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Top line again carries heavy scoring burden for Stars in much-needed win over Blackhawks

Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson continued the trend of providing ample offense for Dallas.

CHICAGO — When the Stars needed a win, they knew who they could turn to.

The same players that have dragged this team into a playoff chase: Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski.

During a 6-4 win over the Blackhawks on Sunday night, the Stars’ top line combined to score four goals, earning a much-needed win over lowly Chicago. Robertson (two goals), Hintz (one goal, two assists) and Pavelski (one goal, one assist) led the way, while Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin also scored for the Stars.

“After last night’s game was very disappointing, very proud of the guys the way they responded,” Stars coach Rick Bowness said. “We came out ready to go. It was a really good effort by everybody.”

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Jake Oettinger made 37 saves in the win, while the Stars dented Kevin Lankinen for five goals on 20 shots through two periods. Lankinen was replaced by Collin Delia at the start of the third period.

Four different Blackhawks scored goals for Chicago, which lost its seventh straight game.

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The win brought the Stars within one point of Nashville (lost in overtime Sunday) for the first Wild Card in the Western Conference with the same amount of games played. The Stars opened up a two-point lead on Vegas for the second Wild Card in the West with one game in hand on the idle Golden Knights.

For the Stars, Sunday’s performance was a palate cleanser from the stinker Dallas put forth on Saturday afternoon during a 3-1 loss to the Devils. A day earlier, Bowness called the loss the most disappointing game of the season, and told his team that repeated efforts like that one would mean a season that ended in April.

Sunday’s win helped wash the stain from the Saturday’s loss.

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“I think it’s a little bit late in the year to be having these resets,” Benn said. “We should be ready to go for every game. Our lives are on the line and we control our effort and how we play. So I thought we responded tonight.”

As with everything for the Stars, it all returned to their top line, which is one of the best in the league.

Robertson (34 goals), Hintz (31) and Pavelski (27) have combined for almost 44% of the Stars’ goals this season, an outrageously top-heavy figure that has led to a streaky Stars team this season. When the goals dry up for the top line, as they do on the occasional night, so do the wins.

But the line caused havoc in the offensive zone on Sunday, as Pavelski and Robertson directly forced turnovers that led to goals. The skill took it from there.

“You can see it, they read off of each other,” Bowness said. “They know where each other is. They’re just very confident with the puck, very poised with the puck. They buy time for each other is what they do.”

Pavelski’s goal was a signature tip at the net-front, re-directing a Tyler Seguin one-timer. Hintz scored after Pavelski picked off a Kirby Dach pass. Robertson’s first goal required him to break up a play in the neutral zone, one in the offensive zone before pouncing on a loose puck and banking it off of Lankinen. Robertson’s second goal was on a shot from the top of the circle.

“We had a lot of looks tonight, we were finishing well tonight and had confidence,” Pavelski said. “There are a lot of little things going well. We’re working and our forecheck was pretty good. When we laid it in, we got it back a lot, were able to turn a lot of pucks over, which gave us second chances.”

Hintz: “I think the forecheck is going well then, and then we can get those pucks back and then we can make some plays. I think that’s huge for us.”

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The Hintz line can be the great equalizer for the Stars in the final 10 games, and during a potential playoff run.

They can hide deficiencies elsewhere on the roster. They can overwhelm defenses and goalies like the rest of the Stars cannot. They can be the line that other teams key on — and still struggle to stop. They’ll need help from the rest of the Dallas roster in a seven-game series, no doubt, but their presence gives the Stars a chance.

“It’s a lot of fun [to watch them],” Benn said. “They’ve been great for us all year. Obviously, we know that. It’s just special to watch those guys every night. They’re all on the same page and playing some great hockey.”

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