Heika’s Take: Stars play “best road game of the year”

All of the things that had been problematic for the Stars in the first 12 games of the season fell into line on Saturday afternoon in Winnipeg.

The slow starts? Dallas dominated early and built momentum throughout.

The power play? The Stars went 1-for-4 and got the game-winning goal from Matt Duchene.

And a struggling faceoff game? Dallas won 66 percent en route to a 3-2 win over the Jets.

It was a cause-and-effect victory, and it was a good feeling for the Stars, who move to 9-3-1.

“I know it’s cliché to say it’s a game of inches, but those little things matter,” said defenseman Thomas Harley, who scored his third goal of the season. “They add up, and they end up in a win like tonight.”

It was an impressive performance for the Stars, who were under fire late in the game, but really built positive momentum in the first 40 minutes. Scott Wedgewood came up with 31 saves, including 15 in the third period, to cinch the win.

“I thought it was maybe our best road game of the year,” said Stars coach Pete DeBoer. “I liked how we started, I liked the entire 60 minutes. I thought we were tight, we were smart with the puck, we were competitive. We built a lead, that’s how you want to play on the road. We protected Wedgy for the most part. In the third, they got some momentum from the seeing-eye shot. But other than here and there, it was a pretty tidy road win.”

Dallas is now 6-1-1 in road games, and that’s been a big plus in an uneven start to the season. While the Stars have found ways to pick up points, they haven’t always had great numbers. They have been outscored 6-13 in first periods, they were at 9.1 percent on the power play, and they were below 50 percent on faceoffs for the first time in six years.

So when they came out and went 10-1 in the faceoff circle while taking a 6-2 lead in shots on goal, it really was an earned performance.

“Usually, our game kind of follows that, because we’re starting with the puck,” DeBoer said of the faceoff success. “So there was an emphasis on that [before the game] and I thought the guys did a great job.”

While the two teams battled through a scoreless first period, the Stars looked wide awake for the 2 p.m. start. That showed in the second period when Harley scored off a nice pass from Ryan Suter two minutes in, and then Wyatt Johnston scored on an unassisted shorthanded goal three minutes later. Johnston’s play was impressive, as he stole the puck, walked in and beat Connor Hellebuyck to make it 2-0. Winnipeg made it 2-1 when the Stars had a breakdown in transition, but then Johnston came up with another huge play, feeding Duchene in the slot for a power play goal and a 3-1 lead.

It was just the fourth man advantage tally for Dallas this season, and it was a pretty big relief coming with just one second left before Brenden Dillon exited the box. Johnston said he didn’t really know the time on the clock, but said he knew they still had the man advantage.

“I was just looking to make a play,” Johnston said. “We still had an extra man and at the end when we get moving around, it opens up seams and makes it tougher to defend.”

That goal was crucial when Winnipeg got a “floater” past Wedgewood with about 10 minutes left in the third. Dallas tried to buckle down and play a conservative game, and Winnipeg ended up with a 16-7 advantage in shots on goal over the final 20 minutes. But Wedgewood made an assortment of saves, including a spectacular save against the rush, and earned his third win of the year.

“I think we played our best 60 with how our first period was,” Wedgewood said. “Unfortunately, they get a floater in the third to make things tighter than we would like, but it’s a character ending for us. It’s a big win on the road here.”

Like DeBoer, Wedgewood said he liked the overall performance, especially a good start.

“I think everyone settles in,” Wedgewood said of how the team reacted after getting solid play early. “If you’re down, you start chasing the game and guys start gripping their sticks like, `Oh crap, we’ve got to make up ground.’ But if you can get through the first 20 at even keel or up, it’s a great benefit for anybody. I think we had a great first period and then we were able to pop one and get the lead, and that’s what we needed.”

The win came in a divisional game and the Stars are now 2-0-0 against the Central. Last season, they were 18-4-4 against the division.

“Every point is so important, especially in the divisional games,” Johnston said.

Up next is another big divisional test on Sunday at Minnesota.

“It’s critical,” said DeBoer. “These are tough games to win.”

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.