First Shift 🏒
As the Stars swerve down the road that is the 2024-25 season, they are learning to adjust.
Last season, the team rolled out three fantastic lines that stayed consistent for most of the year. Hintz played beside Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski, Duchene centered Seguin and Mason Marchment, and Wyatt Johnston found chemistry with Benn and either Dadonov or Logan Stankoven. It was a formula that drove opponents crazy and led to the best regular-season record in the Western Conference.
But Pavelski retired and Seguin is out 4-6 months following hip surgery, and that creates some challenges. That’s a big hit for a team that could really use some offense.
“With Seguin out of the lineup here and Joe Pavelski retired, that’s 60 goals from last year that are out, so we have to fill that void with other guys,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “Other guys have to find a way to score goals. That includes guys that have scored before getting up to the pace that they’ve been on most of their careers and some other guys that we’re counting on to stick some pucks in the net have to do that.”
Robertson has seen his points per game pace go from 0.97 to 0.68. He has previously tallied back-to-back seasons of 40-plus goals but is on pace for 19 this season. Johnston had 32 goals last season and is on pace for 16 this year. Hintz is down from .81 points per game to .63. Benn is on pace for 16 goals in 82 games, that would be the lowest goals per game total of his 16-year career.
So how do the Stars snap out of it?
Well, getting the power play would be a good start.
And getting some line chemistry going would be another.
Bottom line, they have to fight through this.
“We’ve got to find a way, it’s as simple as that,” said Duchene, who is leading the team in scoring. “Whether it’s making adjustments tactically or just getting some swagger in our game. One of the toughest things to do in hockey is to have confidence or swagger when you’re not getting results, and we’ve got to find a way to find that.”
Asked how the team could do that, Duchene said, “For me, you’ve got to enjoy playing the game. I think you’ve got to stick with it and not get frustrated.”
The Stars on Wednesday got goals from Sam Steel, Dadonov and Colin Blackwell, and that’s a great sign. If the depth scoring can chip in, it helps feed the top scorers.
“I think whenever you can put one in, you get a little more pep in your step,” said Steel. “We know there are certain things we are doing when we’re scoring, so we’ve got to try to get back to those habits.”
And that seems the way the team has to do it. It’s how they did it last year, too.
“We don’t have Connor McDavid, or that type of player,” DeBoer said earlier in the season. “Our strength is in our depth, and we have to use that.”
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