Stars vs Maple Leafs: Record-Setting Streaks Collide: Game 26: Lines, Notes, How to Watch

Dallas Stars vs Toronto Maple Leafs

7:30 p.m. CT: Dallas, Texas

How to Watch: ESPN+, Hulu

Jason Robertson is riding a Dallas Stars record 18-game point streak. Mitch Marner is riding a Toronto Maple Leafs record 19-game point streak. The two go head-to-head under the National spotlight on Tuesday in Dallas. 

Robertson is the hottest player in the NHL right now. He leads the league with 23 goals, sits third with 41 points, and has been on a goal-scoring tear like no other in 2022-23. 

“When the puck is going in, your name is up there, but when it’s not, it’s not,” Robertson said. “Just playing my game. Team has been playing really well, my line's been clicking, power play’s been clicking, so everything’s just going really well.”

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

“He’s done it without cheating,” Stars Head Coach Pete DeBoer said. “He’s not playing 24 minutes a night, he’s not floating around, he’s plus-16 or 18. I think he’s probably playing the lowest time on ice maybe of his career. He’s taking a minute on the power play and getting off. He has done it without an ounce of cheating in his game.” 

Tonight will mark the first time in NHL history that two players with active point streaks longer than 18 games play in the same game.  

A family affair: Tuesday’s matchup will also be the third time that Jason will faceoff against his brother, Nick Robertson. 

Nick has been up and down with the Leafs organization and has played in 13 games this season. In the last meeting on Oct. 20, Nick got the better of Jason, recording two goals, including the overtime game-winner in Toronto. 

“I saw Nick yesterday. My mom’s here so we were all together last night, so that was nice,” Jason Robertson said. “Got to show him my house, so that was pretty cool.” 

Jason and Nick's mother, Mercedes, will likely continue her tradition of wearing the jersey of the home team and the hat of the visiting team. This will be the first time she has seen the two play each other in Dallas. 

“She’s going to be wearing the Reverse Retro Dallas Stars jersey,” Jason said. “I already picked that up for her.” 

A great game to be played: Underneath all of these big storylines, two very good hockey teams will meet on the ice at the American Airlines Center. 

Dallas sits atop the Central Division and has picked up points in 10 of their last 11 games. Toronto is on a red hot 7-0-3 run that has them trailing only the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division. 

“Haven't lost in 10. Their big guys are scoring,” DeBoer said. “That’s always what drives the bus when teams go on runs. Their best players being their best players. They are getting all of those things.” 

Lineup notes: After being a healthy scratch for the last three games, defenseman Nils Lundkvist will return to the lineup. Joel Hanley will come out. 

“A lot of young players, you break the season down in segments,” DeBoer said. “He came in, made a really good first impression, played really well early both ways. Not surprisingly, 20 games in, the schedule and fatigue, and grind caught up to him, and some of those areas dropped off a bit. He came out, we reset him, and I am excited to see him back in there.” 

Starting goaltender: Jake Oettinger will start after being pulled in the third period against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. Oettinger is 9-2-3 this season with a .917 save percentage. 

Stars Projected Lines

• Jason Robertson – Roope Hintz – Joe Pavelski
• Mason Marchment – Radek Faksa – Tyler Seguin 
• Jamie Benn – Wyatt Johnston – Ty Dellandrea
• Joel Kiviranta – Luke Glendening  – Denis Gurianov
• Miro Heiskanen – Colin Miller 
• Ryan Suter –  Nils Lundkvist
• Esa Lindell – Jani Hakanpaa
• Jake Oettinger
• Scott Wedgewood

He Said It 

“He’s [Robertson] a hockey nut, he knows everything,” DeBoer said. I thought I might catch him with who had the longest streak in history just to put it in perspective for himself. But he knew all that. I wasn’t enlightening him on any of the statistics.”