5 Takeaways: Stars’ Robertson Shows Flyers What They Missed

The Philadelphia Flyers got their MVP, goalie Carter Hart, back in the lineup Thursday night at the American Airlines Center.

Didn’t matter.

Dallas, fighting for first place in the Central Division, got two goals from Jason Robertson and three points from ageless Joe Pavelski as it whipped the Flyers, 4-1.

The Flyers (29-36-13) suffered their fifth straight loss. They are winless in their last nine road games.

Here are five quick observations:

1. Oh, did the Flyers miss a game-changer when bypassing on this winger.

Jason Robertson continued his amazing season.

With 1.8 seconds left in the first and Dallas (43-21-14) on a power play, Robertson scored on his own rebound after racing into the zone. It was his 44th goal this season, and he later added his 45th.

For the Flyers the buzzer-beating goal was a gut punch because they had stayed right with the talented Stars in an evenly played first period. Dallas built off that goal and dominated the second period.

Robertson added his second goal of the night with 9:05 remaining in the second, increasing the lead to 4-0 — and giving him 12 points over his last four games. Ivan Provorov (minus-2) lost the puck to Joe Pavelski behind the goal line, and the veteran center found Robertson in front for an easy goal.

After the game, Hart took responsibility for a “miscommunication” behind the net with Provorov, which led to a turnover that contributed to Robertson’s second goal.

Robertson, by the way, was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft. He was taken four picks after the Flyers chose Isaac Ratcliffe in the second round. Ratcliffe played just 10 games with Philly in his career, and was traded to Nashville for future considerations five weeks ago.

Robo wasn't letting the period end without a Stars goal 😌

📺 @BallySportsSW | #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/mjbaxeou3m

— x – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) April 7, 2023

2. Carter Hart, who missed the previous five games because of an unspecified injury, wasn’t razor sharp in his return.

To be fair, Hart didn’t get much defensive support. But he didn’t look like the goalie who had won four straight before his injury.

To his credit, he played better in the final period.

“Hard for him to get back in when we really haven’t had practices,” coach John Tortorella said.

Hart, 24, blanked Detroit, 3-0, in his last start before Thursday.

Hollywood gets us on the board in Dallas. #PHIvsDAL | #FueledByPhilly pic.twitter.com/3L0TzWnfjr

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 7, 2023

3. Kevin Hayes ended a loooooong drought.

Hayes hadn’t scored in a career-high 23 straight games — a funk that started shortly after the Philadelphia Flyers publicly made him available on the trade market — before turning on the red light in the second period.

With 6:44 left in the second, he converted a behind-the-net feed from Owen Tippett to cut the deficit to 4-1. It was his 18th goal.

He hadn’t scored since Feb. 11 against Nashville.

4. Special teams killed the Flyers.

Philly had the game’s first two power plays, both in the first period, and did little. They managed just one shot on each, and it made them 0 for their last 12 with an extra skater.

On their second power play of the night, James van Riemsdyk was denied from in close by Jake Oettinger. He was aiming for his 300th career goal.

Conversely, Dallas scored on its two power-play chances.

“They’re an elite power-play group,” said Hayes, who equaled his career high with his 54th point. “They’ve been pretty much together the whole year.”

The Stars’ second power-play goal was a point drive by defenseman Miro Heiskanen that was deflected first by Jamie Benn and then by Pavelski and into the net. That put Dallas ahead, 2-0, with 18:56 to go in the second.

Pavelski, 38, has goals in five straight games and has 26 tallies on the season. He has 999 career points.

Nearly nine after Pavelski’s goal, defenseman Colin Miller was allowed to skate deep into the zone and he scored from the high slot to make it 3-0.

5. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen had a strong game.

Ristolainen had a hard-working assist on Hayes’ goal, and also delivered five hits. He has greatly improved his play in the season’s second half.

Breakaways

Nick Seeler had seven blocked shots, equaling a career high. … Morgan Frost had his career-best five-game point streak snapped. … Tony DeAngelo and Justin Braun were healthy scratches as Tortorella wanted to give Ronnie Attard more ice time. All three are righthanded defensemen. … Attard played solidly in 18:59. … Dallas reached the 100-point mark for the 10th time in franchise history. … The Flyers finish the four-game road trip Saturday night against the New York Islanders.