Stars take control with hot top line

The young Dallas Stars have blossomed this postseason, and now their top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov it showing just how much damage it can do.

The combination has put the West’s first wild card a win away from reaching the second round.

Radulov scored two goals in the second period, and the Stars beat the Predators 5-3 on Saturday in Nashville, Tenn., to push the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed to the brink of elimination.

The Stars now lead the series 3-2 over the twotime defending Central Division champs. Dallas will have a chance Monday night at home in Game 6 to join Colorado and Columbus as the latest lower seed coming through in the opening round.

“I think we keep getting better, and we have to keep getting better,” Dallas coach Jim Montgomery said. “The next one’s the hardest one because it’s the potential to end someone’s season. That’s the challenge in front of us now.”

Jason Dickinson also scored twice, Seguin had a goal and an assist, and Benn matched the NHL playoff record for most assists in a single period with three in the second.

Rocco Grimaldi, Ryan Johansen and Kyle Turris scored for Nashville. It wasn’t enough with Dallas’ top line in control. Seguin, Benn and Radulov took 16 of the Stars’ 26 shots, and the trio had all three goals in the second.

Oshie out: Capitals forward T.J. Oshie is highly unlikely to play again this postseason, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation. The team has said Oshie is out “indefinitely” with an undisclosed upper-body injury after he was pushed into the boards by Hurricanes forward Warren Foegele in Thursday’s Game 4.

Oshie was wearing a sling after the game, according to one person who saw him. Foegele received a two-minute minor, and the NHL didn’t consider the hit worthy of supplemental discipline. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said after the game that it was “a dirty play.”