NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) — Jason Robertson scored his 17th goal of the season, Jake Oettinger stopped all 31 shots he faced and the Dallas Stars shut out New Jersey Devils 3-0 Wednesday evening.
As Robertson continued to build his case for the U.S. Olympic team to score on a back-and-forth with Esa Lindell, a trio of other Finns were responsible for the Stars’ other offensive production. Ropee Index fed Miro Heiskanen for the Stars’ first goal, while Mikko Rantanen scored on a rebound to get their third.
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Oettinger, also likely bound for Milan as one of three American goaltenders, was at his best at the other end of the ice to earn his first career victory against the Devils — the last of 31 other NHL teams he hadn’t beaten. Oettinger made savings on the back-to-back pad Luc Glendening And Juho Lammikko late in the first period and refused Dawson Mercer (twice) and Connor Brown on high quality chances in the second.
Lindell and captain Jamie Benn each had two assists. The Stars have wiped out 19 straight penalties over the last six games and improved to 12-0-0 as they led into the second intermission.
Dallas was playing its first game without its second-longest-tenured player, Tyler Seguin, who tore the ACL in his right knee Tuesday night against the New York Rangers. Coach Glen Gulutzan said Seguin would likely miss the rest of the season.
Jacob Markstrom allowed three goals on 27 shots for New Jersey, which lost a third straight game and for the sixth time in its last nine games. Best player Jack Hughes has been out for that entire span and is expected to miss at least another month after undergoing surgery to repair a non-hockey-related finger injury.
To be continued
Stars: Return home to face San Jose Friday night.
Devils: Host Vegas Friday night.
