First Shift: Stars open homestretch of season against Sabres

The Stars headed into the All-Star Break on a nice 4-0-1 run, having addressed some key issues and rebounding from their worst performance of the year against the Flyers. So now after an extended break and a couple days of practice, they have to try and get going again with back-to-back games at Buffalo and Toronto.

“Right into a back-to-back and two extended road trips,” said coach Pete DeBoer. “The good news is we’re coming out of the break healthy and energized.”

Dallas dealt with injuries to Miro Heiskanen and Jake Oettinger in the first half, but each has recovered and both are playing well. Heiskanen played in two games before the break and tallied a goal and two assists. Oettinger has not only gone 5-2-0 since his return, but also had a strong performance at the All-Star weekend, helping Team Matthews win the championship on Saturday.

“It was pretty cool to be there, and to win makes it even better,” said Oettinger.

The 25-year-old No. 1 goalie will be a key as the Stars battle with Winnipeg and Colorado to try to win the Central Division, but Scott Wedgewood will also be an important factor. The two goalies will get tested with the back-to-back, and with Dallas ranking 14th in GAA (3.06) after 49 games, they both want to make improvements in the second half.

DeBoer said the coaching staff has studied some of the analytics and is focusing on making improvements that can help team defense and help get the goals against down.

“There are a few areas there, turnovers are always a part of that, defending is always a part of that,” DeBoer said. “So is finding different ways to create offense than just rush chances. There are a bunch of little areas, but there are a lot of areas where we do well, too.”

The Stars rank third in scoring and have nine players with 10 goals or more. Their scoring depth has bailed them out of some problems so far. And the strange thing is, they could probably get even better. Wyatt Johnston was moved up to a line with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson, and that trio is cooking right now. Thomas Harley has been paired with Heiskanen, and that pair is red hot.

“We definitely have that excitement and momentum,” Robertson said. “Everyone is building off of each other . . . but it’s a big onus on us to keep that consistency.”

He added that getting the power play going would be a big boost.

“Our power play needs to pick it up a little bit,” Robertson said of a unit that ranks 13th this season after ranking fifth last year. “It’s not terrible, but mediocre is not good enough. We’ve got to adjust that. And obviously the goals against is something that has been addressed.”

And the only way to do that is one game at a time. DeBoer and the coaches pushed hard in the two practice days and now they need to see just how good the Stars can be.

“You don’t know,” DeBoer said when asked about how hot the top line has been. “They just took a 10-day break and as good as some lines look, does that affect the effectiveness of the entire group? I like our depth and I think in a perfect world, we keep rolling along, but that can change quickly coming out of the break.”

Key Numbers

21
Stars forward Evgenii Dadonov has 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists) in 20 career games against the Sabres. That’s the most points and most assists he has against any opponent.

2
Stars defenseman Thomas Harley has scored overtime goals in consecutive games – only the second player in Stars history to do that (Jamie Benn in 2021). Harley ranks second among NHL defensemen with 12 goals on the season.

.696
Dallas ranks second in NHL road points percentage at .696 (14-5-4).

He Said It

“I think our analytics defensively, from a coach’s perspective . . . are in a good place from the quality chances we’re giving up, from the slot chances we’re giving up. Our goaltending has to be better down the stretch, and those guys know that and are capable of that. At the same time, there’s still room for improvement around them to help them out.”

- Stars coach Pete DeBoer when asked about the Stars’ goals against average and team defense

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.