Game 31 Stray Observations: Duche—err, Harl—Dallas beats Vancouver 4-3 in overtime
At last a Dallas team beats Demko.
The biggest talking point going into tonight was about Dallas’ history against Vancouver, and Thatcher Demko’s sorcerous 7-0 (now 7-0-1) hold on the Stars. For the most part I don’t take stuff like this seriously. Yes, I’m sure there’s some level of causation here; maybe Dallas’ core shoots in a way that Demko’s game is tailored toward. Styles make fights as the prizefighting cliche goes. But the level of correlation is what’s doing all the work. It’s a little like that stat about how many career firsts a team has allowed against a rookie. Amusing, sure, but it misses the real point: Demko is a good goalie. And that felt like the theme of the night, with individuals elevating their team.
In this case, Matt Duchene and Thomas Harley. Obviously, there was good performances beyond Duchene and Harley, but both scored the two most critical goals, and both had two points. It’s also about what has happened to others as a direct result of their presence. With Duchene, Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment have never looked better. With Harley, Dallas’ blueline feels like an active threat; especially when Harley is there with Miro Heiskanen. They’re both dangerous players, which makes Dallas seem dangerous.
It remains to be seen how far that can take them. I know this is already starting to look like I’m being “negative.” After all, Dallas just beat a good team; not just a good team but the top team in the Pacific; the best division in all of hockey! These are all things I concede, but it’s a little on the nose for Dallas to win a game in which they gave up the first goal (‘slow starts’) and then trailed after giving up a late period goal (‘late period collapses’). In the end, they won, and I realize that’s the most important part. They won with elite players. Elite players are good to have! But I still feel like I’m waiting; waiting for a victory that wasn’t eked out for once, regardless of the competition.
Is that on me? Probably. A win’s a win, especially over a good team. But Dallas is a genuine Cup contender with only expectations, and no asterisks. They’re held to a different standard. Good thing for them they have quite a few players who are playing well above them, which is why Dallas is once again first in the Central.
The Duchene Effect
It’s been nice to see Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin score more and be given their proper due. Even I’ve reluctantly given them credit for being more than just Duchene’s school of remora fish. But come on — let’s be real. Duchene is on another planet; between his shooting, his passing, his ability to transition, and simply jailbreak a play, he’s the prime mover. That’s not to say Marchment and Seguin don’t deserve credit, just that Duchene…well, if you look at goal impacts, Duchene isn’t just playing above his teammates. He’s playing above the top line, even.
I keep thinking Duchene will get cold, and if so, what to make of Marchment and Seguin then? That’s where I think both deserve credit; Duchene hasn’t gone cold. However, let’s not downplay who’s doing most of the cooking.
Power Play Experimentation
I liked seeing Heiskanen on the second unit and Harley on the first for a shift. It felt like…dare I say, development. While Dallas’ power play has been effective overall, it’s definitely hit a lull lately. The move feels like a little too much like Trying to Do Something, but it was still nice to see, and who knows — maybe exactly the kind of move that allowed Harley the confidence (and patience) to take that third period shot. If I’m being overly critical it’s only because if they really wanted to change it up, they’d take Benn off the top unit. While it’s nice to have two productive units, if one gets more icetime, then I think it’s best to stack the deck. In this case, Duchene, Hintz, Robertson, Pavelski, and Heiskanen. I realize power play units are about more than just talent, but I just don’t see the downside, especially with Duchene’s history at center.
Tom Gaglardi’s Interview
Unfortunately there wasn’t much to talk about. Granted, I don’t expect some sort of expose, or 32 Thoughts-style info dump from Dallas’ owner, but just saying — if you were expecting Gaglardi to criticize Ryan Suter (who made a heinous pass that got Dallas stuck in their own zone that ended up forcing Miro Heiskanen to take a penalty), or explain how he’s trying to get Stankoven and Bourque up, you’d be disappointed.
Radek Faksa draws back in
It’s funny. I didn’t realize Dellandrea rated lower than Faksa in terms of GAR until tonight. I’m still not a fan. Steel-Dellandrea-Smith seem to have real chemistry, and while Steel-Faksa-Smith have chemistry too, I can’t help but think about the deadline: Faksa’s contract is the only thing that allows Nill to take on something like Chris Tanev’s contract.
The Vancouver Perspective
If the intro seemed overly critical, it’s because I don’t think Vancouver is actually a good team. The Canucks are a classic case of the PDO Pump (even if their expected goal share has gradually gone up over the last stretch). That’s not to say they’ll miss the playoffs or anything. But it is to say that that their potential playoff run — assuming they get there — will depend on if they’re just a wild card team. Because anything more and they’re up against elite teams like LA and Vegas, who are built are far more than extra saves.
In some ways tonight’s matchup could be a potential preview if Vancouver trends down as Dallas trends up. The Stars will not catch Vegas to get the easiest wildcard matchup, or at least I won’t assume so. In that scenario, a team like Edmonton (who hit a snag but are still 7-3 in their last 10) draws into the Pacific top three, leaving the Stars with Vancouver instead of say, Nashville (who are lowkey good, and that’s without Saros Brilliance). Vancouver may be a paper tiger, but Demko is not. Just saying: that would be an annoying seven-game series, not to mention a physical one.
Scheduling Notes
We’ll be back in action on Christmas Day. I’m gonna schedule a gift-theme post, share some of Ryan Konzelman’s artwork I haven’t posted (Wyatt Johnston and Jim Nill), talk about what the team needs (we’ll call this the Captain Obvious Section), and some off-topic stuff.
If you’re not around in the meantime, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Good Vibes however you celebrate this time of the year. I can’t thank Stars fans enough for what started out as a fun side project, and now feels like (what I hope is) a resource. Don’t forget to join the Stars Discord if you’re tired of Twitter (I know I am) and just want a feed of all things Dallas hockey.
Honestly great coverage man, top to bottom throughout all of the 2023. All the best!
Dallas sure needs to get better and we can all see the areas for improvement. Let's hope that'll be the gift of Christmas this year. As for the other gifts...
I'm starting to hear rumblings Stars might play a game or two in Europe next year. But don't tell anybody just yet!
Source: Trust me bro. :)
Like I have said before you saw Miro on his strong side when he and Harley where out together. The pair are so dymanic that I can’t believe everybody from Gagliardi down to the lowest Stars employee can’t see it. Maybe you don’t the two together but get Miro on his strong side then he will be a true Norris candidate.