Robertson made a smart play on the first goal just before he made a change. He found Radek Faksa in the offensive zone, and Faksa then fed Ryan Suter, who snapped in his second goal of the season at the 13:33 mark of the first period. The tally was important because Dallas was dominating time of possession and needed something to show for it.
By exiting the first period with the lead, the Stars didn't have to overthink the start of the second period. Instead, Miro Heiskanen made a great play to get a puck on net, and Jamie Benn tipped it in for his third goal of the season.
Hintz then made it 3-0, and it appeared the Stars were on their way to a laugher midway through the second period. Hintz, who has struggled to convert some great scoring chances throughout the season, was able to pick a corner on this one.
It was a sign that maybe the struggling offense really is turning the corner.
Of course, nothing is ever easy for the Stars, so it wasn't that surprising when Detroit tallied two markers in the next six minutes to cut the lead to 3-2.
The period ended in that spot, despite Dallas holding a 24-15 advantage in shots on goal and a 42-33 cushion in shot attempts. The Stars were dominating scoring chances, and attack zone time, and playing about as well as they have for 40 minutes this season. So, not extending the lead was a bugaboo they've faced before.
Then, when Hintz appeared to be tripped three minutes into the third period, there was the opportunity for a letdown. The arena was grumbling, and had that "vibe" festered, well, many at American Airlines Center have seen that situation unravel before.
Instead, though, Robertson took control at a crucial moment, drove the net and slipped in a wraparound tally to restore the two-goal lead and calm the masses.