First Shift: Stars look to build on momentum in homestand finale against Penguins

Pete DeBoer may have been talking about defenseman Nils Lundkvist, but it was clear that everyone in the room is receiving the same message this season.

“There’s no challenge,” DeBoer said when asked what the difficulty is for Lundkvist to return to the lineup after several healthy scratches. “You’re an NHL player like Ty Dellandrea, like Craig Smith, like Radek Faksa, like anybody who goes in and out of the lineup. You get paid to do this.”

As strange as it sounds, Logan Stankoven is in the same place. The 21-year-old rookie with just 12 NHL games under his belt has an amazing pedigree and is seen by some as one of the future centerpieces to the team. However, when Tyler Seguin returned Wednesday and DeBoer had to make a choice on a healthy scratch, Stankoven said he understood the situation.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve earned anything yet,” Stankoven said when asked if he earned a place in the lineup. “It’s a really good team with four lines that can score. I’m just trying to do my part to stay in the lineup and make it hard for them to take me out. At the end of the day, it’s out of my control what the coaches decide.”

The veteran bench boss is going to treat a rookie called up in February differently than players with two or three seasons in the NHL, but the response is music to his ears. When asked if Stankoven has forced the coaches to leave him in the lineup, DeBoer said, “I think that's exactly what he’s done.”

Stankoven was among the leaders in Major Junior scoring for the previous two seasons, averaging better than two points per game during the regular season and almost two points per game in the playoffs. He then stepped into the AHL and led in scoring with 57 points (24 goals, 33 assists) in 47 games before he was called up. Then, in his first six NHL games, he had 8 points (5 goals, 3 assists) before hitting a “slump” with no points in four games.

Asked before Wednesday’s game what he had learned so far, he replied, “It’s been a lot of fun, but I found out the past few games just how hard it is to score. You only get so many chances during a game.”

That’s why Stankoven’s goal on Wednesday was a bright spot. He went to the net and was able to tip in a rebound off of a Lundkvist shot. It was a nice reward and a reminder that working hard leads to scoring.

“It’s good to score in different ways,” he said. “In the playoffs, goals are even harder to come by so sometimes that’s where you have to go. I realize not every single goal is going to be pretty for me, so I think it’s just about building confidence. Sometimes you’ve got to go to the net and go to the hard areas.”

Stankoven said he also has tried to make sure the details of his game have been good, and DeBoer said he’s noticed.

“The goals and the offense are one thing, but even on the nights he’s not getting that, his energy and the way he hounds the puck is contagious to our group,” DeBoer said. “I think he drags our group into the fight with how he plays, and that’s as important as the actual stat line.”

That’s high praise for a young player, and something that makes coaches want to keep you in the lineup.

Key Numbers

22
Pittsburgh forward Sidney Crosby has 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 22 career games against the Stars. However, only four of those points (one goal, three assists) have come in 11 games in Dallas.

14.7 percent
Pittsburgh ranks 29th in power play success at 14.7 percent. Dallas is 11th in penalty kill success at 80.8 percent.

7
Stars forward Jason Robertson has 7 points (1 goal, 4 assists) in four career games against the Penguins.

He Said It

“Tyler jumped in seamlessly. That line has some chemistry together, and they looked like they didn’t miss a beat even though he was gone for 11 games.”

- Stars coach Pete DeBoer on the return of Tyler Seguin to the lineup after missing time with a lower body injury. Seguin plays on a line with Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.