The Dallas Stars opened the regular season on Thursday night with unusually high expectations. After making the NHL’s Western Conference Finals last year, the team added a few offensive pieces to a group that already knew how to find the net.
With all of the preseason hype, the team needed to hit the American Airlines Center ice with a game to match. Taking on a St. Louis Blues team that many have picked to finish outside the playoffs, coming out flat was not an option.
Turns out, there was a lot to like in this game (in spite of a few hiccups in predictable areas in the defensive zone).
Period 1
Last year’s second line got the start, and Wyatt Johnston, Jamie Benn and Ty Dellandrea came out hard on the forecheck. After the strong opening, though, the period took an unsettling turn. Brandon Saad blew past Jani Hakanpää, snapping a shot off the post. The Blues made the Stars defense look slow, and even though Dallas maintained a shot advantage, St. Louis was the more dangerous team.
Dallas opened the game with defensive pairings that matched offensive/puck movers with slower, stay at home defenders. The Blues forecheck pushed the puck to the defensive defenseman, leaving Dallas struggling to clear the zone.
Half way through the period, the teams traded chances. An ill-advised clearing attempt by Ryan Suter didn’t exit the zone, and the Blues used that turnover to create a tic-tac-toe passing play that just stayed out of the net. Minutes later, Esa Lindell fed Joe Pavelski on the rush, and his 5-hole attempt made it through Jordan Binnington, but was cleared before it could inch over the line.
The second half of the period turned into a special teams battle. Tyler Seguin (tripping), and then Jason Robertson (hooking) found their way to the box, but the Stars penalty kill kept the Blues off the board – allowing no shots through the four short-handed minutes.
With just over two minutes left, Johnston drew a trip, giving Dallas their first power play. Just after the penalty expired, the Stars thought they took the lead with a deft Mason Marchment tip, but the Blues called for a review for offsides on the original zone entry, and the goal was rightfully waved off.
Score – 0-0
Shots – 10-6 Dallas
Period 2
18 seconds into the second, Jamie Benn opened up the scoring, roofing a shot in tight after collecting a Johnston pass behind the net.
The lead lasted just over two minutes, as the Blues countered against a over-pursuing, discombobulated Stars defense. Johnston and Dellandrea both chased a cross-ice pass, leaving the high crease wide open. Blues defender Tyler Tucker wafted in, beating Jake Oettinger glove side through a Lindell/Hakanpää screen.
St. Louis tilted the ice a bit, but the Stars had their chances on the counter attack. Binnington robbed Pavelski mid-period, and with just over two minutes left, Miro Heiskanen found Tyler Seguin with a stretch pass that Seguin maneuvered into a breakaway. A slash ruined the chance, and Dallas subsequently tried to give up the lead a few times on the resulting power play.
Ultimately, Oettinger came up big, and the period ended up tied.
Score – 1-1
Shots – 12-10 Blues
Period 3
The Stars tilted the ice in their favor for most of the third period. To this point, most of the team’s shots came from the outside, with little traffic in the crease. All four lines started to crash the net, and the Blues defense collapsed into the crease to try to block shooting lanes. Weak clear, zone entry, reload, repeat.
Starting with the third period, Head Coach Pete DeBoer reunited Evgenii Dadonov with Benn and Johnston, and the line showed the same great chemistry that they had at the end of last season. Dellandrea joined Marchment and Matt Duchene on the third line.
Nils Lundqvist found his skating legs and confidence in the third, ringing a shot off the post with eight minutes left. A few minutes later off the rush, Thomas Harley just missed a dunk at the side of the net off of a slick setup by Benn. Throughout, Binnington was solid, keeping the Blues in the game.
It wouldn’t be a Stars game without a bit of drama. Dadonov blocked an open shot in the crease with two second left on the clock, so at least one game, Dallas found themselves going to overtime.
Score – 1-1
Shots – 10-3 Stars
Overtime
It’s been reported that the Stars worked a bit on 3-3 during training camp. After watching five minutes, that work was well worth the time.
Patience/Possession. Dallas controlled the puck, probed for weaknesses, reset to the neutral zone – all the things that those fancy stats say win games in extra time. Heiskanen ripped a shot from the high slot, Robertson got robbed on a 2-1 odd man rush. Dallas drew a penalty with 42 seconds left. Quite a difference from the pain that was overtime last season.
The team did everything right except score. But, if they keep playing overtime this way, they’ll win a whole lot more than they’ll lose. The shots were 4-3 Stars, and the Blues were the team struggling to make it to the shootout.
Shootout
Jason Robertson – Goal (forehand -> backhand roof)
Brayden Schenn – Goal (snap shot, short side)
Matt Duchene – Goal (snap shot, glove side)
Pavel Buchnevich – Save (snap shot, 5-hole)
Tyler Seguin – Save (snap shot, 5-hole)
Jordan Kyrou – Fumbled puck
Final Thoughts
The Stars (exception, second line) played tight for the first two periods. Not unexpected, given the preseason hype. Dallas showed what the team can do in the third, playing fast and loose and dominating the ice.
With Roope Hintz dinged up, its hard to get a read on lines. Keeping Dadonov with Benn and Johnston looks like a solid bet. We’ll need a healthy lineup to get a feel for the chemistry between Duchene and Marchment. The fourth line (Sam Steel, Radek Faksa, Craig Smith) all played under 10 minutes – and again, we’ll need to get fully healthy before we see how that line settles. Pete DeBoer likes to roll four lines, so the assumption is that Dellandrea will join the group with either Smith or Steel as the thirteenth forward.
Defensively, Heiskanen dominated. Harley had his moments, but he and Hakanpää (who showed a good deal of rust after an offseason of recovery) did not read off each other well. If that pair stays together, they’ll need to sort out assignments better. Suter was Suter, Lindell was Lindell – some good, some bad and everyone here already has their personal thoughts about both. At some point, a lack of defensive speed is going to hurt this team.
Finally, Jake Oettinger looked in mid-season form. When his defense failed him, he had their backs.
Dallas faces their first road challenge – the Vegas Golden Knights – on Tuesday night in a Western Conference Finals rematch.