Robertson carrying momentum from regular season into playoffs for Stars
Second-year forward gaining confidence, improving 200-foot game
© Christopher Mast/Getty Images
When he was told to improve his two-way game with Texas, the Stars' American Hockey League affiliate, he did it that season. When he was told he needed to bring his road production up closer to what he was doing in home games this season, he did that too.
"When you talk to him about something that happens in a game, in a video clip, he's got that real-time memory where he knows exactly what's going on," Stars assistant coach Derek Laxdal said. "His knowledge of the game and ability to put that situation into a memory is off the charts. He memorizes everything in the game."
After being a boon to the Stars during the regular season, Robertson is off to a solid start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Robertson scored his first NHL playoff point, an assist on forward Joe Pavelski's game-winning goal, in a 2-0 win against the Calgary Flames in Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round on Thursday to help the Stars tie the best-of-7 series. He'll look to do more in Game 3 at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Saturday (9:30 p.m. ET; TNT, CBC, TVAS, SN, BSSW).
RELATED: [Complete Flames vs. Stars series coverage]
Selected in the second round (No. 39) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Robertson quickly has become one of the Stars' top players. The 22-year-old was second on the team with 79 points (41 goals, 38 assists) in 74 games and the left wing was part of the top line with center Roope Hintz (72 points; 37 goals, 35 assists) and right wing Pavelski (81 points; 27 goals, 54 assists).
"Last year I just got more confidence," Robertson said. "Then coming into this year, over the summer, knowing that I was going to be a role player or have a big role on this team, it's something that I've focused on this summer is to just have more confidence."
Robertson, born in Arcadia, California, has a relaxed demeanor, what Stars coach Rick Bowness called, "that laid-back, California surfer thing. Nothing rattles him." It was evident during the 2020-21 season, when he scored 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists), second among rookies to Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov, who scored 51 points (27 goals, 24 assists). Robertson was a finalist for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year, which was won by Kaprizov.
"When I had that [rookie] year last year, I was just coming into the year like, 'OK, it's cool. Now I'm on a team. I don't have to go to camp,'" Robertson said. "I had to work, but I didn't really have to fight to get a spot. But then coming here this season, I played on a same line, right? I just felt used to it at this point.
"I didn't have any goals or expectations. I had expectations to perform well, not statistically. I wanted to perform well, but I mean, as the season went on, it got to the point where I knew I had to come up and show up because we needed goals and I could be a big part of that."
The Stars, however, did have an expectation for him statistically.
"If you look at his home numbers last season and his road numbers, there's a big discrepancy. So we talked to him after the season right away," Bowness said of Robertson, who scored 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 26 games at American Airlines Center and 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 25 road games in 2020-21.
"If you want to be a star player in this League, an elite player in this League, you have to produce on the road and he's found a way to do that."
Robertson evened out the production, with 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) in 39 games at home and 36 points (21 goals, 15 assists) on the road. He scored the first two hat tricks of his NHL career in back-to-back road games, at the Winnipeg Jets on March 4 and at the Wild on March 6.
"I mean, the kid's got a knack for the net," Stars forward Jamie Benn said. "He's such a smart player and kind of knows where to go. I think he's underrated in his two-way play. I think he's a lot better when he doesn't have the puck then people think. And when he has the puck, he makes things happen."
Robertson's work on his two-way game began when he joined Texas in the AHL in 2019-20, when he scored 47 points (25 goals, 22 assists) in 60 games. Laxdal, who coached Texas before being named Stars assistant coach on Dec. 10, 2019, said Robertson's high hockey IQ served him well in adjusting to playing without the puck.
"One game comes to mind," Laxdal said. "We were playing in Wilkes-Barre and he had to backcheck on a breakaway and it was incredible how quick he moved his feet. I said, 'Robo, you just showed me your ace of spades there. Now I know you can backcheck.' We know he can do it, he just has to do it every time and he's developing that 200-foot game."
Robertson didn't have a second-season slump. He's taken every challenge given to him and thrived.
"Yeah, his confidence is high," Pavelski said. "I think in that span [from rookie season to now], it's only grown as he's earned the trust of coaches, players and been given a bigger opportunity. He's just run with it. Smart player, plays hard, he believes in himself and he's a great player."
