Jason Robertson scored twice and Casey DeSmith made 24 saves as the visiting Dallas Stars routed the Montreal Canadiens 7-0 to extend their winning streak to a season-high four games.
Robertson added an assist for his second straight three-point game as the Stars scored more than six goals for the first time since Feb. 8.
Colin Blackwell notched a goal and an assist. Wyatt Johnston scored the 100th goal of his career and Esa Lindell, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Petrovic also found the back of the net. Radek Faksa had a career-high-tying three assists and Mikko Rantanen finished with a pair.
DeSmith did not get tested often, but the Stars goalie came up huge when needed to get his first shutout this season and 13th of his career. He stopped Jake Evans on a short-handed opportunity in the first period and made a save while sprawled on the ice against Ivan Demidov six minutes into the third.
The Canadiens lost their second straight as they suffered their first shutout and worst defeat of the season. Montreal entered Thursday leading the Atlantic Division but has lost four of its last five (1-2-2).
Jakub Dobes allowed a season-high five goals and stopped only eight shots before exiting after two periods. While the Czech goalie entered the night with a 2.25 goals-against average in his seven games, he has allowed 15 goals in his last four starts. Sam Montembeault stopped four of six shots in the third.
Despite being outshot 14-5 in the opening 20 minutes, the Stars claimed a 1-0 lead on Johnston’s power-play goal. It was his 11th of the season and NHL-best eighth with the man advantage.
The Stars dominated the second period, scoring four times on just eight shots while holding the Habs to three shots. Miro Heiskanen recorded his 300th career point while assisting on Lindell’s second goal of the season with 16:10 left in the period.
Robertson assisted on Seguin’s goal with 12:50 left in the second, and his pair of goals 99 seconds apart finished the scoring in the period. Quebec natives Justin Hryckowian and Mavrik Bourque assisted on Robertson’s second with 3:11 to go in the second.
Petrovic and Blackwell each secured their first goals of the season in the third.
–Field Level Media
