Stars Stuff: Chicago beats Dallas, Dallas beats Colorado, strays, Mavrik Bourque's debut, and the race in the West
Interesting weekend.
Games like Dallas’ bout versus Chicago are some of the least interesting to analyze. It was a good team outperforming a bad team, but it was the bad team that ended up with two points. Hockey is filled with contradictions. One of those contradictions is that on any given night, the best team doesn’t always win.
A superficial loss can still be instructive. Was a familiar problem in the spotlight in the loss? Did the loss result in a systems problem that we’ve been talking about all year or a defense pair? Etc. But the Chicago game didn’t really have that. The Stars outshot them 77 to 31. What more do you want?
Oh right. A win. Well if the Chicago win was the kind of game you decide to forget, then the Colorado bout was the kind of game you hang on the tactics wall.
Sometimes, win or lose, you just want to see a solid effort in the regular season. Sunday night was a great game between two of the best teams in the West. Dallas seemed to have Colorado’s number for most of the contest, even though it was a double minor from Sean Walker that really broke the game wide open. Nonetheless, you couldn’t ask for a better effort on a B2B.
Of course, it’s interesting that Stars fans pick and choose which game better represents who they are: “they were the team that won, not the team that lost!” Yes, Dallas was on the tailend of a B2B. But that was Colorado’s third game in four nights. They were also missing three forwards, Star-killer Miles Wood, and everyone-killer Mikko Rantanen.
Not trying to be argumentative: just saying. There’s still plenty of hockey to be played. But performance is sustainable. Goals are not. I’d always rather see the former before the playoffs than the latter. If this is the Western Conference Semifinal preview, then we’re in for a hell of a ride.
The Underrated Roope Hintz
I’ve already talked about Hintz and what I think has been a really unique, really understated year in review. Needless to say, watching him break the 30-goal barrier for the third straight year was a relief. This is not to put critics on blast — some of whom read the Stack. Rather, it’s to emphasize a) Hintz is underrated even to Stars fans and b) setting expectations. Hintz will be 28 before 2025, which is well past a player’s peak production window that typically tops out at 25. Just saying: Hintz has already put together a three-season stretch that is hard for even the best players to replicate. Whether you take the Quality of Competition argument seriously, surely some fans can respect Father Time.
Chris Tanev, the defensive Jake Guentzel
It’s impossible to understate how good Tanev has been. He’s turned what was once a weak spot (Dallas’ blueline) into an active strength. Not only that but he’s doing against the world’s best. I know that goes without saying for anyone who’s seen Tanev play outside of Dallas, but it wasn’t that long ago that the Stars were basically exposed without Heiskanen or Harley on the ice. Now they’re only exposed on the third pair. (Which we’ll table for the comments, or some other time.)
Stankoven and Johnston: some words
While Stankoven has been quieter, it’s only been on the scoresheet. Stankoven and Johnston’s chemistry is incredible. Yes, this makes it a good time to plug my film room analysis of their net front presence. But also, we’re no longer talking about two young players contributing with a lower-case ‘c’. This is a full blown co-core, for lack of a better phrase. Johnston has as many points as Hintz with 64. Stankoven’s point pace of 14 in 20 games would equal 57 over an 82-game season, which would be ahead of Tyler Seguin.
All About Bourque
As I said on Twitter, Mavrik Bourque was never gonna wow with his physical tools. While we didn’t get to see much, I liked him in spots. Some of the things that were evident in Cedar Park, like his work along the walls and even a sweet release that hit iron, were evident in the game.
The Colorado and Chicago perspectives
I really hope something out of that win over Dallas keeps them far away from Macklin Celebrini. I can’t think of anything more morally obnoxious than Chicago getting Bedard and Celebrini back to back while other teams are getting their first-round picks taken away for back-alley relays, and missed paperwork.
As for Colorado, they’re basically ensuring themselves a first-round date with Winnipeg. Nashville looked like they might start to threaten that third spot in the Central, but the Jets managed to gain some distance. It’s one of the few matchups I expect to give Colorado some problems, but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see the Jets get swept. They look like a team on E, but there’s always the Hellebyuck factor. (The best goaltender on the planet, regardless of what some ex-NHLers think.)
Speaking of.
Race in the West
As the race in the Pacific heats up even more — and as Dallas separates itself from the entire pack — it actually increases the odds of Dallas drawing Vegas instead of Nashville.
This is either frightening as hell and confirmation from superstitious fans of why the President’s Trophy sucks (although it looks like it’s the Rangers to lose), or completely awesome. Dallas either draws one of the toughest possible first-round matchups, or they have the opportunity to get revenge AND watch Vegas set all that deadline money on fire.
Don’t understand the anti-Lundqvist bias from the coaches. Last 5 minutes of a close game or to protect a lead - sure that’s when lots of guys are sat down to watch. But no shifts in the third, is that right? Seemingly after the Duhane goal? My view on that is Lundqvist played it perfectly. He engaged the bigger player and did so very well. Long enough for Otter to find the puck, imo. They can’t expect him to win every physical battle. They can’t now be shocked at his size? Wasn’t he always this size???
This year we’ve watched many of his teammates make repeated errors without any benching consequences.
I don’t get it. The kid learns nothing on the bench, coach him up!
Not even a toss-off remark about Lundkvist being benched for getting beat to a puck, like all d-men do sometime?
DeBoer should no longer get the courtesy of a pass for his treatment of Lundkvist. It was all stars fans couldn't stop talking about with Bowness not playing certain players. It should be brought up in every Stars interview by every member of the Dallas media.