Robertson scores twice, Stars extend mastery of Coyotes 7-2

TEMPE, Ariz (AP) — Jason Robertson had two goals and scored for the fourth straight game as the Dallas Stars used a four-goal first period to beat the Arizona Coyotes 7-2 on Thursday night.

Denis Gurianov, Wyatt Johnston and Ty Dellandrea joined Robertson with goals in the first period, Robertson scored on a power play in the second and Jamie Benn and Jani Hakanpaa tallied in the third for Dallas. Scott Wedgewood had 28 saves to beat his former team.

Robertson has seven goals this season and eight points in the last four games. Benn, Gurianov and Dellandrea had their first goals of the season.

“We took care of business,” Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said. “I liked our game. We came out ready to play. We got rewarded for it early, and then we did enough the rest of the way.

Juuso Valimaki and Lawson Crouse scored in the third period for Arizona. Connor Ingram gave up three goals on 10 shots before he was pulled midway through the first period. Karel Vejmelka came on and stopped 22 of the 26 shots he faced.

“We got ouplayed in the first period,” Crouse said. “It’s as simple as that. We got outworked. They put up four and then we’re chasing the game.”

The Central Division-leading Stars, who have won three of four, are 5-1-1 in the last seven games against the Coyotes and 14-2-1 dating to the 2015-16 season. The Stars have won six of the last eight in Arizona.

Gurianov started a first-period barrage when he flipped in a puck from short range front after it deflected off teammate Mason Marchment’s skate 1:27 into the first period.

Johnston scored an unassisted goal for a 2-0 lead at 3:54 after a giveaway by Coyotes defenseman Dysin Mayo. Johnston stepped in front Mayo’s pass and skated in alone on Ingram, scoring on a wrist shot high on the stick side.

Dellandrea tipped in Colin Miller’s shot from the slot with 8:42 left in the first. It came 17 seconds after the Coyotes killed off a 2-minute penalty but could not clear the puck.

Vejmelka replaced Ingram at that point, but the change did not slow the Stars. Robertson scored from the right circle with 1:30 left in the period.

“Patience,” Dellandrea said of Robertson. “He gets the puck. He’s so calm with it. He doesn’t run to spots. He lets the game come to him. You can see his brain just analyzing the play and trying to get open. He’s such a smart player.”

Robertson made it 5-0 on a tip-in on the power play with 4:46 left in the second.

Valimaki scored his first goal to break Wedgewood’s shutout at 5:07 of the third period to make it 6-1, and Crouse added his fifth goal at 9:06.

“It’s nice to get a win against your former team,” Wedgewood said, adding about 5,000-seat Mullett Arena, “the ceiling is very dark and close to you, so the pucks kind of disappear a little bit when they get high.”

GOODBYE, SWEET MULLETT

Arizona now heads out on a a 14-game, 33-day road trip while the permanent annex housing the locker rooms at Mullett Arena is finished to NHL specs. The Coyotes will play in seven states, the nation’s capital and and two Canadian provinces during the trip that will log about 15,400 miles over four time zones. The Coyotes’ next home game is Dec. 9 against Boston.

TRAINERS ROOM

Dallas G Jake Oettinger (lower body), who was injured in Sunday’s loss to the New York Rangers, did not dress but could rejoin the Stars later on a road trip that concludes Tuesday at Winnipeg, coach Peter DeBoer said. … Coyotes F Andrew Ladd (knee), D Jakob Chychrun (wrist) and Nick Schmaltz (upper body) were out. Chychrun has not played this season after offseason surgery, and Schmaltz played only in the opener. … Coyotes F Zach Kassian (lower body) missed his second straight game.

UP NEXT

Stars: At Edmonton on Saturday night in the second of a three-game trip.

Coyotes: At Washington on Saturday night to open a 14-game road trip.

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