What needs tweaking on the penalty kill, and when will they start delivering consistently during 5×4?
As the Dallas Stars hit the ice against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night, they’re hoping to avoid the special teams’ hiccups that have plagued them throughout the year. Sitting at the quarter mark of the season, the Stars have shined at even strength, but their power play has been lifeless and their penalty kill has come up short in key situations.
How to watch: You can watch the puck drop at 6 p.m. from the United Center in Chicago on Victory+. As always, catch the radio call on The Ticket.
While the Stars penalty kill has been among the best in the league (8th best at 82.8 percent), it has failed in key situations, including allowing two goals in the third period in a 6-4 loss to Carolina on Monday. The Stars allowed the Hurricanes to rally for five goals in the third period. The power play went 0-for-3, including squandering a short handed goal.
While special teams have been a thorn in the Stars’ skate, their 5-on-5 play has been a difference maker. Dallas boasts a +18 goal differential at even strength – second best in the league. The line of Tyler Seguin, Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment has been key to their offensive production. Duchene is having a career year, posting 25 points (11 goals and 14 assists) in 20 games this season. The same can be said for Marchment, who has 20 points through 19 games. The line has accounted for more than a third of the team’s goals this season.
Stars at the quarter pole
Through the first quarter of the season, the Stars sit in third place in the Central Division with a 13-7-0 record – the same number of wins they had at this point last season. While that’s a good mark, a wide 10-point margin separates the Stars from first-place Winnipeg. The Jets had the best 15-game start to a season in NHL history (14-1-0) and became the fastest team ever to 15 wins (16 games).
The biggest bright spots for the Stars through the first quarter of the season have been the before-mentioned Seguin-Duchene-Marchment line, as well as goaltender Jake Oettinger, who’s posted 15 wins and a .912 save percentage. Backup Casey DeSmith has also shined in his limited role with a .914 save percentage in 6 games.
Logan Stankhoven has also enjoyed a good first quarter. Stankhoven has been near the top of rookie scoring, adding 4 goals and 11 assists in 20 games as the winger looks to make a run at the Calder Trophy.
Dallas Stars Lineup
Jason Robertson (21) – Roope Hintz (24) – Wyatt Johnston (53)
Mason Marchment (27) – Matt Duchene (95) – Tyler Seguin (91)
Jamie Benn (14) – Mavrik Bourque (22) – Logan Stankoven (11)
Oskar Bäck (10) – Sam Steel (18) – Evgenii Dadonov (63)
Miro Heiskanen (4) – Esa Lindell (23)
Thomas Harley (55) – Ilya Lyubushkin (46)
Matt Dumba (46) – Brendan Smith (2)
Jake Oettinger (29)
Casey DeSmith (1)
Lineup notes: Nils Lundqvist is considered day-today. He missed Monday’s game against Carolina with a lower-body injury. Look for Brendan Smith to play his third game in a row filling in for Lundqvist.
Chicago Blackhawks Lineup
Taylor Hall (71) – Connor Bedard (98) – Philipp Kurashev (23)
Tyler Bertuzzi (59) – Ryan Donato (8) – Teuvo Teravainen (86)
Ilya Mikheyev (95) – Jason Dickinson (16) – Nick Foligno (17)
Pat Maroon (77) – Lukas Reichel (73) – Craig Smith (15)
Alex Vlasic (72) – Connor Murphy (5)
Wyatt Kaiser (44) – Alec Martinez (25)
TJ Brodie (75) – Louis Crevier (46)
Petr Mrázek (34)
Arvid Söderblom (40)
Things to watch
Stars’ Dominance
Dallas has owned Chicago in recent years, winning 12 of the last 14 meetings, including a pair of wins (3-1 and 4-2) already this season, while outscoring the Blackhawks 58-34 in that span. Overall, the Blackhawks have won just two of their last eight games this season.
Miro Heiskanen
Heiskanen has been quietly making a loud impact for the Stars, finding the back of the net in his last two games and showcasing his elite two-way play. With a stellar +8 rating on the season, the smooth-skating defenseman continues to anchor Dallas’ blue line, contributing offensively while shutting down top opposition.