First Shift: Stars focused on not taking struggling opponents lightly in week ahead

After playing their most competitive stretch of the season in February, the Stars have a little more time against a few opponents who likely won’t make the playoffs.

But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.

After its first “normal” practice in a little while on Monday, the Stars are heading to the West Coast for three games in five days against the Sharks, Ducks and Kings. Both San Jose (31st at 15-39-6) and Anaheim (30th at 22-36-3) are at the bottom of the NHL standings, but the Sharks came into Dallas on Saturday and forced the Stars to go to the seventh round of a shootout before Dallas emerged with a 3-2 win.

“You make a mistake if you’re just looking at the record,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “As we saw the other night, these teams are going to play hard, they’re going to play loose with nothing to lose. If you let them hang around, they’re going to win some games. We just want to make sure we don’t fall into that trap.”

Getting the same team in consecutive games is a help in preparation. Yes, the Stars outshot the Sharks 38-23 and had an 85-56 advantage in shot attempts, but Dallas couldn’t cash in on its chances. That has been a problem in recent games – especially on the road – so the challenge is to address that problem going forward.

“We got the job done,” said forward Jason Robertson. “It took a long time to get it, but the coaches will digest this one and come up with a plan to hopefully not get to the shootout.”

The Stars have not been able to practice much in recent weeks because of the busy schedule, but they are hoping a few more full practices can help in resetting their base. Monday’s practice was high-speed, and DeBoer said that’s important against young teams like the Sharks and the Ducks.

“You forget the value of it until you get out there and start working on those details again and see your group working through that stuff,” DeBoer said. “It’s been a while, but I like the fact our schedule sets up where we can have some practice here.”

Dallas has two days off between games on the road, so that also should help.

“We try to practice with pace,” DeBoer said. “Let’s be honest, we’re playing some young, fast teams here – San Jose and Anaheim, for sure. While they’re rebuilding and they’re young, those kids have a lot of speed and skill.”

Defenseman Chris Tanev was acquired in a trade last week but was not able to get his work visa in time to play in Dallas on Saturday. Instead, he is scheduled to meet the team in San Jose and might be able to play Tuesday against the Sharks. It’s a liquid situation, and DeBoer said the team is just trying to be ready for whatever happens. The team placed defenseman Joel Hanley on waivers Monday to avoid carrying eight defensemen, but when they get Tanev, they will have to adjust their pairings and likely make a scratch out of Nils Lundkvist or Jani Hakanpää.

DeBoer said he’s confident Tanev will be able to adjust. The 34-year-old has played 773 career games with Vancouver and Calgary. He has logged 56 games with the Flames this season, averaging 19:50 of ice time with a plus-16 and 171 blocked shots (the second most in the NHL).

“I look at the team he’s coming from – a lot of similar systems in the way they play,” DeBoer said. “It’s definitely not going to be a 360 from the way he’s been playing. And then you look at the player, he’s a smart guy who has played on multiple teams. I’m confident in trying to get him to speed.”

Key Numbers

77 percent
Wyatt Johnston was second on the Stars in faceoff win percentage Saturday at 77 percent (10-of-13). Johnston is winning 50.4 percent of his draws this season after posting a 43.3 winning percentage as a rookie last season.

198
Stars coach Pete DeBoer ranks third all-time on the Sharks’ all-time coaching wins list at 198. Todd McLellan (311) and Ron Wilson (206) are first and second.

3
Stars center Roope Hintz has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) in his past 10 games. Before the current slump, Hintz had 49 points in 51 games.

He Said It

“Like I told our group, I don’t think anyone has been a better soldier in my time here than Hanley. He gives you everything he’s got every time he’s asked to, sits for extended periods, and then is ready to come in and contribute. I think he’s an NHL player you always hope he can stay in the NHL. If that means it’s somewhere else, it’s somewhere else. But if he gets through, he’s a great depth piece for us.”

- Stars coach Pete DeBoer on the fact that with the addition of Chris Tanev on defense, the team decided to place defenseman Joel Hanley on waivers Monday.

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.