Jason Robertson scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and the Dallas Stars beat the visiting Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Amid a Carolina line change, Robertson garnered the puck in the neutral zone, skated in unmarked and ripped a wrister past Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov (19 saves) at 4:35 of the third to break a 2-2 tie.
Moments later, Jake Oettinger (32 saves) made a diving glove save on a point-blank shot from Carolina's Brett Pesce to preserve the lead that held for the Central Division-leading Stars to improve to 18-6-3 since Dec. 11.
Matt Duchene, who earlier had an assist, sealed the outcome by scoring an empty-net goal at 17:35.
Robertson also assisted on Roope Hintz's first-period goal while Mason Marchment scored his 17th for Dallas, which has won four straight at home.
Jordan Staal had a goal and an assist, Jesper Fast also scored and Jordan Martinook added two assists for the Hurricanes, who fell to 13-4-1 in their past 18 games and had their five-game road winning streak snapped.
Carolina had a goal taken off the board with roughly 1 1/2 minutes left in regulation after the play was reviewed for goaltender interference.
Dallas opened the scoring at 9:53 of the first period. Off a Carolina turnover in the neutral zone, Robertson got the puck to a wide-open Hintz, who pump-faked, then unleashed a quick wrister through Kochetkov's legs.
After failing to convert on all of their 12 first-period shots, the Hurricanes tied it 13 seconds into the second. Martinook got the puck in the neutral zone, then sent it down the wing to Seth Jarvis, who saucered the puck into the slot for Staal to flip past Oettinger.
Dallas regained the lead at 5:42 of the second. Duchene dropped the puck to Nils Lundkvist, who circled behind the net, then found Marchment, who beat Kochetkov.
Once again Carolina answered, this time at 15:16 of the second, and off a Dallas own-zone giveaway. Staal got the puck to Martinook, who sent it on net, only to see it glance off the skate of a perfectly positioned Fast and in.
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