The Dallas Stars picked up a dramatic 4-3 overtime win against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, but the spotlight quickly shifted to a controversial moment involving Jason Robertson. The incident drew a strong reaction from head coach Glen Gulutzan, who didn’t hold back in his postgame comments.
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In overtime, Robertson took a high stick to the face from Flames forward Ryan Strome, leaving the Stars winger bleeding heavily from the nose. Officials assessed Strome a four-minute double minor for high-sticking, giving Dallas a lengthy power-play opportunity.
Robertson played through the injury and made an immediate impact, assisting on the overtime winner scored by Wyatt Johnston to seal the victory for Dallas.
“He’ll be okay, and it was a little bit of a dirty shot,” Gulutzan said after the game. “But Robo’s a lot tougher than people think. And he’s got a knock and he makes a play, so he should be fine.”
The game was back and forth. Justin Hryckowian opened the scoring for the Stars early in the second.
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But Joel Farabee tied it for the Flames midway through the period. Yegor Sharangovich then gave Calgary a 2-1 lead late in the frame.
Zayne Parekh extended the Flames’ advantage on the power play early in the third. The Stars responded quickly as Johnston scored off a rebound to make it 3-2. Moments later, Robertson tied the game 3-3, tipping home a pass from Matt Duchene.
Despite the win, Gulutzan acknowledged his team didn’t start strongly, noting he wasn’t pleased with the first two periods but liked the urgency shown in the third. “I did like our third and how we came out with some passion that was missing in the first two. But that’s a dangerous hockey team,” Gulutzan said.
The victory keeps Dallas second in the Central Division, and they won’t have long to savor it. The Stars next face the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, with the Wild sitting just two points behind them in the division standings.
Gulutzan also emphasized the importance of staying focused ahead of their crucial game against Minnesota.
With both teams tightly packed in the standings, it remains to be seen who will come out on top in what could be a pivotal divisional showdown.
