DALLAS– Defenseman Miro Heiskanen had a goal and two assists, and Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist as the Dallas Stars beat the Seattle Kraken 3-1 on Saturday to clinch the Central Division title for the first time in eight years.
Craig Smith also scored for the Stars, who remain in contention for first place in the Western Conference and the Presidents’ Trophy with one game left in the regular season.
Heiskanen scored Dallas’ final goal in a comeback with 7:37 left for his fourth at least three-point game this season.
The Stars’ other goals came late in periods. Smith with 2.5 seconds left in the first period and Robertson with 35.9 seconds left in the second, coming on a 5-on-3 power play.
Three Seattle shots hit the post or post.
Jake Oettinger stopped 26 shots. Kailer Yamamoto spoiled Oettinger’s attempt to eliminate Seattle for the second time in two weeks late in the third period. Philipp Grubauer made 28 saves for the Kraken, who began a four-game road trip late in the season.
Twenty-two seconds after Seattle’s Ryker Evans was called for a key late in the second period, Brandon Tanev – younger brother of Dallas’ Chris Tanev – was penalized for goaltender interference. Robertson’s goal, following his first-period assist, gives him a team-high 80 points.
Oettinger lost his stick in the final seconds of the Kraken’s second unsuccessful power play early in the second period, then made a glove save on Evans’ shot from just inside the blue line.
The Stars were awarded a penalty midway through the second period following a scrum in the Seattle box. Kraken defenseman Will Borgen pushed the puck away from the goal line with his left glove, the puck went under fellow defenseman Jamie Oleksiak’s chest, and Oleksiak was ruled to have covered the puck in the crease. Sam Steel shot low and Grubauer closed in to save.
NEXT
Kraken: Complete a consecutive road in St. Louis on Sunday afternoon.
Stars: Ends the regular season on Wednesday, at home, also against the Blues.
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AP NHL:
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