SAN JOSE, Calif. — Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson each scored twice, Jamie Benn added a goal and two assists, and the Dallas Stars beat the San Jose Sharks 6-3 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight win.
Dallas took over sole possession of first place in the Central Division by two points over the Colorado Avalanche, who lost at home to Montreal.
“Now is the time of year where there’s not much more fine-tuning you can do,” Benn said. “You’ve got to be on top of your game and feeling good going into the playoffs. We’ve got 10 more (games) here to keep it solid.”
San Jose has dropped eight straight and 17 of 18.
The teams combined for six goals in the second period, with the Stars responding after the Sharks twice made it a one-goal game. Benn batted in the puck out of mid-air after it was deflected in front, then assisted on Johnston’s second goal of the game with a backhand flip pass on a give-and-go that put Johnston in alone on Mackenzie Blackwood. That gave Dallas a 5-3 lead heading into the third.
“(The Sharks) played hard and made us earn it, but we did what we were supposed to do,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said.
Benn extended his goal streak to five games, his longest since 2014. The 34-year-old Stars captain and the 20-year-old Johnston were all over the ice, teaming up on half of Dallas’ goals.
Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson, second from left, is congratulated by teammates for his goal against the San Jose Sharks during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Credit: AP/Jeff Chiu
Johnston said the experience level on the team helped calm things down in the back-and-forth second period.
“We have a lot of veteran players who have played in so many games and been in so many different situations,” Johnston said. “So I think we have that confidence to slow it down and obviously not try to force things.”
Robertson made it 6-3 with a power-play goal in the third, his second of the…
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