Dallas Stars: Overtime Tres Amigos

When Dallas combines the talents and efforts of individual Stars on the ice and lights the fuse, they get fireworks; the Stars’ three-on-three overtime unit of Benn, Seguin, and Klingberg is a prime example.

The season success of the Dallas Stars so far has been a team effort. Obviously any success in the sports world is, but the Stars have found a special strength-in-numbers dynamic that has made them more formidable on the ice.

You have your goaltending tandem of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi, who have been an outstanding duo and have contributed greatly to the Stars’ franchise-best record.

And then you have specific lines that at certain points of the season have just really clicked: Benn, Seguin, and Sharp; and Ruff’s “perfect line” of Janmark, Spezza, and Eaves . They’ve all contributed to the success of the team so far and have made individually good players great.

One of the best instances of the Stars gaining compounded greatness from assembling the right groups of players is their first three-on-three overtime unit: Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and John Klingberg.

Alone, each one of them is dynamite.

Jamie Benn was named the first star of the NHL this week with his 35 points registered in 27 games played this season, the second highest in the NHL. Not only is he physically intimidating on the ice, but he’s also a lead-by-example captain who has been willing to carry the team when they needed it most- think last season during Seguin’s injury. He’s also second in the league with his 8 power play goals, with 2 shorties to his name as well. And with 18 goals so far, he’s not showing signs of letting up.

Tyler Seguin is also a legitimate star for Dallas, tying Benn for second place in league points with 35 of his own. He’s got 14 goals on the season and also the third highest number on shots on goal in the league- 115. Although that’s also a lot of shots not going in, it speaks to Seguin’s uncanny ability to see opportunity and seize it, which is one quality that makes the Stars’ offense so deadly.

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John Klingberg has been the poster child for offensive defenseman, even in the beginning of his sophomore season. He’s played in every game so far this season, and in them racked up 27 points from his 22 assists and 5 goals. His creative and unobtrusive two-way style of play is in many ways a perfect demonstration of the Stars’ offensive strengths as a collective team.

That’s not to say that none of these players is immune from making mistakes. Klingberg has allowed a string of unlucky turnovers lately and it was Benn himself whose error tripped the Stars up in their last overtime attempt against the Oilers.

But all that is to say that the strengths these players have individually combine to create absolute fireworks. In an overtime win against Vancouver and two against Minnesota this season, each of these three players had a game-winning goal to show for their collaborated efforts.

Next: Dallas Stars Playing Exceptional In Bounce-Back Games

Now the Dallas Stars won’t win every three-on-three opportunity they have. Their contest against Edmonton, in which they lost their first overtime yet this season, was proof of that. But when you have a three on three group as promising as these guys, good things are bound to happen and often.