The Dallas Stars wanted to see more out of Jason Robertson. Robertson hadn't scored a goal since May 1 entering play on Monday night. He provided eight assists over that span, but Dallas knew their star forward had more in him. And the Michigan native proved his team right on Monday night against the Edmonton Oilers.

Robertson and the Stars struggled in the first period but scored a hat trick in Game 3. The Stars came back from 2-0 down to win 5-3 on Monday night. They take a 2-1 series lead into Game 4 in Edmonton. Robertson's performance on Monday made the Dallas forward feel confident, as he expressed in a postgame interview with Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas.

“I got the first one and was like ‘Okay, I'm going to shoot everything.' It's just one of those things where you gain confidence. But this was a good character win for us,” the Stars star told Sportnet on Monday.

From an unlikely angle

The Dallas Stars celebrate a goal by forward Jason Robertson (21), his third of the game during the third period against the Edmonton Oilers in game three of the Western Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place.
Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Robertson scored his third goal in rather impressive fashion. The Stars forward took the puck behind the net. He shot the puck despite the weird angle, and it went in. Robertson's shot bounced off the skate of Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner and into the net. That goal gave the Stars a 4-3 lead in the third period.

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It showed the confidence level of the star forward. And he admitted it's not a play he would usually go for had he not found that confidence in the game. “It's a lot of work with our goalies in practice. Credit my goalie coach on that one. But I mean, I'm just making a play. I don't know if I'd have done that if didn't score two goals,” Robertson told Bukauskas on Monday night.

The Stars received major contributions from others in the lineup, as well. Wyatt Johnston scored his team-leading eighth of the playoffs to give Dallas the lead in the second period. And defenseman Miro Heiskanen scored his sixth of the postseason to put the nail in the coffin. But one player gave Dallas a massive boost in his return from injury.

A big-time return

The Stars had been without star forward Roope Hintz for a couple weeks. On Monday, though, the Finland native stepped back into the lineup. And it was like he had never left. Hintz provided two primary assists on goals scored by Jason Robertson to help in the effort against the Oilers.

Hintz certainly made a big impact in his return. And his performance on Monday night did not go unnoticed by those around him. “I think you can just see it. Everyone notices his presence on the ice. You know when he's on the ice. You can see that speed. It's just a fantastic job coming in ice cold. He's a big part of our team, and obviously that showed tonight,” Robertson told Bukauskas.

It was certainly a successful night for the Stars despite the slow start. Now, they'll look to claim a commanding 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference Finals. Dallas takes on the Oilers once again on Wednesday night in Edmonton with puck drop currently scheduled for 8:30 PM Eastern Time.