Double Feature: Stray Observations following Dallas' win over Ottawa, and Texas' loss to the Griffins

Stars win 5-4 over the Senators. Texas loses 4-2 to the Griffins.

Well, if you’re here then you already know this was how it was always gonna be. Ottawa is never an easy out, and Dallas has played loose this month, so naturally Dallas found themselves in a two-goal hole early, managed to tie it up late in the third, and eventually scored the 5-4 win.

It almost seemed inevitable given that Ottawa was injured, and coming off a back-to-back. That’s not to take away from the end result; a win’s a win. But it still feels too much like a team held up by the performances of individuals rather than their cohesion as a team.

There may not be such a thing a Perfect Win, but elite teams can and often will play complete games. There are certain adversities great teams will inevitably experience, but rarely is the adversity self-induced, as it has been for Dallas. I’m not looking for perfection, but I am looking for a stretch of completeness; a stretch of games where Dallas is comfortably playing within the natural ebbs and flows of the game. This game wasn’t an example of that, but maybe it’s something to build on.

Speaking of building on, perhaps the biggest story is Miro Heiskanen’s uptick in goal-scoring. That’s now two goals and two posts in the past two games. I would argue that Heiskanen is never gonna be the offensive player fans want him to be. The slapshot of Cale Makar and the movement of Rasmus Dahlin just aren’t part of his DNA. But Heiskanen is an elite manufacturer of movement: the speed through the middle of the ice; the slick shifts along the wall; the pivots to create space, and the tempo to facilitate quickly to others. If only he were next to someone who gave all of his talents room to consistently breathe…cough, cough. But that’s neither here nor there.

A win’s a win, and now onto the stray observations.

Thomas Harley: Elite

Only Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, and Evan Bouchard have more goals than Thomas Harley. It’s hard to understate what exactly Harley has meant for this blueline. I really says something about a team’s blueline depth that one of their depth defenders somehow not only ties the room together, but keeps it above water.

What really makes the goal special is that it was on the PK. This is something I hope eventually trends upward. Harley is already proving himself capable. However, they need to find out if he’s ready to take over the Esa Lindell role because that’s where he belongs. He’s a three-zone defender, and should be developed that way. Miro Heiskanen - XX/Bichsel, Thomas Harley - XX/Bichsel, needs to be the top four with a veteran or two to fill out the top six.

Jake Oettinger

I’d love to say hey, everything’s gonna be okay because Matt Murray is elite, but Murray has had a questionable month in Cedar Park too. So the Oettinger injury is all kinds of bad news even if it’s not the end of the world or anything.

Matt Duchene: still good

Duchene has cooled off a little, points-wise, but I thought this was one of best performances all year; especially in the first period when it seemed like everyone on both roster was gonna score. Duchene has always been known for his north-south speed, but it’s his inside edges, and tempo switches that bring out the hockey geek in me. It really makes you wonder just what this team has planned for Duchene’s future. How seriously will they treat the blueline, and will it come at the cost of keeping players like Duchene? It might have to, but nobody should be thanking about letting him go, and rightfully so.

Wyatt Johnston: still snakebit

Johnston had a wide open net and couldn’t put it away. I know what I said before the season started. But uhh…

I wouldn’t expect this to continue but if ever there was a time to worry, now is it.

The Ottawa Perspective

In case tonight’s game didn’t make it clear how bad the Senators are, they’re last in the Eastern Conference. Coach DJ Smith is clearly on the hot seat and with personnel like Craig Berube and Dean Evason available, you have to wonder how quickly Ottawa eventually pulls the trigger on new leadership.

Texas Stars Strays

The Grand Rapids Griffins are an interesting opponent for Texas. They’re second worst in the division, yet they have all kinds of top names between Marco Kasper, Sebastian Cossa, and most notably, Simon Edvinsson — who is just way too good for the AHL. However, they also lost a lot of critical players with all the injuries to Detroit. Needless to say, it was an unexpected loss broadly speaking.

However, Texas has been a pretty loose team all year. It’s hard to understate just how brilliant Matt Murray was early in the season. With Murray slowing down, so has the team’s results. The loss doesn’t set them back or anything, but if their top two scorers slow down (as has been the case, though not for lack of trying), so will their ability to stay at the top of the Central with Denis Gurianov and the Milwaukee Admirals sniffing their heels.

Bourque, still the top gun

I’m trying real hard not to gas Mavrik Bourque up so much that when he gets to the NHL, people will expect some ultra-finished product, like some sort of Adam Fantilli or Leo Carlsson. Bourque is not an elite athlete. His linemates are gonna matter more than his competition, and the transition will be difficult.

But I can’t help but feel like Bourque keeps getting better. His passing is just a bit sharper, his skating is a hair quicker, and his routes are a stride cleaner. I’ll have more clips for the Texas Stars rundown next week, but I loved how casual this pwas was for him.

Logan Stankoven, still the AHL’s top goal scorer

Because Stankoven is the goal scorer of the magical duo, it’s easy to forget just how good his passing is, as he demonstrated here.

Nothing came of it, but if that had connected, we would have been talking about the way we did Domi versus Seattle.

Despite their different archetypes, the reason why Stankoven and Bourque dominate is precisely because they’re both dual offensive threats. Bourque may not be a primary shooter, but he has a surprisingly dangerous release. Stankoven may not be a wheelhouse passer, but he’s extremely confident teleporting the puck where it needs to be.

A word about the rest

Matthew Seminoff got his first goal (what a doozy) of the season, and it’s kind of shocking to think it look him this long. This is a player that scored 31 goals in 62 games for the Kamloops Blazers last year. Seminoff hasn’t been terribly noticeable but he hasn’t had much to work with being stuck on the fourth line. Curtis McKenzie has been solid but I do wonder if Seminoff sees an eventual look on the top line given his experience with Stankoven.

Fredrik Karlstrom was the other goal scorer, with Oskar Back (happy Mark?) getting the assist on it. Matej Blumel was the other forward that stood out tonight because he stood out for his puck handling, which is the thing I’d like to see more out of him. Blumel isn’t a serious option at the NHL level, but he’s definitely a player who wouldn’t look out of place in the NHL.

I’ll talk more about Artem Grushnikov next week, but I’ve really liked him next to Alex Petrovic. He plays the kind of game you want in a shutdown defender, except with a lot more speed, and a bit of snarl.

Griffins got jokes

I won’t lie. I laughed.