A last-minute game-winner against the Blues proves Robertson's snubs, silencing critics with his 30th goal and a crucial Stars victory.
For Jason Robertson, this season has been nothing short of all he could do to make Team USA for the upcoming Olympics next month.
Unfortunately for Robertson, the odds seemed stacked against him from the start, and his stellar performances are now more of an 'I told you so' statement to the Team USA brass that they made the wrong decision. A game-winning goal in the final minute of the third period Friday night was the biggest display of that since the roster announcement.
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) and left wing Jason Robertson (21) hug on the ice after the Stars victory over the St. Louis Blues at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn ImagesRobertson broke a 2-2 tie with exactly a minute left on the clock to beat the St. Louis Blues and give the Dallas Stars a much needed win heading into a rare weekend off. It marked a milestone of 30 goals on the season, paired evely with 30 assists that puts him only three back of the team lead.
At the time of the Team USA roster unveiling, five of the top-10 American goal scorers this season were left off of the team, with Robertson being the biggest snub of all. A mix of reasons went into the decision to compile the roster as it is, and much of it fell on the Four Nations Faceoff success, beating Canada once and narrowly losing in overtime in the rematch for the championship.
Ironically enough, Robertson's goal was against Jordan Binnington of the Blues, who backstopped Team Canada to that Four Nations title and will most likely take the reins again in Milan. Perhaps it would be helpful to have a goal scorer that can beat Canada's seemingly unflappable goaltender, who proves he can show up during the biggest games time and time again.
For Robertson, there have been conversations about not showing up in the biggest moments, and that is fair when taking into account his playoff performances over his first several seasons. Last season, he struggled but was coming off an injury that he never truly recovered from. So he might not have the track record of going 'beast mode' in the NHL playoffs, but his team has made it so far each year that he has never been able to play for Team USA in the World Championships, which take place at the same time as the playoffs. He had such a bad start to last season, once again due to injury, that even though he dominated after Jan. 1, he didn't have enough time to make the Four Nations team in February.
No one has any real idea as to how Robertson would perform in the Olympics, but the Stars sure needed and loved that clutch goal Friday night to get a big win over a division rival.
News and notes:
Wyatt Johnston scored his 17th power play goal of the season, making him only one goal away from tying Mike Modano for the most in a season at 18. It's only a matter of time for Johnston to break that mark.
The Stars scored two power play goals Friday, which is the fourth time in the last 15 games they have scored at least two.
Matt Duchene scored the other power play goal, which was only his fifth goal of the season. It is clear he misses the chance to play with Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment this year.
The Stars penalty kill also gave up a power play goal to the Blues. They used to be top five, but are now sitting dead middle of the league at 16th. It's a big drop and a concerning part of their game right now.
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