Robertson scores twice as Stars dominate struggling Lightning 8-1

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DALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 2: Luke Glendening #11 of the Tampa Bay Lightning handles the puck against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on December 2, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)

DALLAS (AP) - Jason Robertson scored twice, Joe Pavelski had a goal and two assists, Jamie Benn and Mason Marchment each had a goal and an assist and the Dallas Stars raced to an early 3-0 lead and beat the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning 8-1 on Saturday.

Tyler Seguin, Thomas Harley and Sam Steel also scored, Jani Hakanpaa and Roope Hintz each had two assists and Jake Oettinger made 32 saves for the Stars (14-5-3).

Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning (10-10-5), who have lost four consecutive games for the first time this season.

The eight goals matched a season high for Dallas and are the most allowed by Tampa Bay.

Andrei Vasilevskiy was relieved after two periods, allowing six goals on 25 shots in his fourth start this season (1-3-0) after returning last week following offseason back surgery. Jonas Johansson allowed the goals to Harley and Steel late in the game.

Vasilevskiy, a former Vezina and Conn Smythe winner, entered the game with 13-2-3 career record and 1.76 goals-against average against Dallas in regular-season play plus all six decisions in the Bolts’ 2020 Stanley Cup Final victory over the Stars.

Robertson has eight goals in 22 games after scoring 18 to this point last season, when he led Dallas with 46.

Seguin opened the scoring only 1:01 in by bunting in a puck that popped up on a centering pass by Marchment with Tampa Bay’s Anthony Cirelli fanning on an attempt to knock the puck away from the goal area.

Robertson made the score 2-0 by squeezing a shot between Vasilevskiy’s right skate and the post at 6:28 of the first period.

Benn made it 3-0 at 7:39 on a breakaway goal on Dallas’ seventh shot on goal.

The Lightning capitalized on a double-minor penalty on Miro Heiskanen for a crosscheck to Michael Eyssimont’s face that drew blood. Hedman whistled home a shot from the high slot 1:04 into the penalty pulling Tampa Bay within 3-1.

Marchment followed up his first two-goal game of the season on Thursday at Calgary by scoring on a wrister at 3:42 of the second period for a 4-1 lead.

Pavelski’s power-play goal at 12:25 of the second period increased his team-high total to 11.

Robertson’s second goal was also a power-play score, at 14:23 of the second. He converted a rebound after Benn’s shot caromed off the post.

Nikita Kucherov, who went into play leading the NHL with 39 points, assisted on Hedman’s goal to extend his points streak to nine games (four goals, 13 assists).