'It's just one of those dry spells': Stars address lack of scoring

Scoring goals at even strength has been a problem for the Stars for a few seasons now.
They typically have a top 10 power play, and they often are among the best teams in creating scoring chances. But getting the puck past the goalie can be vexing. Dallas has been better at times this season, but a recent run where the Stars have scored just five goals in four games has put this team back near the bottom again.

The Stars rank 28th in the league with 88 goals at 5-on-5 in 50 games. They were 24th last season with 101 in 56 games. They were 30th the year before with 108 in 69 games. They were 30th in 2018-19 with 136 in 82 games.
That's a long stretch that covers two coaching staffs and several players, so the issue clearly is front and center.
"We talk about it," said forward Joe Pavelski when asked whether the team talks about the scoring issues. "It's something you need. The 5-on-5 scoring, if you can get an extra goal a night, it definitely goes a long way."
The Stars currently rank 10th in power-play success, and that's after a recent drought. They were fifth last season, and 13th the season before that, so they can typically capitalize with the man advantage.
But then that begs the question of why they can't do it at even strength, as well.
The answer is complicated, and it spans hot and cold streaks for several players. The top line of Pavelski with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson has been consistently good on the power play and at even strength. They're the reason the Stars sit at 28-20-3 and are in contention for a playoff spot.
However, the rest of the team is lagging behind its expected statistical output.
Tyler Seguin has battled injuries and is finally catching up. He has 29 points in 51 games with 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in his past 16 games. However, Jamie Benn has 26 points in 51 games for a scoring average of .51 per game. He's at 0.82 for his career. Alexander Radulov has two goals among 16 points. He had 15 goals in 60 games two seasons ago. Radek Faksa has four seasons of double digit goals. He has two this season. Even John Klingberg, who is second on the team in assists, has just one goal this year. He had seven last season.
"It's not enough," Klingberg said.
Stars coach Rick Bowness said he's hoping to get a little bit more from the secondary scoring and a little bit more from the defensemen as a group, and that can help tilt the numbers.
"We just need that secondary scoring," Bowness said. "When we're going good, we're getting that secondary scoring. The defense had some great looks, and we need the defense to score."
The top four last season (with Jamie Oleksiak) got 26 goals in 56 games. The top four this season has 12. That's significant.
Klingberg said the group as a whole is focusing on shooting more and getting shots through the crowd so they can get to the goalies.
"I'm going to keep trying to shoot as much as I can, but not just use it as an excuse to shoot the puck," Klingberg said, explaining some of the intricacies of finding avenues between defenders and their skates. "Sometimes, you have to look for a better opportunity, but you don't want to pass up a shot either. It's a fine line there."
It's a tricky art, and one the Stars are discussing every day. That said, they're 18th in scoring chances, so a lot has to do with getting finish from the players.
"It's on the guys to do a better job and raise that urgency," Pavelski said.
That'll get even tougher as teams clamp down on defense, refs hand out fewer power plays, and games are likely going to be tight to the end. In the past four contests in which the Stars went 2-1-1, Dallas has allowed six goals and scored five.
And those games included some great forays on opposing goalies.
"There's a difference between `Are they scoring or are they creating?'" Bowness said. "If they're creating, then eventually they'll score. If they're not creating, you have to try something different."
Bowness has shuffled lines in recent games and even tried different looks on the power play. This is a problem that must be solved. And while you can win a bunch of low-scoring games and be pretty happy, it sure makes things easier if you can add the odd even strength goal here and there.
"It's just one of those dry spells," said Robertson, who has six goals in the past nine game. "We had a couple looks the other night, a couple looks at the end of the game. We had a pretty good first period, a lot of chances there and the second was a lot of special teams. One of those dry spells, but everyone in that locker room is trying to bury it."
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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.