Dallas Stars on Power Play: Then, Now

When you start out at rock bottom, it is really hard to scratch and claw yourself all the way to the top. Even if you’re Bruce Wayne and you’re in that pit-prison from The Dark Knight Rises. While the Dallas Stars were definitely in a comparable pit for most of the ’14-’15 season, they just couldn’t muster up a Batman-enough performance to pull themselves all the way out.

Well, not yet, anyway.

The Stars dug this metaphorical pit for themselves in many different ways. Call it a lack of confidence in their goaltending, tired defense- these are true. But they are also just pieces of the problem. Another huge factor that caused the Stars’ season to fizzle out was that, despite having one of the most dangerous and explosive offenses in the league, their power play was definitely lacking in, well, power, for parts of the season. And by parts, I mean all the parts that mattered.

Rewind to October 2014. New start, fresh hopes, good vibes (wow, weren’t we all sweet innocent children back then?) The Dallas Stars projected a new and improved PP, hailed as a potential “supernova,” to feature newly acquired forwards Spezza and Hemsky thrown into the mix with Seguin, Benn, and a rotating defenseman. Lots of firepower with this unit- opportunities for smooth plays and big shots in the back. Heika stated that if the stars could “cash in early and often” with this PP, they would be a force to be reckoned with.

But, as it often does, reality struck with a little extra force. The most consistent thing last season was the Stars inability to defeat 3^rd period pressure and letting PP opportunities slip by without anything to show for it. Their ability to draw penalties far outshone their ability to convert them into valuable points.

And this was a big problem early on. The Stars weren’t blind to their own power play woes, and they made some helpful tweaks– putting Jamie Benn at the front of the net, throwing Klingberg into the mix. But there were still other demons to deal with.

Which leads me to the Dallas Stars and the curious case of the away-team advantage. They finished the season with the 3^rd best road PP in the league with a 23.3% conversion rate. Their home ranking? 27^th. A big reason for that slip has to be psychological. At home, there’s the pressure of wanting to impress the loyal fans that have stuck with you through thick and thin (and mostly thin). For this reason the Stars have been accused of putting too much effort into trying to make fancy plays at home instead of going for the simple shots.

And honestly, it fits. The Stars don’t take a high volume shooting approach to the PP; they rely more on high shooting percentage– smarter, more selective shots. They ended the season at 7^th in the league with 14.4%. Thinking before shooting can certainly be an advantage, but when you’re on home ice and you’re not taking any shots because they’re just not pretty enough to impress your fans, well. Been there, done that, worn the sweater of shame.

But as much as it felt like the PP was the bane of our existence last season, it really wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Really, she just spent all that time telling me how awful we did just to turn around and say, jk! No, but really. The Stars’ PP finished in the top half of the NHL with a 19% conversion rate (that’s 55 goals in 290 power plays), when it sat through most of the season as one of the worst.

The point is that the Stars showed they can improve, and that they have PP potential. The main issue here is that we started the season poorly, and let the problems run rampant and unchecked, unsolved, for too long before we started taking care of business. And we did take care of business and tweak some things, however, at the very end of the season.

Well, this is one context in which “better late than never” doesn’t apply. The Stars didn’t “cash in early and often”- or really even at all, until after some serious tweaking. By then, it was too late- they had already given up too many points early on to secure the last wildcard spot in the West. Down and out. Stuck at the bottom. Here the Stars find their common ground with Bruce Wayne.

But hey, he made it out of the pit eventually, right? Made it all the way across the desert, regained his confidence, found his chill, and all in time to make it back and save Gotham once again.

I won’t say that the Dallas Stars need to take a forced vacay in the desert in order to improve their PP (however, as a last-ditch effort, I wouldn’t condemn it… I’d watch the Stars Insider coverage of that, and don’t lie to yourself, you would too).

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What I am suggesting is that the Stars take all the positives they have to work with and put them to good use. And I’m not trying to be overly optimistic and happy and sappy and annoying- they really do have some great potential just begging to be utilized, let out of its cage to do some real damage. There are some great reasons to have faith that the PP this season can be sustained at its end-of-last-season state, instead of its beginning one. I’m dead serious. Let me make you a list.

Jamie Benn. In what world was I not going to put him at the top of the list? I’ll make it simple: dark horse Art Ross winner + two healthy hips + a never say die attitude (Beast Mode, whatever you want to call it) = a league that should be quaking in their boots. Simple enough!
Tyler Seguin. I promise I’m not going to list every player on the team. But Seguin led the team last season with 13 PPG, and has proven that he can take the long shots that this team sometimes needs instead of the fancy, ooh-and-ahh looks that they can sometimes try a little too hard for at home. Pretty hockey is fun hockey, but winning hockey feels even better. Tyler’s accurate shot and play-reading prowess combined with the way that his and Benn’s chemistry makes it all look so easy, with a little help from their friends, can help make a lethal PP.

The potential is there for the Dallas Stars’ power play, thanks to the big shooting presence in the back from Tyler Seguin. And guys, I was there for this game. One word: PHENOMENAL.*

Klingberg. Ok, maybe I’ll only list most of the players on the team. But in all seriousness, the solid, offensively-minded defenseman had a great rookie year, demonstrating just the kind of versatility and dependability that the Stars need out of the defenseman assigned to a PP unit. Out of all the projected units, I’d put my money on the one that slots Klinger.
Val Nichushkin. This team has had some rough injury problems, and the loss of this young talent so early last season was pretty difficult. Nichushkin coming back at full strength is going to really be the icing (the eating kind, and not the hockey kind) on the PP cake.
Patrick Sharp. I cannot wait to see how the addition of Sharp benefits the Stars’ PP. The Blackhawks PP mantra is “shoot first, ask questions later”- which I propose the Stars adopt, stat. They also look for simple shots and try to open up whatever chances they can by always having a player in the front. Hmm. Sounds similar to the method the Stars employed against the Jets back in January, winning 5-2 thanks to 4 PPG. So. We’ll have more of whatever the Blackhawks have been having, please.

Sharp demonstrates that he’s not afraid of the long, simple shots that the Stars need to learn to take more of at home.

This is that January 31 game against the Jets. Notice Klinger and Daley’s shots. Suspiciously Sharp-like, hmm?

Ok, moving on to: Oduya. And yeah, I do (that’s the only name pun I’ll make, I promise). I said it before, I really like Klinger on the PP. I also really like the idea of an older, experienced defenseman- also a veteran of the Blackhawk’s winning system- being around to mentor and guide the younger defensemen. He could be good on a PP unit in his own right, but I think the PP can also stand to benefit second-handedly from the wisdom he can offer young guys like Klinger.

So, we’re all thinking it: what is the timetable for the Stars to pull themselves out of the pit and become Batman on the PP(well, maybe you’re not thinking it in those terms exactly)? I’m not even sure Jim Nill knows, but even if he did, you know he’s not spilling those secrets.

Going forward, it’s important to keep in mind several things. First is that, while the Stars have gained some good talent, they’ve also lost some. Trevor Daley is coming off a career high season with 16 G that ties him for 7^th place among defensemen in the league. Six of those were PPG. It may take some time for the Stars to adjust as he goes to Chicago in exchange for Sharp and Johns.

Similarly, remember that you can’t always take the lead right out of the gate. New things, however potential-laden they are, can take time to gel, or take root, or whatever metaphor you prefer. Basically, don’t expect power play fireworks right away. Anticipate that they may have to work out a few kinks, build communication and chemistry with new players, before the power play really hits its full stride and takes off. And as Stars fans, we are anything if not amazingly patient and longsuffering.

But, at the very least, I’m confident that with some determination, support, and patience on our part, the Stars can climb out of their disappointing last season prison of a power play pit (I wouldn’t advise trying to say that out loud). A goal just as relevant as it was last season, the Dallas Stars must try again, quoting Mike Heika, to “cash in early and often.”

What are your projections for this season’s power play? Are all systems go for an early take-off, or will it be another crash and burn?

Next: Dallas Stars Land Real Catch in Patrick Sharp

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