The Dallas Stars continued to perform well despite another poor showing in Tuesday’s 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at the Canadian Life Center.
Again, look for ways with few opportunities
In the first quarter of the game, the Stars made three field goals. Fast forward 10 minutes…they still had 3 shots on goal. After 20 minutes, they already had six.
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But guess what? They took a 1-0 lead, which came from the first three shots in the first round.
Dallas took the puck into the zone, kept the puck in the zone and fired it into the net. It was one of the quickest starts of the season, with Esa Lindell beating Eric Comrie with a perfect shot from the top of the left circle.
Much of the credit goes to Sam Steel, who designed the doors to perfection, complete with drive-through screens to draw eyes away from the Comrie. Comrie may want to put those rebounds elsewhere.
I know you’ve heard this happen before, but it happens all the time. The Stars didn’t create many chances and were either outplayed or playing low-event hockey, but they found ways to score. So they entered the second quarter with a lead in a tough build.
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Quick strike, Niels Lundkvist still returns
Remember when Dallas got off to a great start in the first quarter? You’re the best, me only Wrote an article about it. Guys, put it together. Notice.
Okay, now that you have their quick start memorized, let’s talk about the other one.
It took Dallas 2 minutes and 31 seconds to extend its lead from 1-0 to 3-0.
The first goal came on a beautiful goal from Roope Hintz, with another great pass from Mikko Rantanen, quickly slapping the puck back to Hintz after Wyatt Johnston’s shot or pass attempt slid through the zone.
Then again, Comrie might want to be in a better, less chaotic position and should really block cross-crease passes.
Speaking of Rantanen, I think he’s doing just fine without Nathan MacKinnon…
Incidentally, he improved that number with two assists. He now has the most points in franchise history through his first 50 games.
Like the first quarter, Dallas didn’t do much after that, finishing the quarter with just eight field goals. But, of course, I have to mention Alex Petrovic scoring his second goal of the season. Two goals from defensemen. Love it.
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Late in the period, Nils Lundkvist made an error that really showed how long he had been out of the lineup. When you’re coming back from injury, the most important thing is rhythm. The game is fast out there and players can catch up to you much faster than you might see in practice.
With plenty of time and breakout options, Lundqvist took a big risk by trying to get the puck from behind his own net to the middle of the ice. Mark Scheifele was hit with a stick, and the Jets turned it into a mini 2-on-1, and Lundkvist didn’t play particularly well, making it 2-1.
Before that game, Casey DeSmith looked unbeatable, and it looked like the Stars would easily win in lopsided fashion. But I should have known that wouldn’t happen in Winnipeg.
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They persevered, but what else is new?
The game, like most games in Manitoba, became more dangerous than it needed to be.
Lundkvist’s turnover kicked off the comeback, and the Jets scored shortly after the power play ended, with Miro Heiskanen’s broken stick missing a chance to clear the puck – the Stars have now had 31 consecutive power plays – but the Jets came within inches of tying the game on several occasions, even as Dallas restored a two-goal lead.
But as the title says, what else is new?
The Stars’ recent hockey performances have been far from their best. However, they’re 8-0-2 in their last 10 games, have scored in 23 of their last 25 games, and have scored in nine straight games (13 of which have been on the road), leaving us with less and less to talk about in the best possible way.
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Do they have something to do? Yes. Can this ridiculous league-leading field goal percentage, special teams, and goaltending be sustained over 82 games? Probably not. Do we care now when this team is dealing with a slew of injuries and still trying to figure out who they are?
No.
Game of Thrones takes another turn. Jason Robertson scored again. DeSmith once again performed well, extending his personal scoring record to 10 points. Heiskanen played 30 minutes and once again performed well. Hintz always performs at the highest level. Again, again, and again. They win a lot of hockey games, whether that’s a long-term strategy or not.
In my professional opinion…