First Shift 🏒
One of the strongest philosophies of the Pete DeBoer coaching style seems to be working out well for the Stars.
DeBoer likes to challenge depth players to earn their spot in the lineup, and that has helped produce a consistent performance for the fourth line no matter who is in the lineup.
For much of the season, DeBoer and his coaching staff have used Sam Steel, Oskar Bäck, Mavrik Bourque and Colin Blackwell on the fourth line. They even had some time with Logan Stankoven before he was traded. As a result, the forwards are all around 12 minutes a game in time on ice (Steel is at 14 with his penalty killing minutes) and the fourth line is instrumental in the success of the team.
“It’s critical for us,” DeBoer said. “We don’t win in Vancouver without the play of the fourth line. They really tilted the ice for us. We’ve all seen in the playoffs the importance of the fourth line.”
That line was huge in a 4-1 win over the Canucks, and they continuously help set the tone for the Stars.
“You need that,” DeBoer said. “You need that energy.”
Steel is the leader of the group. A former first-round pick in Anaheim, he bounced through Minnesota and was signed by the Stars as a free agent before last season. He was again on a one-year deal this year and has now earned a two-year contract extension with a raise to $2.1 million per season going forward. He said the fact that each of the forwards battle hard helps the line maintain a strong chemistry.
“The big thing is having the same identity and knowing what we need to do,” Steel said. “I think lately we’ve been doing a great job. We’ve been playing a lot in their zone and we always talk about tilting the ice, so that’s a great feeling.”
When the Stars are functioning well as a team, each line hands off momentum to the next. By getting in hard on the forecheck and forcing the opposition to spend time in their zone, the Stars can build puck possession. That means even if the fourth line doesn’t score, it can help the scoring lines get on the ice in good position. It’s one of the reasons the Stars are third in the league in 5-on-5 goals.
Like Steel, Bäck and Blackwell have had to fight for their minutes. Bäck, 25, played three seasons for the Texas Stars and was a bubble player coming into camp. However, his strong defensive play combined with his size and speed to make him the perfect fit. Now, 60 games into his NHL career, he is an NHL regular.
“I didn’t really hear anything more than, `Keep working, you’re right there.’” Bäck said of his outlook in camp. “I didn’t really expect to start with Dallas. I hoped, but I didn’t know. Everything was new and nervous, so it was a little hard. But I’m settled in now and just try to bring the same energy every night.”
Bäck was a healthy scratch a couple of weeks back. Blackwell has been in and out of the lineup. Even Bourque has been scratched. That’s part of the hunger that comes with the job.
“It’s been a good rotation,” Bäck said of the fact the trio often changes from game to game. “We try to play simple hockey, so it’s not that hard to come in or go out. Steeler, Blacky, Bourque, they are all smart players, so it’s easy to play with them.”
And now, as the possibility of Tyler Seguin returning to the lineup looms, the rotation could get even deeper. Evgenii Dadonov played on the fourth line earlier in the year and there’s no telling what the coaching staff might do once the playoffs start. That said, DeBoer believes that the ice time will be earned.
“We’re still building, really,” DeBoer said. “Guys are still auditioning for those posts. If we’re healthy, we’re going to have some really tough decisions to make.”
