Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson said on The JD Bunkis Podcast that he thinks his brother Nick had his best game in the NHL up to now the last time they faced off back in October.
The game was a 3-2 Maple Leafs overtime victory, with the younger Nick Robertson scoring the winning goal in the extra period. It was a performance overflowing with storylines as the young Toronto winger scored two goals in what was his season debut after a stint in the minors.
Now as the Leafs prepare to take on the Stars once more on Tuesday night, Jason Robertson, who is currently on an 18-game point streak, took the time to praise Nick.
"He's gonna come to the game dialed in," said the older Robertson when asked if Nick plays with extra vigour against his sibling. "He doesn't need any extra motivation, I'm sure he's just focusing. That's the type of person he is."
The two brothers have had similar experiences on their path to the NHL. Both spent time moving on and off the NHL teams. Earlier this year, Nick spent time in the minors due to salary cap management and only made his debut in that game against Dallas. In the 2019-20 season, Jason was with the Stars during their time in the Edmonton bubble but didn't see any ice time. He was also a healthy scratch for some early games in the next season.
Though Jason Robertson has found consistency on Dallas' top line, Nick has had more fluctuation concerning his role on Toronto. He was a healthy scratch for four games in November and hasn't recorded a point in his last six games.
"That's important because as a young guy it's a tough time. You need those games and minutes," said the Stars winger. "For Nick, he's mentally tough, he's still the hardest working person I know ... That's something that Toronto is very fortunate to have."
"Unfortunately he missed a few games, but now he's back in and he's looking hungry," Jason said about his brother.
The upcoming Stars/Maple Leafs game is also pitting two players on 18-plus game point streaks against one another, with new franchise record holder Mitch Marner of the Leafs taking on Jason Robertson. This is the first time in NHL history that two players on active point streaks this long face off against one another.
Robertson credited the consistency in his deployment alongside linemates Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz when asked about how he's been able to be this productive.
"You know what you're gonna get. I show up every night on the same line knowing how Joe and Roope are gonna play," said Robertson, who has 34 points in the last 18 games. "It makes it easy to play with. It's one of the reasons we've been one of the more successful lines these last couple years."
"When you build that chemistry and know how things are going, you can just play that much faster, that much quicker."
Currently third in the NHL in points and leading the league in goals, Robertson still made it clear that he doesn't believe that he's the best American-born goal-scorer in the league -- a reference perhaps to upcoming opponent Auston Matthews.
"I'm just going out there and doing my thing... I've just been really opportunistic and I'm fortunate it's all working."
Catch the Leafs-Stars game at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet Ontario and SN NOW.
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