Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold? Stars Top Line Driving the Bus

Welcome back to the weekly Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold Dallas Hockey Now column, where we look at who performed and who struggled in the previous week of action for the Dallas Stars.

The Stars played three games last week: 

Nov. 28: 4-1 win @ St. Louis Blues

Dec. 2: 5-0 win vs Anaheim Ducks

Dec. 4: 6-5 shootout loss vs Minnesota Wild 

Who’s Hot?

Jason Robertson

Well, duh! The forward is leading the entire NHL with 23 goals and is still riding a point streak that has now reached 18 games.

Jason Robertson Watch: Stars Forward Extends 18-Game Point Streak

Robertson was dominant last week, scoring in all three games for Dallas. His hat trick against the Ducks was the highlight, as he finished with five goals, six points, and a plus-3 rating overall. He also scored on his lone shootout attempt against the Wild. 

Roope Hintz

The top line for Dallas has been incredible all season long. That trend continued last week. After watching Robertson record a hat trick against Anaheim, Roope Hintz decided to replicate it in the next game against the Wild. 

Hintz tallied three goals and one assist in Sunday’s shootout loss. His third goal tied the game late and finished off an epic four-goal comeback in the third period. He also came within inches of keeping the shootout alive, as his shot slid parallel to the goal line and out the other side. 

Hintz added two assists in the win over the Ducks to finish the week with three goals and three assists. 

Joe Pavelski

Did I mention the top line? Is this thing on?

The third member of the trio, Joe Pavelski, was an assist machine in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota. With his team trailing 5-1 in the third, Pavelski recorded three assists on the game’s final four goals to help the Stars tie things up. His succulent saucer pass over to Hintz on a 2-on-1 was a thing of pure beauty. 

On the tying goal, Pavelski’s pass was blocked, but the veteran stuck with it and slipped a perfect pass to Hintz in the high slot. Although he has only one goal in his last nine games, Pavelski finished with four assists in three games last week. 

The top line now sits 1, 2, and 3 overall in points on the club. 

Miro Heiskanen

I am not sure what has led to the boost in production from Miro Heiskanen, but the Stars just hope it keeps on coming. 

Miro continued his excellent play from the week prior, picking up a goal and three assists overall. His first goal in 16 games came in St. Louis, and the 23-year-old tallied three assists in the win over Anaheim. 

Of course, Heiskanen has also continued to play heavy minutes. He played over 24 minutes in all three games and even reached the 30-minute mark on Sunday against Minnesota. 

Wyatt Johnston

The kid picked things up last week, finishing with two goals and one assist. Dating back to Nov. 25, Johnston has scored a goal in three of the last five games and has been receiving some praise from his coach. 

“He’s starting to heat up. Just getting more comfortable,” DeBoer said. “Three in the last four. Every night, he looks more confident, he’s making more plays. I think he’s starting to realize that not only can he play in this league but he can be a good player every night in this league. And you can’t underestimate how important those two guys are around him (Dellandrea and Benn).”

Read More: Not Robertson: The Other Impressive Stars Notes Right Now 

Johnston leads all players under 20 with seven goals and has continued to climb the rankings of rookie scoring. 

Who’s Not? 

Tyler Seguin

Seguin has continued to pick up some points, with four in his last six. But the 30-year-old has now gone nine games without a goal. 

Since scoring against Florida on Nov. 17, Seguin has six assists over eight games. If you just look at that, he likely does not belong on this list. However, Dallas counts on him to add goals, and in that sense, he has run a bit cold. 

Seguin recorded only one assist last week and sits seventh on the club with just four goals in 25 games. He is fifth with 19 points. Dallas could use some more goals from their elite forward.

Denis Gurianov

Gurianov has really not found his stride all season. He missed a few games with an injury in November, but the 25-year-old forward sits above only Joel Hanley and Ryan Suter with one goal and four points in 18 games. 

Last week, he was completely held off the scoresheet and carried a minus-1 rating. 

Gurianov has been bumped down to the fourth line, as Radek Faksa continues to skate with Seguin and Mason Marchment in the top six. If Gurianov wants to see a bigger role and more ice time, he needs to start picking up points at a much higher rate.