Game 62 Stray Observations: Dallas defeats Winnipeg, 4-1
A confident two points over a potential playoff opponent.
We’re not that far removed from a four-game skid but for Stars fans, we do feel removed from what that four-game skid felt like. It’s easy to see why. Between Logan Stankoven’s immediate rise, and the preposterous trade for Chris Tanev, Dallas looks a complete roster, if not potential Cup favorite. Except for the teams in the Pacific, they fit the statistical profile.
Beyond that, it’s another critical two points over a rival opponent in the Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg didn’t look like much. They seemed all too willing to accept shots along the perimeter, took needless penalties, and their blueline had no answers for Dallas’ cycle.
The Jets are still not a team to be underestimated. As I told Gavin Spittle on his Spits and Suds podcast, would anyone be surprised to see Winnipeg take a seven-game series against the Stars? Yes, I would too, especially given the styles. But Connor Hellebyuck is a better goaltender than he showed last night, and well, the playoffs get kind of crazy. A great team beating a great team is kind of what happens in the postseason.
That’s all the more reason for Jim Nill to keep up the brilliant work. If players like Nils Lundkvist, Ty Dellandrea, Jani Hakanpaa, and Craig Smith become loose ends in the quest to fully flesh out the blueline, then it’s time to start adding by subtracting. A lot of names — Sean Walker, Radko Gudas, Nick Seeler, Alex Carrier (who I doubt gets moved), and others we covered here — remain on the trade board. What’s next for Nill?
Logan Stankoven leaves earth
Stankoven has been elite for years. He was elite this year. Because hockey is so skeptical of its own talent, teams get skittish around talents. “But what if they can’t do at the NHL level what they did in juniors?” You always hear. The skepticism can and often is founded. It’s how that skepticism morphs into derangement — obsessing over players who aren’t who they once were, or getting hung up on age as a guarantor of indecisiveness — that bothers me.
Which is to say, Stankoven has already made his case. He’s been making his case. Even when healthy, Stankoven is easily one of its 12 best forwards. If Stankoven gets sent down, let it be a lesson in exposing what the logic of “Win Now” really means.
The top line returns?
Not really. But at least the big dogs got on board. It’ll be interesting to see how they develop. As has been noted, Dallas’ depth has been the story of the year but it’s oddly come at the cost of “losing” that one dominant line ala MacKinnon and Rantanen. However, the Hintz line has known dominance longer than its known struggles. If they get cooking in time for the playoffs, there aren’t many teams Dallas won’t be able to simply outscore.
Wyatt Johnston thoughts
It’s easy to forget that Johnston and Stankoven are the same age, but Johnston has been doing some exemplary support work during Stankoven’s little run. Similar to Mavrik Bourque, Johnston’s routes are extraordinarily clean, and Stankoven, who runs excellent routes of his own, does a great job of getting open, shifting from the exterior to the interior, and knowing when to exchange. Now just imagine them with a proper left winger. (Sorry Jamie Benn.)
Where does Tanev go?
First off, there’s no way to screw this up. Well, I guess the Stars could always put on his left side, and stick him next to Joel Hanley, but I think we can safely rule that possibility out. The most likely outcome is Tanev next to Lindell, bumping down Hakanpaa to play with Suter. As much as I dislike that third pair, we’re talking about limited minutes. The reason I like Harley next to Tanev is because it gives the Stars a look at their second pairing of the near future. You have to think Dallas will want to bring Tanev back, on a two-to-three-year deal perhaps, and look for a potential right shot partner for Heiskanen, giving Dallas the ultimate one-two punch. We’ll find out soon enough.
Oettinger’s performance
Oettinger looked good, but I didn’t think Winnipeg challenged him enough to make a real assessment. Sure enough, that’s how it looked by the numbers/shot location.
The performance was more about what it does for his confidence heading into the postseason than anything, which is fine on its own.
Programming note
I wanted to get some video analysis up this week for paid subscribers, but the Tanev news kind of just sucked me into raw reactions, and more web browsing for anymore news on the trade front. Apologies. I’m gonna stick to the “damn, sorry about not getting a paid post up, expect two in one week instead” thing I do. One will be video analysis of Stankoven’s game thus far, and I don’t know the other one but we’ll get there. This weekend it’s the Mavrik Bourque show, who by the way, still looks really good without the previous AHL point leader.
I thought Nils looked pretty good tonight.
Love that little #11 ball of energy.
How can they send him back to the AHL now!
I love it when the kids just tear down the adults' plan in a positive way.
Now, this team just need another slight injury/illness/trade so that #22 can do the same thing to the management.
Both were ready in December and both makes the Dallas Stars a better team.