Robertson's sole focus is helping Stars make playoffs, not accolades

Stars (15-14-10, 40 points) at Predators (26-11-4, 56 points)

Jason Robertson is putting himself into the conversation for the Calder Trophy with a stretch of scoring that has gone beyond a month.
After tallying the first two-goal game of his career Saturday, Robertson now has 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 34 games, second amongst NHL rookies. Minnesota's Kirill Kaprizov has 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) in 40 games to lead all rookie scorers.
But while his coaches and teammates say Robertson deserves the focus from Calder voters, the 21-year-old winger said that's not something he's really thinking about.
"No, I think the biggest thing for us right now is catching that fourth place," Robertson said of the battle for the final playoff spot in the Central Division. "That's what I want to do and that's what everyone in the locker room wants to do. We are just focusing in on getting these next couple of games and trying to make that fourth seed. That's what is most important and that's what I am looking most towards."

Still, games like Saturday's are getting rave reviews for Robertson. He had a nice finish on a pass from Roope Hintz one minute into the game, and then made a tremendous play early in the third period to stretch the lead to 4-1. It was a smart play on a transition into the offensive zone with Hintz. Robertson recognized an opening, stopped and fired a laser past Sergei Bobrovsky for an unassisted goal.
"I originally thought about dumping the puck in, but realized we kind of had a 2-on-2 rush, and decided to keep the puck," Robertson said. "Roope drove the middle and opened up a little space and I just got to the middle and thought about shooting. Lucky it went in."
Not so much luck. Robertson is getting better every game as his confidence grows.
Stars coach Rick Bowness was asked if Robertson's shot release is improving with experience this season, and he said he believes the release has always been this good.
"I think it's probably more the confidence," Bowness said. "I don't think he is hesitating to shoot the puck. I think when you are trying to figure your way through the league you become a little hesitant to shoot it. Sometimes you think, as a young kid, you've got to give the puck to somebody else. I don't think the release has changed. I think the confidence and the understanding that you get it and put it on the net as quick as you can, and tonight's second goal is a perfect example."

Robertson has forged a strong chemistry with Hintz and Joe Pavelski, and that line will be crucial as the Stars try to chase down the fourth spot in the Central, which currently is held by tonight's opponent -- Nashville.
If that helps Robertson get the Calder, so be it, but he's been focused on bigger goals than that since he accompanied the team to the bubble last season and watched them get to the Stanley Cup Final.
"When I first came here, my goal was to be an impact player on this team," said Robertson, who had to take some healthy scratches early in the season. "When I sat out those first couple of games of the year, I talked to a couple of coaches and player development guys about how I wanted to be an impact player on this team.
"I wanted to be an important player, and that's something that I've worked hard to do these last couple of months and want to continue doing along this stretch. That's what I have been working on and want to keep going."

Department of defense

At their core, the Stars are a defensive team.
They rank fourth in goals against at 2.40 per game, and second in shots on goal against per game at 26.9.
They held Florida, which ranks second in shots on goal per game at 34.0, to 21 on Saturday, including just six in a third period where Dallas was simply trying to protect a lead and ride out the game.
"We played the right way," Bowness said of being smart when the team got a 2-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. "It's all about playing the right way. It is, and we did that in the third period. In that second period, I didn't like the penalty and we had and some costly and unnecessary turnovers that made the game a little harder on ourselves than it should have, but I thought in the third period we played the right way, and everyone bought in."

The Stars continue to do a good job blocking shots and had 28 Saturday, led by six for Jamie Oleksiak and five for Esa Lindell. But the mindset really is a commitment to team play and everyone doing their job.
"We suffocated them in the second and third," said Robertson, noting that a goal mouth scramble goal for the Panthers with 1.5 seconds left in the second period was the only breakdown.
"We gave up that weird power play goal, but in the third period I thought we suffocated them and took away their rush and took away some of those Grade-A chances. You just have to continue that going into Nashville (on Sunday), because we know they are a similar team with active defenseman and skilled forwards, and they want to make plays on the rush. So, if we can continue what we did tonight and get a good start, the results will be there for us."

Hintz, Dickinson, Hanley all game-time decisions

Anton Khudobin in goal for the Stars. He is 7-4-3 in his career against Nashville with a 2.20 goals against average and .930 save percentage.
Jason Dickinson and Joel Hanley might each be able to return from injuries, but are listed as game-time decisions. Hintz, who has played in four straight games, is listed as a game-time decision with a nagging lower body injury that has bothered him for much of this season.

By the numbers

.930

Nashville goalie Juuse Saros ranks second in the NHL in save percentage at .930. He is 13-7-0 this season with a 2.19 GAA. In games against the Stars, he is 1-3-0 with a 3.55 GAA and .879 save percentage.

49

Nashville is tied for first in the NHL with 49 third period goals. Dallas ranks first in fewest third period goals against at 26. Both teams have been solid in the third, with Nashville outscoring opponents 49-37 and Dallas having a 43-26 advantage in third period scoring.

25.8

Dallas ranks third in the NHL in power play success rate at 25.8 percent and has tallied three power-play goals in the past two games. Nashville ranks 28th in penalty kill success at 74.4 percent, but has not allowed a power play goal against in the past four game (11-for-11).

He said it

"He is skating really well and you can see it. He has a lot of jump in his legs, and I also think he is relishing the role he has with a team that is fighting for its life for a playoff spot. He is relishing the leadership and responsibility that comes with the position we are in. I really like the way he is skating, and he is doing a lot of good things behind the scenes that you don't see, but he is also doing great things on the ice and leading by example. That's what we need from him and he is delivering." -- Bowness on captain Jamie Benn, who has a goal and two assists in his past two games while playing center.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.