First Shift: Special teams dilemma a central focus as Stars host Bruins

Charles Dickens could have easily written about the Stars’ special teams – It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

The Stars’ penalty kill is among the best in the NHL and is coming off a 5-for-5 performance against one of the league’s best power plays in a 2-0 loss to Vancouver on Saturday.

The power play? That’s a different story.

Dallas leads the NHL in penalty kill success at 94.4 percent. It has killed 34 of 36 times shorthanded and has also scored a shorthanded goal. The power play ranks 29th in the league at 10.7 percent. It has scored three times in 28 opportunities and also has allowed three shorthanded goals, which means it’s a net zero so far this season. It’s also 0 for 12 at home.

Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said the power play had ups and downs last season and still ended at 25.0 percent, fifth best in the NHL. The top unit, with Miro Heiskanen, Joe Pavelski, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Jamie Benn, is one of the most dangerous in the NHL, and it’s just gotten off to a slow start. The second unit has added Matt Duchene, Evgenii Dadonov and Nils Lundkvist, and has the potential to be much better.

“We’re just not executing,” said Duchene. “We’re either not breaking in or when we break in, we’re not making that second or third play to get set up. When we get set up, we’re dangerous but we’re not getting set up near enough.”

On the other side, though, the Stars are darn near flawless in stopping opposing power plays. They make it hard for the opposition to enter the zone clean and they also make it tough to get pucks to the net. When shots do get through, both Jake Oettinger and Scott Wedgewood have been fantastic.

“Our penalty kill has been good all year, our goaltender has been great all year,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said.

On the 5-for-5 night in Vancouver, Oettinger said he was impressed by his teammates.

“They’ve got a great power play and our PK was great again,” Oettinger said of the match-up with the Canucks. “It was guys sacrificing, and that’s what it takes. Guys blocking shots. They’re one of the best power plays in the league for sure, so that was a bright spot.”

Dallas lost two great penalty killers to free agency in Luke Glendening and Joel Kiviranta. But they added players like Sam Steel and have given more ice time to Wyatt Johnston, and there hasn’t been any drop off from a team that ranked third in the NHL last season.

“We’re taking too many penalties, but it’s good that we’re killing them,” said Craig Smith. “It’s completely sacrificial, guys going out and doing the right things.”

Right now, the hope is the PK success will rub off on the power play.

Key Numbers

1.91
The Bruins lead the NHL in goals against average at 1.91. Vancouver is second at 2.00. The Canucks shut the Stars out on Saturday. Dallas is fifth at 2.50.

13
Stars forward Tyler Seguin was drafted second overall by the Bruins in 2010 and was traded to the Stars in 2013. In 18 career games against Boston, Seguin has 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists).

65
The Bruins last season set the NHL record for most wins in a season at 65-12-5. They are coached by former Stars bench boss Jim Montgomery.

He Said It

"People say you’ve got to be fast to play in today’s game, and he’s a good guy that’s always been a pretty kind of middle-of-the-pack skater, but it doesn’t matter because he’s so smart. He knows how to get places and make plays. The pass he makes to Roope there is elite. That’s as good as it gets in this League. He’s played the same style of game his whole career. He takes care of himself, he works hard, he loves the game, and he tries to get better all the time. That’s what it takes. You see a lot of guys at that age, and even younger, kind of shut off to loving the game. But he loves the game, and it’s great to see."

- Stars forward Matt Duchene on teammate Joe Pavelski

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.