Montreal (AFP) – Jason Robertson scored three goals as the Dallas Stars beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Monday to open up a 2-1 lead in the NHL’s Western Conference final.
The win restores home ice advantage for Dallas ahead of game four of the best-of-seven series on Wednesday in Texas.
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Robertson’s hat-trick was his first in post-season play and came as the Stars rallied from 2-0 down in the first period.
Goals from Zach Hyman and captain Connor McDavid had put the Oilers in charge before Robertson struck twice in the second period.
His opener came on a pass from Roope Hintz which he blasted over the shoulder of Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner and then he tied the game off a scramble with a backhand over Skinner.
Wyatt Johnston put Dallas 3-2 up before Adam Henrique levelled late in the second.
Robertson completed his hat-trick at 11.54 of the third period when he banked in a shot off Skinner from below the net.
Finnish defenceman Miro Heiskanen scored the fifth into an empty net in the dying stages to seal the win for Dallas.
“Going down early, our response was just fantastic,” Robertson told Sportsnet.
“We don’t want to get in that spot but everyone in that locker room bought in, we started to play our game and we know that works,” he said.
In the last 10 games Robertson had eight assists but no goals and he said he felt freed up after he ended his barren spell.
“I think after I got one I just wanted to shoot everything, it is one of those things, you gain confidence but it was a big character win from all of us,” said Robertson.
Oilers skipper McDavid said his team had allowed the game to get away from them as they conceded three goals in the second.
“We made a real good start obviously and I am not sure where those 10-15 minutes came from but it is as bad as it has been throughout the playoffs,” he said.
“The playoffs are about momentum swings and when you don’t have it, you have to wrestle it back and we obviously didn’t do that for the better part of that second period,” he added.
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