The Dallas Stars continued their roll with a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.
The Stars scored four unanswered goals in a come-from-behind victory as goalie Jake Oettinger continued his early season success with 38 saves.
“He’s big every night for us,” Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said of Oettinger after the game. “He’s elite. He’s come back, he’s healthy, and he’s making it look easy — so solid, so positionally solid. He’s obviously our backbone in there.”
Pittsburgh drew first blood, scoring in the final minute of the first period on a two-on-one break. However, Oettinger would make 23 consecutive saves to help the Stars take charge.
The Stars bombarded the Pittsburgh net with shots in the second period, and Jason Robertson tied the game with his first goal of the season as Dallas’ aggressive forecheck pushed the puck to the front of the net. Robertson was stopped on the initial attempt but followed it with a backhand on the rebound to beat Alex Nedeljkovic.
Evgenii Dadonov broke the tie later in the second, sliding in front of the net and tipping a rebound into the goal. Defenseman Thomas Harley added to the lead in the third period, and Wyatt Johnston deposited another rebound into the net to take a 4-1 lead.
“I thought we got to our game in the second and third,” DeBoer told the media. “We started playing more direct. We started playing heavier and harder.”
Pittsburgh kept firing pucks at the net, but Oettinger stood firm and got some help from his defensemen to earn the win.
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WHAT TO KNOW
— The Stars beat the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.
— Dallas improved to 4-0-1 on the season and 2-0-1 on the road.
— Oettinger’s performance earned him the First Star in Tuesday’s game.
— Johnston’s goal was his first road point of the season.
— The Stars have won their last two meetings against Pittsburgh and four of the last five.
— Dallas lost the faceoff battle for the first time this season.
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BY THE NUMBERS
— Oettinger improved to 3-0-1 this season and earned his 81st career win.
— Forward Matt Duchene (14) and captain Jamie Benn (13) entered the game as the Stars’ leaders in points against Pittsburgh, and each picked up an assist in Tuesday’s game.
— Stars’ skaters blocked 19 shots in addition to Oettinger’s 38 saves.
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WHO SAID
— DeBoer on the 4-0-1 start: “It feels good. We’re a work in progress, but it’s always good to get off to a hot start.”
— Duchene on Oettinger’s season so far: “He looks unbelievable. He’s been our best player this year. No doubt about it.”
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NEXT UP
— The Stars (4-0-1) host the Toronto Maple Leafs (4-2-0) at the American Airlines Center at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday.
