First Shift 🏒
During one of the most unusual months in recent history for the Stars, it seems appropriate that they are ending it with a unique weekend in Seattle.
Dallas will play two games in the same arena in three days, a rarity in the NHL. But as the Lads in Victory Green navigate a strange and twisting road, this could actually give the team a little bit of rest and clarity.
The Stars have the third best record in the league this month at 9-2-2 and currently are on a seven-game points streak (5-0-2). Yet, they rank last in the league in shots on goal against this month (32.0) and are coming off back-to-back games where they have yielded 40-plus shots. On Thursday in a 5-2 win at Calgary, Dallas faced 107 shot attempts, the most this season.
“If you just look at the shot clock, I think you’d be making a mistake,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said.
That said, the Stars are in a weird place right now. They are 30th in the NHL in the month of March in shot attempt differential at 45.6 percent. They entered the month at 50.8 percent and were fifth in the league last season at 53.1 percent. They are second in giveaways at 16 per game, and while that is a statistic that has been debated, it has to mean something when the team is that far to the extreme.
Dallas has been without leading defenseman Heiskanen (knee surgery) for 22 games, and they definitely miss his ability to control the puck and eat up minutes. That said, they are finding ways to adjust. From Jan. 1 to March 1, Dallas ranked first in the NHL in record (16-6-1), first in scoring at 3.61 and second in goals against at 2.61. So, this team can weather a storm. And even in March, they are still eighth in scoring at 3.54 and 11th in goals against at 2.62.
So whatever ails Dallas is certainly fixable.
“We would have liked to have played a little bit more in their end, especially with the two-goal lead going into the third,” Wyatt Johnston said after the win in Calgary. “You don’t want to have to rely on the few number of chances that we’re getting. You want to be playing in their end, generating more chances than they are, That’s the best recipe for success, especially come playoff time.”
And that really is the key. While Dallas is jockeying with Winnipeg and Colorado for seeding in the Central Division, the real focus is to be playing the best hockey possible when the postseason begins.
Despite all the challenges, Dallas has four of the top 11 scorers in the NHL since Jan. 1. Robertson is fourth with 45 points (23 goals, 22 assists) in 36 games. Johnston (19 goals, 21 assists), Matt Duchene (14 goals, 26 assists) and Hintz (10 goals, 30 assists) each have 40 points in that span. Of course, that just adds to how intriguing this stretch has been.
If Dallas can get Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin (hip surgery) back, then there is a lot to like.
“We’re really just focused on one game at a time,” said captain Benn. “We want to be playing our game and playing our best. That’s the goal.”
