Maybe the Stars’ best route to more offense still runs straight through the blue line.
That’s the tension in Glen Gulutzan’s approach as Dallas looks to play with a little more puck possession, a little more intent in the offensive zone and, as he put it, “one degree more” of intensity and physicality. The risk is obvious.
The reward is too. If a team can afford to push the envelope, it’s one that has spent years built on stopping people first.
“If you limit goals against, you have a good chance to win every night,” Jason Robertson said. “It’s been that way ever since I’ve been here.”
For the Stars, that’s not just a slogan. Since moving from Minnesota in 1993, Dallas ranks second in the NHL in goals against average at 2.65 - second-best over the last 30-plus years. Last season, the Stars were second in the league at 2.71 and finished third overall with a 50-20-12 record.
That identity showed up again in the preseason. Dallas wrapped up a 4-0-0 run Friday with a 2-1 win over Minnesota, and the defense allowed only three goals across the four games.
“It’s who we are,” captain Jamie Benn said. “It’s a big part of our game plan, it’s a big part of how we play.”
Even without Jake Oettinger for the last three preseason games, the Stars kept rolling because Rémi Poirier and Casey DeSmith held up their end. The support in front of them came from a defense group that includes Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Thomas Harley, Nils Lundkvist, Tyler Myers and Lian Bichsel, plus forwards who buy into the work without the puck in Radek Faksa, Sam Steel, Oskar Bäck and Justin Hryckowian.
That buy-in reaches all the way through the top of the lineup. Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston and Tyler Seguin aren’t being asked to become different players, but they do know how to dig in when the job calls for it.
“It’s expected every shift,” said Johnston. “I love it.”
The preseason also offered a neat little snapshot of how Dallas wants this to work. On Wednesday, Lindell scored in a 2-0 win.
On Friday, Faksa opened the scoring in the 2-1 victory. Those are the kinds of plays that happen when the defensive-minded guys stay patient, wait for the opening and then finish.
That’s the balance Gulutzan is after: the skilled players defending, the defensive players contributing offensively.
“You want it from everybody, you want that same level of expectation,” Gulutzan said. “That’s a big part of who we are, that’s a big part of what training camp is.”
Robertson, who is not exactly known as a defense-first evangelist, said the group’s standards make that possible.
“Guys take pride in that,” Robertson said. “That’s one of the big advantages of our team.
We defend hard, and we always have. Anyone who comes to Dallas understands that guys hold each other to a certain accountability.
We don’t allow guys to go on their own page. And as long as you have the foundation of being in the right place at the right time and managing when you (take chances), that’s a recipe for being a top five team.”
He also said he welcomes the push for change.
“I think it’s important to make changes,” Robertson said. “We’re looking at analytics to make these changes and I’m big on analytics.
I don’t think numbers lie, so I’m a big advocate of using them to improve. I look forward to this.”
For Dallas, the clean slate of the regular season starts next week. But the preseason made one thing clear: if the Stars are going to find more offense, they’re still going to do it the Dallas way.
In Other News...
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The preseason ended with a familiar sort of reminder for the Wild, who fell 2-1 to Dallas in a game that had the feel of a dress rehearsal with a little extra edge. Jesper Wallstedt got the start in goal, while Riley Mercer is expected to serve as the regular-season backup, and Minnesota got encouraging looks from newcomers Blake Coleman, Maxim Shabanov and Olli Mtt as the club wrapped up the exhibition slate with one last test against a division opponent.
John Hynes had reason to be upbeat afterward, especially about the way Shabanov fit into the mix and the poise he showed with the puck. The Wild came away with some positive signs from the roster competition and the new faces, but the late swing in Dallas was a useful reminder of how thin the margin can be when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Robertson Just Became A Much Bigger Stars Concern
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The Penguins recent move to acquire his younger brother, Nick, only adds to the intrigue around a potential fit in Pittsburgh. For the Stars, the concern is less about the immediate season and more about what happens if Robertson and Dallas do not work out a longer-term arrangement, leaving open the possibility of a very different conversation next summer. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Suddenly Face A Dylan Larkin Question They Can't Ignore
Dylan Larkins trade picture has widened enough that the Stars have suddenly become part of the conversation, a notable twist for a Dallas club that is always watching for ways to sharpen its center depth. Reports now indicate Larkins list of preferred destinations has grown from three teams to about eight, with Dallas mentioned alongside clubs such as Tampa Bay, Washington and Colorado as Detroits interim GM Shawn Horcoff keeps exploring possibilities.
The challenge, of course, is that interest is only the first step. Even with a player of Larkins caliber in play, the kinds of hurdles that usually slow a deal are all there, from cap issues to protections on key pieces and a lack of easy trade chips, which is why nothing has come together yet. For the Stars, the idea is intriguing enough to follow, but the path from rumor to reality still looks complicated. [Read more 🡒]