Stars clinch second in Central as Robertson, Oettinger lead 2–0 win over Rangers

Jason Robertson scored a power‑play goal midway through the third period and added an empty‑netter in the final minute, and Jake Oettinger made 22 saves for his fourth shutout of the season as the Dallas Stars beat the New York Rangers 2-0 on Saturday to clinch second place in the Central Division.

The Stars were already locked into a first‑round matchup with the Minnesota Wild. They secured the No. 2 spot late in the third period when the Wild lost in regulation to the Nashville Predators.

Robertson put Dallas ahead when he collected the rebound of Matt Duchene's shot and lifted a backhander past Igor Shesterkin with 7:11 remaining. Robertson now has 44 goals, two shy of his career high set three seasons ago.

Duchene assisted on both goals.

It was Oettinger's 34th win of the season. He was on the U.S. men's team that Rangers coach Mike Sullivan led to gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Shesterkin stopped 17 shots and took only his second regulation loss in 10 career decisions against Dallas.

The Rangers opened a season‑ending three‑game road trip. They sit last in the Eastern Conference and will miss the playoffs for the second straight year after winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2024.

New York, which has the league's second‑best road power play, went 0 for 5 with the man advantage, including 1:02 of 5‑on‑3 time late in the second period.

Both teams play on the road Monday — the Rangers at Florida and the Stars at Toronto.