It’s hard not to watch the Dallas Stars this season and wonder if you didn’t slip into a parallel universe. In seasons past, the Stars have proudly championed their “boring” style of play, how winning one-goal, low scoring games was the key to success.
This year? Their offense is firing on all cylinders:
They lead games more often than any other team in the NHL, their 36:46 per game ahead is almost six minutes more than second-place Boston. Likewise, the Stars spend just 5:58 per game trailing, more than three minutes fewer than second-place Vegas. In the 12 games for Dallas, it has scored first a league-high 10 times.
It’s not just establishing the lead, however — it’s what they do once they have it. In years past, the Stars would begin to “turtle” once they were ahead, trying to prevent any more goals from being score from either side. But under Pete DeBoer, the Stars keep going for the throat:
“Last year, obviously, and the year before, we were in a lot of one-goal games,” Stars forward Jason Robertson said. “So we get up by a couple, it’s playing with the same pace and limiting their chances and still trying to go get the other one.”
…
“We try to play the same way all the time,” [Jamie] Benn said. “If we’re up a couple goals or down one or two, play aggressive hockey, fast hockey. Right now, we’re playing with a lot of leads and playing the right way with them.”
You can read more from Matthew DeFranks here.
Stars Stories
Saad Yousuf takes a deep dive into how the Stars have constructed what looks to be a dominating team:
Stars are off to a great start. How?
10. ex-Devils d-man
9. Personal trainer
8. Assistant GM
7. Another NHL team
6. European country
5. NHL agent
4. Veteran player
3. Scout
2. Head coach
1. General ManagerExamining 10 reasons, (mostly) beyond the obvioushttps://t.co/Hp8RvIzWdk
— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) November 7, 2022
Another key to their success? Jason Robertson, who continues his ascent into NHL superstardom:
Giving credit where credit is due: Robertson ranks 7th in the NHL https://t.co/h1YW1T5xre via @NHLdotcom
— Mike Heika (@MikeHeika) November 7, 2022
Around the League
The Boston Bruins have released Mitchell Miller after just two days in response to the much deserved backlash they’ve received from making such a terrible decision:
The Bruins released Mitchell Miller and stepped on one last rake for the road.
Cam Neely’s statement was a joke, and the front office should be as ashamed of themselves tonight as they were yesterday.https://t.co/KISCZlksWH
— Sean Gentille (@seangentille) November 7, 2022
The Premier Hockey Federation season is officially underway:
The Montreal Force (@LaForceMontreal) won their first game in franchise history while the Toronto Six and Boston Pride won the other two @PHF matchups.
✍️: @IanKennedyCK https://t.co/0Xx3k8EqlY
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) November 6, 2022
Alexander Ovechkin has broken the goal scoring record. Wait, no, not that one:
Alex Ovechkin passed Gordie Howe last night for most goals with a single NHL franchise. The moment offered the @Capitals star a chance to reflect on his time in D.C. and his relationship with fans.
My chat with Ovechkin, plus comments from Mark Howe. https://t.co/KGWwwxW3xe
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) November 6, 2022
Matthew Tkachuk has been suspended for two games:
Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk has been suspended for two games for High-sticking Los Angeles’ Jonathan Quick. https://t.co/kevNiE1CCF
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) November 6, 2022
Is Tkachuk the latest in a line of superstar players who are holding themselves back with disciplinary issues?
Matthew Tkachuk is a star and on pace to top his 104-point total from last season.
So why, @icemancometh asks, is a player of his caliber resorting to unnecessary and irresponsible play so frequently?https://t.co/ce08RAmJfU
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) November 7, 2022