The Dallas Stars were in a Central Division contest, no, battle last night with the Winnipeg Jets. And, to be quite honest, they looked really good. Last season, the Stars went 0-4 against Winnipeg. Every game played against the Jets seemed to be over quick. Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine and the Jets on the schedule was an automatic “L”. But not this time. The Stars took the 0-4 record from last season and shoved it down Winnipeg’s throats. Alexander Radulov started off the scoring.
Who’s Your Raddy?
Alexander Radulov scored on a “what the heck was that?” angle. Standing right beside the net, Radulov chipped in a nice shot that bounced off Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck’s leg after bouncing off defenseman Tyler Myers’ leg. Radulov’s tally would be his second of the season off a wrist shot at the 8:23 mark of the period. This goal may have been the game-tying goal, but an earlier scoring opportunity was waved off due to Winnipeg’s goaltender interference.
Seguin Has Multiple Point Night
Tyler Seguin was just one name to have multiple points on the night. During the first period, Seguin scored on a beautiful shot in the first period. Assisted by Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza, the Stars would end the period with a 2-0 lead. In the third period, Seguin, assisted by Radulov, would put the game away 5-1. Seguin would finish with four points, (2G, 2A).
Benn There Done That
Jamie Benn has been a very important piece of the Stars Puzzle. As the team captain, fans and management expect him to lead the team. Last season, it seemed to fans that Benn had gone off the radar. It seemed that Benn may not be the leader that this team needs. But, this season is a clean slate. And, with his performance two games into the season, he is showing no signs of being the player fans saw last season. Benn has two goals and three assists this season.
D Is For Dominance
This second game proved one thing to fans. The Dallas Stars win against Arizona was no fluke. Just like last night against the Jets, the Stars have been dominant. Against the Jets, the Stars went 3/5 on the power play against the Jets, and are ranked third overall at 42.9%. The Stars penalty kill is sitting at 100%, and is ranked first. Furthermore, the Stars also are also winning the majority of faceoffs, which is part of new coach Jim Montgomery’s “process” the players are buying into.
Interesting Notes
Miro Heiskanen is a rookie that many fans had high hopes for. Fortunately, he has looked like a seasoned veteran as many had expected.
A healthy Ben Bishop means the Stars will win. Bishop has a .984 save percentage, and a 0.50 Goals Against Average with a shutout in the first game this season.
Jamie Benn now has 600 career points.
Bottom Line
The Stars seem to be doing very well with a balanced coaching approach. Goaltending thus far seems to be reliable, and scoring seems to be on the level fans know. But, the question is, can the team maintain this level of play throughout the season?