If you’re not sure whether the Stars’ top line is on the ice or not, they’ll surely let you know soon enough.
The relentless forecheck that’s punctuated by subtle stickwork. The tight-quartered give and go’s that produce something where nothing existed. The blind passes towards the net and dekes around defenders on the rush. The geometric poetry born of their angular passing and offensive opportunism.
Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz left their mark on the Stars’ 3-1 win over the Avalanche on Friday night, as the line produced two Pavelski goals during 19 seconds in the first period and threatened many other times throughout the evening.
“Tonight, they were going really good,” Stars coach Rick Bowness said. “Robo missed a lot of time, in camp Roope [did too], so they’re getting that chemistry back.”
The Stars also received a power-play goal from Denis Gurianov — who now has goals in back-to-back games — and 36 saves from Jake Oettinger and Braden Holtby. Dallas (9-7-2) has now won five of its last six games, including its last five home games.
Colorado spoiled the Stars’ combined shutout bid with 3:21 left in the third period, when Cale Makar whistled a shot past Oettinger after the Avalanche pulled their goaltender.
The Stars travel to Arizona to play the Coyotes on Saturday night, having outscored the Blues, Oilers and Avs 11-3 in the last three games following a 7-2 loss in Minnesota. Pavelski called the loss to the Wild a wake-up call.
“Tough night there and guys have just responded,” Pavelski said. “You see those good teams, it gets everyone’s attention. They’re scoring a lot of goals, and there’s just been a big commitment: guys in shot lanes, the goaltending’s been good. Just five guys working well together.”
If the Stars are going to truly contend this season, Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski will have to brand many more games as their own.
Since Robertson returned from an early-season shoulder injury that forced him to miss six games, the line has been the only unit Stars coach Rick Bowness has kept together in the last month. They established chemistry together last year, and continued their work this season.
Pavelski and Hintz are tied for the team lead with six goals. Hintz has 10 points in his last eight games. Robertson has 11 points in 12 games. Pavelski scored his 400th career goal on Friday night.
The days when Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov would carry the offense are over. As Robertson, Hintz and Pavelski have formed a formidable top line, Benn, Seguin and Radulov are scattered on three different lines for Dallas. The Stars could use more from their marquee, highest-paid forwards, but they didn’t need it Friday night.
The top line — plus a still scorching Oettinger — carried the load against the Nathan MacKinnon-less Avalanche, who carried a six-game win streak into the game.
Robertson whirled a no-look pass to Pavelski on the door step. Hintz stole a puck then fed Pavelski. Robertson nearly set up Hintz by the crease, and Hintz twice tried to put Avs defenders on highlight reels off the rush.
“I just laughed,” Oettinger said. “When we scored those, I’m like ‘These guys are unreal.’ It doesn’t get better than that for me, especially against a team like that. We had two and then the next five minutes, we could have had a couple more, too.”
This season has been viewed as the closing of the Stars’ Stanley Cup window with Benn and Seguin aging, and Radulov, Pavelski and John Klingberg as unrestricted free agents at year’s end. Friday proved it doesn’t have to be the end of contention, just perhaps the end of this particular group’s contention.
Hintz and Gurianov are 24 years old. Robertson and Oettinger — plus Miro Heiskanen — are 22.
This franchise will tie its fortune to its young core in the future. It might even be tying its present to it, including two-thirds of its top line.
