The Other Stars (TFTC): Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven finally get blanked, but only on the scoresheet

The dynamic duo didn't score, but they sure as hell came close.

Stars Stack original artwork by Ryan Konzelman.

Rather than run through report cards of each Stars top prospect, I’m just gonna run through various levels of instructive plays that I felt stood out this past weekend for the Texas Stars.

It was a tough weekend for Texas. After Remi Poirier shut out the Griffins 2-0, the Stars would go on to let in 10 goals, score 4, and predictably loss both games as a result; first to Grand Rapids, and then to Chicago. Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven finally got blanked, only picking up one point between the both of them through three (!) games.

Which means I’ve got nothing to talk about, right? Wrong. Truth is, nothing’s actually changed between them. Well, I take that back — over the weekend there was a switch with Curtis McKenzie and Fredrik Karlstrom on the top line. (Karlstrom has been really solid lately, with five points in his last six games.) But the communication between the AHL’s top two forwards is as sharp as ever.

Both are on pace for 90-100point seasons. The Karlstrom move was interesting, as it felt unnecessary but also irrelevant. So far the twins have had Karlstrom, McKenzie, and Matej Blumel rotate their left flank, and they just keep on rolling. Normally I’ll nitpick stuff like this, but the three candidates all have their different strengths, and Bourque/Stankoven tend to maximize every inch. Although since we’re on the topic, I would like to see Antonio Stranges up there at some point.

Regardless, what did we learn from their quiet weekend? We learned that they’re never quiet, no matter what the boxscore says.

Bourque: Halfwall Hierarch

80 percent of the game is played along the exterior of the ice. This really puts a premium on players being comfortable along the muck and grind of hockey’s guardrail, and why I think certain depth players like Nicolas Roy stand out more than say, Radek Faksa — because the wall doesn’t confine what some can do offensively.

Bourque not only doesn’t seem phased at all by the shark tank, but seems to excel there. Bourque is right in front of the Jack Daniels ad to start the play.

I thought this pass was super impressive. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it play but watch again. Bourque should have absolutely no space to dish this puck to the wide open Oskar Bäck. Here’s how much room he had.

Bourque’s passing has always been his distinguishing trait, but it’s tempting to think of playmakers as visionaries rather than economic. Bourque is more of the latter than the former, but on the following play (#22 near the bench), he demonstrates both.

The initial pass to Curtis McKenzie is a pretty basic saucer, but I think it’s notable for the fact that Bourque does this so effortlessly along the wall and under pressure.

However, I like how quick his drop pass to Stankoven is too. The play is just a centimeter offside, but the sequence demonstrates the different ways Bourque controls the pace of play with quick decisions, and processing power.

A digression: Bourque’s potential place in the NHL lineup

One thing I tend to skip when it comes to prospect discussion is the reality of cap logistics and lineup decisions. This is intentional. Why? Because I don’t care about whatever cap pretzel some GM tied themselves into by paying for bloated veteran stopgaps. If Dallas doesn’t have room for Bourque in the lineup, that’s a separate discussion than whether I think he belongs. Evaluating the talent and readiness of a prospect is more interesting to me than whatever Requisition Order a prospect needs to file just to be seen as an option to begin with.

Granted, this isn’t necessarily directed at Jim Nill. In an ideal world, Bourque replaces Tyler Seguin (please don’t TK me about Seguin playing wing; Seguin is a worse player at wing, and every time it happens, Dallas regrets it) and the Stars run Hintz-Johnston-Bourque down the middle. Bourque will undoubtedly play wing to start, but I hope there are lessons learned in the Miro Heiskanen weakside saga: if you have to break a few veteran eggs to make a center omelette, that’s much more valuable to Bourque, and ultimately Dallas, than perfunctorily squeezing him into the Craig Smith spot or something.

Stankoven: Open-ice Overseer

Let’s not make this a competition, but to be fair — I think Bourque and Stankoven might prefer it that way. Bourque is rightfully getting the most press from fans because beyond his talent, he’s also something of a redemption story given his struggles last season. As the more mature player, he also seems to be the first choice for callup (in a perfect world) among analysts, writers, and fans.

However, this subtle pulling of rank really undersells what Stankoven is doing (comparatively speaking). By the same time last year, Bourque had 11 points. Stankoven, meanwhile, has 30. Of course, Bourque didn’t have Stankoven last year. The point here is not to get in a twist over who’s flexing on who; rather, I wish we’d stop talking about maturity in these superficial terms. Stankoven might be young, but his processing power is every bit as dramatic as Bourque’s. Like here. (#11 in the left lane.)

The first thing that jumps out is Stankoven’s agility here, breaking the Griffins’ ankles. But it’s the second — the puck protection to deliver a backhand pass to his teammates behind the net — and third — the quick delivery back to the point with pressure in his face — things that display his on-ice maturity to control territory in the offensive zone.

That’s not to undersell Stankoven’s raw talent. Just like when we saw him defend Nathan MacKinnon one-on-one in Overtime, he’s a buzzsaw out in the open.

Needless to say, these two won’t be blanked for long. Stankoven is truly special.

Artem Grushnikov: Marc Methot clone?

Ever since Lian Bichsel left, Texas has been hurting for a young, three-zone defender. Grushnikov is definitely not that guy, but he’s no slouch either. I’ve always been reluctantly excited about Grushnikov’s game: he has no offense to speak of, but he profiles like a really strong rush defender. That’s exactly the kind of player you can live with on your third pair. Playing in the top four with Alex Petrovic has put his game in the limelight.

Just good clean fun, right?

The Texas Stars will get two more actions this week before the Christmas break. They’re in action tonight, and tomorrow. I’ll do the Texas Stars report for Friday.