Thrilling Match Recap
In a thrilling match on Wednesday night, the Dallas Stars emerged victorious against the St. Louis Blues with a score of 5-4, capping off the pre-Olympic break period with a remarkable six-game winning streak.
Key Performances
Stars captain Jamie Benn made headlines by breaking his 15-game scoring drought, netting two goals, including the decisive game-winner just 23 seconds before the final buzzer.
Benn’s first goal, which marked his return to the scoring sheet since December 23, was set up by Matt Duchene, who also contributed a goal and an assist during the game.
Meanwhile, Jason Robertson achieved a significant milestone as he became the first player from the 2017 NHL draft class to reach 200 career goals; he netted his 32nd goal of the season during the contest, thanks to a crafty play by Mikko Rantanen.
Robertson’s goal came after he skillfully redirected a pass from Rantanen while navigating through traffic towards the net.
This was a noteworthy moment considering Robertson’s development since being drafted 39th overall, following the selections of Miro Heiskanen and Jake Oettinger that same year. Speaking of Oettinger, the Stars’ goaltender, who is set to represent the United States at the Olympics, secured his sixth consecutive win by making 14 saves during the matchup.
Blues’ Struggles and Highlights
For the Blues, who have struggled lately with just one win in their last nine outings, Jordan Binnington, soon to play for Canada in the Olympics, was tested with 23 shots against him. Jordan Kyrou stood out for St. Louis with a goal and an assist, while Pavel Buchnevich added a power-play goal—indicative of the team’s scoring surge with the man advantage, having achieved it in seven of their last eight games.
A highlight for St. Louis was rookie Jimmy Snuggerud, who scored an unassisted goal in the third period and became the first Blues rookie since Kevin Shattenkirk in 2011 to achieve a six-game point streak.
Snuggerud also assisted on Alexey Toropchenko‘s late equalizer that tied the game at 4 before Benn sealed the deal for Dallas.
Looking Ahead
Both teams are set to resume play by facing off against the Seattle Kraken following the Olympic break, with the Stars playing on February 25 and the Blues the following day.
