'Confidence goes a long way': How can the Stars build off Saturday's win?

The Stars on Saturday scored a season-best five goals.
That's pretty big news for a team that was averaging 2.17 goals per game and hadn't scored more than three in regulation.

Did they do some things differently? Did they build on previous lessons? Did they find some solutions to the scoring problems that have ailed them this season?
Well, yes and no. Clearly, they went hard to the net and were rewarded for those efforts with three goals scored either on deflections or bang-bang plays just a few feet from the goalie. That said, head coach Rick Bowness is convinced the puck simply went in on this night, and that the scoring chances weren't that different.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Dallas entered the game with an average of 29 scoring chances per game and netted 31 on Saturday. The Stars typically get 10 high danger scoring chances per game and finished with 13 on Saturday.
Those are clearly bumps, but is it enough to explain the goal push? Bowness said he's not quite sure yet.
"They were just going in," Bowness said. "We've had those nights before where we've had that many shot attempts and shots at the net and quality chances. They just didn't go in, and tonight they went in."
Bowness believes the team has created plenty of scoring chances in the past two seasons, and just hasn't found the poise or the creativity to score. Last season, Dallas ranked 12th in scoring chances and 18th in scoring. This year, Dallas is up about three scoring chances per game, but still ranks middle of the pack.
Dallas averaged 2.79 goals per game last season and is at 2.38 this year.
Now, all of this is a small sample size, but does it speak to the issue of how does the team score more?
Luke Glendening made a high deflection on a John Klingberg shot for the first goal. That's a textbook play the Stars try to run on the power play and at even strength, and it worked for a depth forward, so that's all part of the plan to increase scoring this year.

The second goal was an easy slam dunk for Roope Hintz. That was created when Jason Robertson showed poise to hang onto the puck before firing it at the net. Denis Gurianov was at the right post and found a way to get the puck to Hintz at the left post. It was a great sign of team chemistry and good thinking, and a sign that some scoring chances are much better than others.

"Well, look at Roope," Bowness said. "He's had more breakaways and more goalposts and more crossbars than anybody, and the last two goals he's tapped them in in the crease. It shows you have to get those greasy goals."
That said, the veteran coach added that as nice as it was to have crease crashing goals from Hintz, Tyler Seguin and Joe Pavelski, players have failed in the past to cash in opportunities that have been just as golden.
"We've been in there before, but didn't score," Bowness said. "I can remember at least three that we had guys in the crease with wide-open nets and they still pushed it wide, so the puck went in tonight."
That's one explanation, but the players said they felt they were rewarded for fighting to create the best possible chances. While some pucks have slipped wide in the past, there's a process of learning from those earlier mistakes and finding a way to be better.
"Obviously confidence goes a long way," Pavelski said. "There were certain parts of our game tonight that were just simplified at times. There were many moments of the game where we had better compete, as well, and we won some pucks and got some second chances and scored around the net at times."
Hintz has battled hard luck all season, and said he feels more confident now with two goals in the past two games after being held off the board in the first 11 games. Asked if his slam dunk is a positive, he said definitely.
"I think that's a good thing, the goal, go to the net," he said. "If we've had tough times, simplify and go to the net and get some shots there and try to get a couple crazy goals. I think that was a good thing for us today."
The key is if it can be a good thing going forward. Did they create better scoring chances? Is that something they can repeat?
Interestingly enough, the Stars were allowing 28 scoring chances against heading into that game. Natural Stat Trick had them yielding 18 to the Flyers. They also were giving up an average of 11.6 high danger chances. Philadelphia was given seven.
That seems to indicate the Stars played in the offensive end more, and they clearly played with the lead a lot more. Those two things also might've been contributors to a mindset that led to a few more goals.
You can make an argument that there are real reasons they need to learn from, and those will be key Tuesday when they try to string together a second regulation win.
"We got some looks and I think we just keep going and play the same way," Hintz said.
Because this way seems a lot better than other ways they have tried so far.
Don't miss your chance to see the Stars conclude their homestand on Tuesday when they take on the Detroit Red Wings at 7:30 p.m. Get your tickets now!
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.