DALLAS — Joe Pavelski had two goals and three assists for the Dallas Stars in a 5-2 win against the Seattle Kraken at American Airlines Center on Wednesday.
Pavelski (37 years, 185 days) is the first NHL player 37 or older to score at least five points in a game since Teemu Selanne had three goals and two assists for the Anaheim Ducks against the Colorado Avalanche on March 28, 2011 (40 years, 268 days). It was the first five-point game of Pavelski’s NHL career.
“It’s a fun night,” Pavelski said. “Puck’s going in the net, we’re getting a lot of chances. Usually when you have a night where you put a few points on the board, it’s your linemates that have been really good, which was a big part of the case here tonight.”
Roope Hintz had a goal and two assists, and Jason Robertson extended his point streak to eight games with a goal and an assist for the Stars (18-13-2), who have won five of six. Jake Oettinger made 23 saves.
Jared McCann had a goal and an assist for the Kraken (10-21-4), who have lost seven in a row (0-6-1). Philipp Grubauer made 20 saves.
“It [stinks] to lose,” Seattle forward Calle Jarnkrok said. “You play this game to win games. When you win games, you’re having fun. We’re [ticked] off tonight, but [we] have a new chance tomorrow to win a hockey game (at the St. Louis Blues).”
Video: SEA@DAL: Pavelski puts home loose puck in 1st
Hintz scored 50 seconds into the first period when Robertson’s shot deflected off his skate to give the Stars a 1-0 lead.
“It’s important to get out there, especially in your home rink, you want to get that first goal,” Dallas coach Rick Bowness. “Tonight, we just came out of the gates great, and we were able to capitalize on that first chance.”
Jarnkrok tied it 1-1 with a one-timer from the edge of the right face-off circle for a power-play goal at 8:25.
Pavelski put the Stars back in front at 11:00 on a rebound of Miro Heiskanen‘s point shot to make it 2-1.
Robertson extended the lead to 3-1 when he scored from the crease on a 5-on-3 power play at 13:01. He has five goals and seven assists during his point streak.
“This team starts really good in their building,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “We didn’t match that in the first. The 3-1 deficit after the first period, as we know, it’s tough to come back from behind in this league.
“Our second and third periods, effort-wise, were real good. We turned the game. [We] made a mistake at the end of the second to give the two-goal lead back. I have no issue at all with our effort and compete in the second and third period, but we didn’t match them in the first.”
McCann cut it to 3-2 with his 15th goal of the season at 5:38 of the second period when he took a cross-crease pass from Jordan Eberle and shot the puck over Oettinger’s glove, but Pavelski scored his second of the game at 18:37 nine seconds after a Kraken power play expired on a tap-in from the top of the crease to make it 4-2. It was his 15th goal of the season.
Video: SEA@DAL: Lindell sets up Pavelski’s second goal
Pavelski scored his fifth point with an assist on Jani Hakanpaa‘s empty-net goal at 18:18 of the third period for the 5-2 final.
“[Pavelski’s] a big-time competitor,” Stars defenseman Esa Lindell said. “Back in the days when he was in San Jose, he was kind of trouble every night to play against him. He’s such a good right around the net front, so it is always a puck battle against him. We’re lucky to have him on our team.”
NOTES: It was the second time this season Pavelski scored at least four points; he had two goals and two assists in a 4-3 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 18. … Robertson extended his home point streak to 11 games (six goals, 11 assists), the longest such stretch in the NHL this season. … Defenseman Jamie Oleksiak played his first game in Dallas since being selected by Seattle at the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. He had five hits and blocked four shots in 21:15 of ice time.
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