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Since then, Robertson — who has two assists in the series against the Kraken — has been stymied despite having 14 shots on goal, raising questions about why a 46-goal scorer has been shut out in this series.
The Stars leveled their second-round series with a 6-3 win Tuesday due in part to the contributions they received throughout the lineup. Five players scored goals, proving the Stars have depth, something that was lacking at times in the playoffs.
This is a bit reminiscent of what happened to Robertson earlier this season. He went seven games in December without a goal. Dallas won four of those games, with the three losses being one-goal decisions. So yes, there has been a seven-game stretch in which the Stars won four games without goals from their leading scorer.
Could that be the case in Round 2? Or does Game 5 provide Robertson the opportunity to reinforce why the Stars remain a serious threat to win the Western Conference? — Clark
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Roope Hintz restores the Stars’ 4-goal lead
Roope Hintz scores on the rebound for the Stars’ fourth goal of the second period.
These ain’t your older cousin’s Hurricanes
The Hurricanes being one win away from the Eastern Conference finals shouldn’t be a surprise. Coach Rod Brind’Amour led them there in his first season and got them to the second round in each of the past two seasons. The Stanley Cup playoffs are tailor-made for the Canes’ aggressive, defensive, physical style. Throw in home-ice advantage, and they’re very tough to beat in a seven-game series, as the Devils are discovering currently.
But what is surprising is that they haven’t played a series consisting mostly of grinding, 2-1 games. Carolina is averaging 3.7 goals per game, tied for fourth highest in the playoffs. That’s almost a full goal per game more than their previous best offensive postseason under Brind’Amour (2.82 in 2021).
Remember when lack of offense was supposed to be their undoing? The Hurricanes entered the postseason with forwards Max Pacioretty and Andrei Svechnikov out because of injury. Then they lost Teuvo Teravainen after he appeared in just two postseason games. But Carolina hasn’t just endured offensively; they’ve thrived.
Sebastian Aho has done his part, with 10 points in 10 games. Ditto Seth Jarvis (eight) and Brent Burns (seven). But others have also stepped up when necessary. Forward Jordan Martinook had 11 postseason points in his career entering these playoffs. He now has nine through 10 games, all of them in the second round.
Every night, another hero. Jesperi Kotkaniemi‘s two goals in Game 2 against the Devils. Martin Necas‘ two goals in Game 4. Paul Stastny eliminating the Islanders in overtime with a Game 6 goal.
“We lost a lot of key guys, and we need scoring from everywhere,” Martinook said after the Canes’ 6-1 win in Game 4 vs. the Devils. “I feel like in the games we’ve won in this series we’ve been getting it from everywhere, and that’s what we need moving forward.” — Wyshynski
