without their No. 2 scorer, forward Roope Hintz, for the 13th time this season because of a nagging lower-body injury. Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen missed his first game this season – and only the second of his three-year NHL career – because of a lower-body injury.
SHORT NIGHT AGAIN
Bernier didn’t finish any of his three starts against Dallas this season. He left the previous two because of injuries that sidelined him for seven and ten games.
NOTES
Oettinger picked up his second NHL penalty, tripping when he body-blocked Darren Helm between the circles as they raced for a loose puck. … Dallas has outscored its opponents 30-14 during the eight-game point streak. … Filppula has three goals and six points in his last nine games. … Larkin headed to the bench in pain in the closing minutes, and Blashill had no details on his condition. … The Stars have won four straight for the first time since opening the season with four consecutive home wins, two against the Red Wings.
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