Spirited scrimmage pushes the pace as Stars get their legs back

The Stars have a date, they have a plan, and they're ready to get back into the swing of things.
But it won't be easy.

After having six games postponed by positive COVID tests and having 17 days off between games, Dallas on Thursday will face the red-hot Florida Panthers, who will be playing their third game since the NHL scheduling pause. That's concerning.
"They'll have three games before we play them," Stars coach Rick Bowness said after practice Tuesday. "They're in game shape, they're in game flow, so they're on top of their game and we need some time to find out where we are. Hopefully on Thursday we're on top of our game and we're skating and managing the puck and we're doing all the things we did well against Chicago and Minnesota."

The Stars scrimmaged on Tuesday and are hoping that makes a big difference. Plus, they were playing well when their schedule came to a halt. They're hoping some of that flow comes back quickly. They have a full complement of players, and they've been resting while staying at home and tending to positive COVID tests.
To adjust to play, the Stars are hoping to play a simple game to start out. Forward Michael Raffl said that's what the team did when it won seven games in a row.
"The simpler the better," Raffl said. "If you simplify the game, you minimize turnovers, you minimize chances against. We should be in very good shape and well rested, so there shouldn't be any excuses."

That said, there's a process to the simple approach. Yes, Dallas needs to get back on the ice and feel comfortable, but at some point this team needs to push the goal-scoring elements that were strong in its 7-4 win over Minnesota.
"That's what the coaches are preaching, the small little details are going to be important coming out of this long break," forward Jason Robertson said. "The coaches have found out that teams that do well keep it very simple. Play hard but play smart. Keep it really simple and then you get your legs back and you get your touches in there and things start to open up."

Bowness said the details are important in all games, but especially in the first period against a good team like Florida. Plus, Dallas will be playing three games in the first four days back, so it needs to build and understand there's plenty of hockey ahead.
"We've done everything we can," Bowness said. "There's no substitute for playing games. It's been 17 days, and it's going to be noticeable. There's no question the first period could be a struggle. Hopefully it's not. All I can tell you is that we've done everything we can, and the players have done what they can to keep the conditioning where it was before. But we're going to be playing a very fast team, very good on the rush, and we're going to have to have our legs underneath us."
One step at a time, right?
"I felt pretty good," Robertson said after Tuesday's scrimmage. "I felt the legs were there."
Don't miss your chance to see the Stars back in action this Thursday against the Florida Panthers at 7:30 p.m. Get your tickets now!
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.