Hey Heika: Taking stock of the first month of Stars hockey

Howdy folks. I want to do more of these Hey Heika’s this year, so here’s another.

The Stars are 7-3-1 and coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this year. They are in the middle of a stretch where they play six of seven on the road and then come back for a five-game homestand. On the good side, their losses are to some of the best teams in the league and they have a stretch of games against teams that could currently miss the playoffs.

Can they gather points and keep the fans calm? That seems to be a day-to-day challenge in this town.

Heika: It’s possibly just in their personal DNA. Some people like to wade in, test the waters, “let the game come to me,” all of those cliches. There have been games when they actually are shot out of a gun for five minutes, and then hit a wall, and then the opposition starts to take over, so there’s not a real consistent pattern. The numbers speak for themselves. They are 31st in first period scoring with five goals and have been outscored 5-11 in first periods. Something is wrong. I actually give the coaching staff some slack, because I know how frustrated Rick Bowness would get with the same issue. He would tell us that the players are told every day to be ready, and a lot of that mental preparation is on them. I think the leadership group needs to attack the issue, and they have in the past, so I expect it to get better. Dallas finished fourth in first period goals last season at 86 and sixth in first period goals against at 59, so they have a pretty good recent history. I will say that a sign of a really good coaching staff is finding creative ways to motivate players. We’re not privy to that kind of information, because most coaches see it sort of as a secret way to push buttons, but I do think the people behind the scenes can also help in subtle ways.

Heika: I’ve been very impressed with Thomas Harley. That season in the AHL really helped him with his defensive base, and now he is in position to use his skating skill. Nils Lundkvist also is getting better, but I think he still is in a place where he has to get experience so his decisions are better. Part of that is in his head and part of that is in his hands. I think he needs to just get to a place where he does things without thinking too much. That’s hard to do, and every mistake creates more trepidation, but we just have to be patient with him. Esa Lindell and Jani Hakanpää are who they are, and Ryan Suter, I think, has actually been quietly solid so far. I honestly worry the most about Miro Heiskanen right now. He has had uncharacteristic “whiffs” on passes or misplays on pucks, and you wonder if the strain of the extra minutes is starting to show. It also seems like opposing teams are targeting him for big hits, and that could wear him down. The bar is so high with Heiskanen, and he has been over that bar for so long, that even small mistakes seem out of place. But it just seems like something to watch more than something to fret about. The other interesting discussion on the blue line is how does the coaching staff deploy the personnel? Both overall minutes and who plays with who is a puzzle that might go on all season.

Heika: I’ve been on the soapbox for years on this subject. I don’t understand how teams don’t leave more space – even just $1 million – so that they can adjust to the daily juggling of the lineup. I was especially vocal last season when the team was sending players back and forth to the minors on a near daily basis to save a few thousand dollars here and a few thousand dollars there. All of that said, the team pulled off the juggling act last season while sitting on the tightest of margins and still had money at the trade deadline to acquire both Evgenii Dadonov and Max Domi. So I have to put my trust into Assistant GM Mark Janko and the front office and believe that they have this under control. The Stars have about $450,000 in cap space right now, which is a lot more than last year, so they seem to be in pretty good shape. While I know fans have certain players they want traded, the feeling I get is the front office likes everyone and is not interested in moving anybody just to free up cash right now.

Heika: It’s the question of the day right now. My first guess is the lack of power play success has really hurt. Dallas last season ranked fifth in power play success at 25.0 percent. It currently is 30th at 9.7 percent. In addition to the lack of goals on the scoreboard, the lack of power play success also affects team confidence and the correlation between when a goal is scored and how it affects the remainder of the game. Wyatt Johnston was stoned on a great power play chance in Vancouver to keep the game scoreless. Had that goal gone in, both teams could have played differently and the score could have been much different than 2-0 Canucks. Dallas was third in third-period goal differential last season with 97 for and 65 against. Eighteen of those third period goals were empty-netters (tied for second in the NHL). Scoring goals leads to more goal scoring. Not scoring leads to slumps. It’s just the way the sport goes. Again, this team added Matt Duchene, Craig Smith and Sam Steel and lost Max Domi, Luke Glendening and Joel Kiviranta. The hope is the new group will score more than the old, but it is a process and they do need time to get up and running. Will the power play get to 25 percent? Maybe, maybe not, but it will certainly be higher than 9.7 percent by the end of the season. If that happens, the current 2.82 goals per game (22nd) might get closer to the 3.43 (7th) from last season.

Heika: I am one who will defiantly say no, no matter what the cost. I love Patrick Kane, but this team has holes in other areas. In my mind, the forward help the Stars need is in the AHL, so I would frown upon any trade for a forward. I think they should save their pennies for a defenseman, potentially right-handed and potentially suited to play beside Heiskanen. Players who are potential UFAs include Chris Tanev (RHD) and Noah Hanifin (LHD) in Calgary and Matt Dumba (RHD) and Justin Schwartz (RHD) in Arizona and Seattle, respectively. Those are just a few names, and many more might become available. A lot of that will depend on how the playoff race goes, which is how the Stars found Domi and Dadonov last season.

Heika: Because of the current cap situation and the lack of two-way contracts, it sure seems like Logan Stankoven (and others) are destined to stay in the AHL for a while. Even a short-term injury would be just a small opening, because once the player on a one-way contract is healthy, Stankoven would have to go back because of the cap situation. That said, the Stars last season allowed Harley to stay in the AHL for almost the entire season. Harley said that was actually good for his growth, as he was able to stay focused on his game and not have to worry about going up and down. That could be a benefit to Stankoven (who is in his first year of pro hockey and has 6 goals and 7 assists for 13 points in 9 games played). Mavrik Bourque also has 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) in 9 games and is in his second year in the AHL, so he might also be a potential call-up. Bottom line, though, it sure seems like the Stars would do well allowing them to “marinate” in the minors, as GM Jim Nill likes to say, because as long as they are in a playoff spot, the real target is to make sure this team is at its best in April.

Heika: You actually point to several of the best parts of the Stars game. They are among the best PK teams in the league and have been for two years. They are among the best faceoff teams in the league. There will be hiccups in both, but the guess is the history is strong there. The biggest need is consistent scoring, and last summer was an attempt to add to that with players like Duchene, Smith and Steel. So far, we have not seen the results, but there have been flashes in all three of the new guys. That can help start some chemistry with players like Tyler Seguin, Radek Faksa, Mason Marchment and Ty Dellandrea. If things start to brew, there is a belief this can be one of the better offensive teams in the league. With the existing commitment to team defense and the strong goaltending, Dallas has a chance to be one of the real contenders for the Stanley Cup this season – if they get the scoring and power play together.

Heika: We just have to hold on tight and see what happens. On the good side, the Stars are more frustrated than you. Team President Brad Alberts is working every day to find a solution, and he is exploring every avenue to make sure the games are available to the fans. It makes sense, obviously, because the team needs the exposure to stay relevant. It’s a tricky situation, and there are always going to be fans who are not happy with the options that are presented. My hope is we find a way to make the game as affordable as possible while getting it to as many people as possible. If they can find a way to do that, it could be a win-win at a time where the team has the chance to be very popular.

Heika: I don’t think so. Yes, there is a difference between a player shooting a puck that he wants to be tipped and a player shooting the puck to score, but I don’t see the Stars as being hesitant in the latter right now. Quite honestly, they have run into some spectacular goaltending that has robbed some very impressive (and high MPH) shots. I think the goalies are so good that you have to create things like tips and redirections to score, and the Stars have one of the best in NHL history in Joe Pavelski to help teach everyone. The improvements from players like Johnston, Dellandrea and Seguin have added an element and not taken anything away. I hate to make patience the theme of this mailbag, but I really do believe the Stars are going to improve on their ability to score. You watch players like Duchene and even Smith, and you see them getting very close to breaking through. Same goes for Jason Robertson and Seguin. The plan on paper says this team is currently underscoring its pedigree.

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.