Robertson's natural hat trick has Capitals seeing Stars

The Washington Capitals talked about getting off to a fast start against the Dallas Stars Tuesday night at Capital One Arena, but despite a push early, Washington fell into a 5-1 hole by the second period. The Caps did manage to pull within one against their nemesis in Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger with a push in the second half of the contest and had them a goal shy with 1:02 left in regulation, but they couldn't quite complete the comeback in a 6-5 loss.

"That's a tough game because I thought our start was exactly how we scripted it and exactly how we wanted to come out," Spencer Carbery said afterwards. "We did exactly what we wanted to do ... Even when they score 1st I think we're still fine.

"Then it just gets away from us a little bit, um, with some of the bounces, and next thing you know, it's in the back of our net."

"It's hard. I mean, it's definitely frustrating," Jordan Kyrou said afterwards. "You know ... you come on hot, and, you know, all lines are rolling them over, and you know, we're all over them, and then they get that one, and it's frustrating."

The loss was Washington's second straight loss to a Western Conference opponent at home, and drops the Capitals to 8-6-0, 6-4-0 at Capital One Arena.

While the Capitals got off to a decent start out of the gate, the Stars struck first with just under 9 minutes gone in the contest, as Joel Kiviranta put the puck past Logan Thompson on Dallas' first shot of the game as Radek Faksa's attempt was stopped just short of the goal line before being tapped in.

The roof really caved in early the second period, one where Thompson got pulled after allowing 4 goals on 11 shots and not looking terribly comfortable doing so. The damage was done on a Jason Robertson natural hat trick in the span of just 5:20 to run the deficit to 4-0.

Just 23 seconds into the second, Robertson upped Dallas' lead to two, moving in on Thompson and beating him cleanly with the Stars on a power play.

Robertson his second less than three minutes later, catching the Capitals netminder leaning the wrong way and putting Washington in a major hole.

Two shots later, Robertson completed the hat trick and it was 4-0 Dallas. Thompson's night came to an end with 4 goals on 11 shots and Charlie Lindgren coming into get some work with the Capitals facing an uphill climb.

"I mean, just looking at our game, lots [to like in] our start and, um, you know, how we kept ourselves in the game," Boone Jenner said afterwards.

Obviously, some bounces that didn't go our way, and, you know, when you're chasing a team like that, it's tough that they defend well, but I liked a lot of the things we did to get ourselves back into it and give ourselves a chance."

Quite naturally, the outlooked grim, especially against Stars netminder Jake Oettinger, who moved to 7-0-0 career against the Capitals with the win Tuesday.

But Washington did provide some push back in the last 9 minutes of the second to make a game of it. 

Kyrou broke Oettinger's shutout string against Washington that dated back to December 16, 2024, as he put a Dylan Strome attempt past the Stars goalie, ending the goalless streak against the Minnesota native at 135:21. 

Dallas got a strange goal less than three minutes later to restore the 4-goal lead, as a puck pinballed behind Lindgren to make it 5-1.

Jenner doubled Washington's total, beating Oettinger cleanly to cut the deficit to 3 with 3:02 left in the second, then armed with a power play, Jakob Chychrun scored to make it a contest with 30 seconds left in the frame.

But Dallas seemingly restored their control early in the third, as Roope Hintz scored with 83 seconds gone in the frame.

But the Capitals weren't quite done yet, as Justin Sourdif did bring the Caps a bit closer, scoring a goal that just crossed the goal line, and then Ryan Leonard scored on a wrister past Oettinger with 62 seconds left to bring Washington within one. It was the first time the Capitals had scored more than 4 goals on the Dallas netminder in 7 games against him, but came in a losing effort.

“I appreciated the way the guys battled and stayed in, and even though you're down 4-0, even though easily you could just fold the tent and they fought and continued to play the right way, do the things that we talk about, now we get to Oettinger a little bit, and the power play scores a huge goal, gives us a little bit of life now,” Carbery said.

“And I thought the end of the 2nd period, we're doing a lot of the 3rd period come out. You know, we, we, we give up that lucky goal, those in off Marty's stick, and now again, we still keep pushing, still keep pushing.”

The Capitals wrap up their three-game homestand Saturday afternoon with a visit by the Florida Panthers. Washington is nearing a stretch of 11 of their first 15 games at Capital One Arena - and 11 of their last 13. Washington heads off to Ottawa and New Jersey for games next week for their first multiple-game road trip since the season's first 2 games before returning home a week from Saturday.

“I think the Minnesota game [Sunday] was different than tonight, and … I think we did a lot of good things tonight, and, we're gonna have to take the good, and learn from some of the stuff we gave them tonight and bring it into Saturday,” Jenner said. “Another real good test for us.”