Robertson ties it in 3rd, Stars rally for shootout win against Sharks

DALLAS -- Jason Robertson scored the game-tying goal on the power play in the third period to help the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 shootout win against the San Jose Sharks at American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Robertson tied it 2-2 at 4:08 of the third with a shot from the top of the right face-off circle three seconds into the power play.

“We try not to get to that position (of trailing), but we responded," Robertson said. "We tied the game, got a massive [penalty] kill in overtime. Everyone stuck with it, and we got it done."

Jamie Benn scored the deciding goal in the seventh round of the shootout, and Radek Faksa also scored for the Stars (37-17-9), who are 3-3-3 in their past nine games. Jake Oettinger made 21 saves.

“Those are important points. You don’t get extra points for how pretty it was,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “[The Sharks] were opportunistic and their goalie was good. When you have that combination, you have a chance to beat anyone on any night. That’s the beauty of the NHL, the parity night to night. You can’t take anybody for granted. Their goalie made some saves, and we were chasing the game tonight because of that. But we stuck with it and found a way.”

Magnus Chrona made 36 saves in his second NHL start for the Sharks (15-38-6), who have lost seven of their past eight.

The 23-year-old from Sweden was recalled by the Sharks on Wednesday, one day after Mackenzie Blackwood was injured in a 7-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils.

“I was enjoying every second of it. I was loving hockey out there, and it was just awesome to be out there,” Chrona said. “[Playing in the NHL] means a lot, especially all the work I’ve put in since I was drafted. It’s a great building block for me. My teammates here did a great job of preparing me, same with the goaltending staff. They played great in front of me and made my job a little bit easier tonight.”

Chrona stopped Stars forward Logan Stankoven on a breakaway in overtime to help get the Sharks to the shootout.

“Against a team that can get to the net and really make it hard on you, I thought we defended around our net really well,” San Jose coach David Quinn said. “Other than that blitz in the second period where they kind of came hard I thought we managed the game well. It was an up-and-down game, an even game in a lot of ways in those areas. I thought we managed the third period way better and didn’t give up a lot of crazy chances. It was a step forward for us, for sure.”

William Eklund gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead at 4:39 of the first period, putting in his own rebound from a sharp angle behind Oettinger.

“With [Eklund], he likes to have [the puck] behind the goal line. I like to find that quiet pocket of ice and try to get my shot off and play in that little house in front of the net,” said Sharks forward Luke Kunin, who had two assists. “That give-and-go hockey off the rush, even on his goal, you saw that. [We’re] getting more and more confident with each other and making plays. Nice to see a few go in for us.”

Faksa tied it 1-1 at 3:08 of the second period when he poked a loose puck into the net after Chrona made the initial save.

“I just told myself I’d drive to the net every time and hope for a bounce,” Faksa said. “[Getting chances but not scoring] is frustrating. That little bounce can help toward the end of the season. It was a tough battle with San Jose tonight. We’re happy we won because it was a tough battle.”

Filip Zadina gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead at 17:08. Oettinger made the initial save before the puck popped into the air behind him and landed just inside the post. Play continued for a few seconds before the NHL Situation Room initiated a review, which determined the puck had fully crossed the goal line.

“That goal, I saw the puck going towards the line. I saw it went behind [Oettinger], but I wasn’t really sure if it crossed the whole line,” Zadina said. “It did, so I’m really glad for that, but it didn’t help us win the game.”

NOTES: Chrona was pulled from his first NHL start in the first period after allowing four goals to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 28. … The comeback win was the 19th for the Stars, which is tied for second in the NHL with the Oilers, one behind the New Jersey Devils.