Dallas Stars Getting All They Wanted Out Of Patrick Sharp
By Josh Clark
Last night, the Dallas Stars did something rather shocking. After sprinting out to an early lead that at one point was 4-0 and 5-1, they pulled on their 2014-2015 shades and coughed every single bit of the lead up in just under 14 minutes.
With a 5-5 contest turned to anyone’s game, the Stars put together an exuberant power play rush that ended in Patrick Sharp shooting a laser slap shot into the Carolina Hurricanes net with just 18.5 seconds to go. Though it should have never happened in the first place, the Stars were clutch when they needed to be, and that’s what helped them secure the 6-5 win.
Patrick Sharp tallied his third game winning goal with the shot, as well as his third power play goal of the year. It’s becoming clear that the Sharp is one of the Stars top five forwards on the ice and will continue to aid the offense as it remains atop all others.
But where did Patrick Sharp come from? He wasn’t here last year, that’s for sure. What did the Dallas Stars do during the offseason that brought a veteran fluent in the ways of offense to the team?
Oddly enough, the Dallas Stars should be thanking the Chicago Blackhawks. Yes, their division rivals.
After a month of denying any interest in the superstar forward, Stars GM Jim Nill officially made the move with the Blackhawks. On July 10, 2015, the Dallas Stars completed a blockbuster trade that sent D Trevor Daley and F Ryan Garbutt to Chicago in exchange for F Patrick Sharp and D Stephen Johns.
The trade came out of nowhere and surprised many Stars fans who had assumed the Stars offseason adventure was complete after the addition of G Antti Niemi in the crease.
But once Sharp was officially made a part of the roster, people began to assume where he would play and how his first year in Dallas would play out.
Most assumed he would stick to the first and second lines for the majority of the year, playing on the wings with the likes of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Jason Spezza. In the beginning of the year, Sharp did just that. But with head coach Lindy Ruff consistently shuffling the lines throughout the season, it was only a matter of time before Sharp was moved around.
Sharp has been playing primarily on the third line for the past few games. But that has yet to stop him from producing above anyone’s expectations this season.
Before the season began, fans expected Sharp to be a reliable leader and veteran presence that could come in handy on the power play. But, considering it was his first year in the Stars organization after 10 years with the Hawks, not many expected a high level of production. Jason Spezza endured something similar in last year and struggled on offense through the first half of the season while still getting adjusted.
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A decent estimate would have been somewhere around 40-45 points on the year. Considering he’s 33 and pushing 34, it did not look too promising for the Stars in terms of his offensive give-off.
Throughout this year, Sharp has put together an impressive showing. Sharp has 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in 28 games. That puts him at almost a point-per-game player. He is tied for 36th in the league in points and 30th in the league for goals scored.
Sharp has three goals and nine points total on the power play, which is one of the main reasons the Stars brought him in. As a result, the Stars are third place in the NHL in power play percentage.
Patrick Sharp has done all this in an average of 17:44 on the ice each game. His leadership is rubbing off on the younger players as well, and he is currently running on a line with Cody Eakin and Antoine Roussel.
Last season, the Dallas Stars knew they were close to being an exceptional hockey team, and that they only lacked one main piece. What that piece was could have been anything, but it was more than likely on the defensive and goaltending side.
But now that we are basically two months into the season, it looks like Patrick Sharp might be that one piece that pushed the Stars over the hump into greatness.
It’s been just around five months since the trade, and it’s clear that the Dallas Stars were smart to invest in Sharp. As a result, they are getting more than they bargained for.
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Meanwhile in Chicago, the Hawks are struggling with their new acquisitions. While the Hawks are still somewhat succeeding and sitting third place in the Central, they are much lower than where they ended last year atop the entire NHL when they won the Stanley Cup. They are 15-9-4 and sit ten points back of the Stars in the division. If you were a Stars fan last year, you know that even a six-point gap is nearly impossible to close off.
To put things into perspective, Sharp has 22 points this season with Dallas. Ryan Garbutt and Trevor Daley combine for nine. Daley is currently injured and Garbutt has 23 penalty minutes to show off. Garbutt has been shifted throughout the lineup plenty this season, and there are talks that the Hawks are looking to unload Daley in a trade.
While it is difficult seeing these two Dallas-grown players struggling in their new homes, the business is a dirty one and that must be understood.
Next: Stars Escape With 6-5 Thriller Win Over Hurricanes
But the Dallas Stars are succeeding, and a large part of that is due to the surprising play of Patrick Sharp. 28 games down, 54 to go. A lot can happen in that time frame, but so far this year the Stars have done nothing but good things. Let’s hope it remains that way.