Fans in the Lone Star State can breathe a little easier now that the Dallas Stars have a recent win under their belts.
After scuffling through a six-game losing skid (0-3-3), Dallas continues its season-long six-game road trip by traveling to the West Coast and playing the San Jose Sharks on Saturday afternoon.
The group notched its first victory since Dec. 21 — an agonizingly long time for the Central Division’s second-place club — with a solid 4-1 win at the Washington Capitals on Wednesday behind goals from Radek Faksa, Sam Steel, Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz.
A 17-year veteran in his third season in Dallas, center Matt Duchene said his teammates were not panicking during the victory outage.
“We’re going through a little bit of a skid right now, (but) I’d rather it be right now instead of going into the playoffs or in the playoffs,” Duchene said of the recent play during TNT’s pregame show. “You kind of put it into perspective. Three of those losses were in overtime or a shootout, so it’s kind of like, it could be a .500 trip pretty easily.”
Duchene said Jason Robertson, who has a team-high 25 goals, has not been affected since being left off Team USA’s Olympic squad. The 26-year-old knew it was stiff competition.
“The U.S. and Canada are so deep on their roster, especially the forward groups. It’s tough. He shouldn’t take it as an indictment on his game because he’s a heck of a player,” Duchene added.
Robertson’s production has not slipped: He has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in the past nine games around the Olympic roster announcement.
Two months before the trade deadline, the Sharks will continue to ride the momentum of their youth — and that journey moved along dramatically in Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime win at the Los Angeles Kings.
Macklin Celebrini, who was named to Hockey Canada’s Olympic team, put the Sharks in position for at least one point and ultimately two in the win over the Pacific Division foe.
With his team’s net empty, the 19-year-old forward knotted it 3-all by deking his way past forwards Warren Foegele and Quinton Byfield. Then, in overtime, he stripped Adrian Kempe and fed William Eklund for the game-winner, San Jose’s fifth victory in six games since the holiday break.
The Sharks will be starting a two-game homestand, but much of the talk this week has been around that wild night in L.A.
“We did some really good things, and then our skill kind of took over there,” San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said of a potentially pointless outing transforming into a two-pointer. “It’s the first time in my four years where there’s this emotion in our locker room.
“It’s hard to even put into words the feeling that we get after that type of game, that emotional win. There’s some real good stuff going on right now.”
Celebrini brings the good stuff.
He moved his point streak to a dozen games (nine goals, 15 assists) with a goal and two assists against the Kings. His 67 points in 43 contests rank third behind Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (78) and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (77).
Added Warsofsky: “He took over that game there. … He’s definitely turning into a superstar right before our eyes, that’s for sure.”
