Dallas Stars Finally Seeing Old But Improved Valeri Nichushkin

The Dallas Stars are flying through their 2015-2016 season so far. Though he hasn’t been the best player, Valeri Nichushkin is one of the reasons that the Stars success has been at an all-time high.

The Dallas Stars had a disappointing performance at the beginning of Tuesday night’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. But after a complete revival in the second and third periods, the Stars walked away with the 5-1 win.

It was an awkward win to say the least. Though it came against the worst team in the NHL, the Stars put together a gritty performance and managed to not just beat, but throttle the Columbus Blue Jackets. As a result, the Stars are now 23-6-2 with 48 points.

The offense was on fire, the defense improved as the game went on, and the goaltending of Kari Lehtonen was nothing short of superb. Yet at the end of the game Lindy Ruff was upset at the team’s performance. He told Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge about his frustration.

“I’m frustrated because we had a total lack of mental focus. I know we won 5-1, but we’ll lose games if we play like that,” Ruff said. “We’re kind of the team that’s being hunted, and there’re teams that are going to be ready to knock us off. There’s a little extra juice when teams come in here and say, ‘Well, we’ve got a crack at them.’ I want our team ready for that. We won’t win playing like that. The mental part of the game, I’ve got to help these guys out.”

While the win was enjoyable, Ruff has a point regarding the Stars lacking play.

But one player continues to give off at an impressive rate, and has been one of the Stars most surprising players this season. That player is Valeri Nichushkin.

On November 15, 2014, the Dallas Stars announced that Nichushkin would miss 4-5 months of the 2014-2015 season due to a broken hip that required surgery. After an entertaining and hopeful rookie season where Nichushkin scored 34 points (14-20-34) in 74 games, it was tough to see his bright future take a detour for an entire year.

But when Nichushkin returned, he was not his normal self. Maybe it was his rehab procedure of returning to normal form, or maybe it was just a lack of effort considering the Stars were close to elimination. But he just did not look like his normal self the entire year. Nichushkin put up one point in eight games played along with a -5 plus-minus rating.

The 2015-2016 season rolled around, and Nichushkin still looked unprepared. He only tallied one goal and two assists in his first 16 games, and served as the healthy scratch a few times.

The 2013 first-round pick did something that focused him back in, and as a result the Dallas Stars are seeing the prime Valeri Nichushkin.

It’s something that Stars fans were waiting for the 20-year old to do, and he has finally hit his normal stride. This season, Nichushkin has 13 points (4-9-13) and a +6 rating so far in 29 games. His offensive production has been exceptional for 13:55 average time on the ice.

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But what has been the most impressive part of his game is his newfound love for being a net-front presence. Like Erik Cole before him, Nichushkin has really embraced the opportunity to sit in front of the net and become the screen/rebound finisher.

Tuesday night, he forced a turnover in the offensive zone in the first period that ended in a goal for Johnny Oduya. He also took to the front of the net specifically on the Stars second goal of the night. He provided the screen that gave Alex Goligoski a chance to scoop up the rebound and score.

Nichushkin is also becoming more physical and learning how to use his 6-4 frame to his advantage. He’s managed to give up the body to block more shots, be physical along the boards, and take away more pucks as a result.

Next: Stars Proved Tuesday That They Have Tools To Beat Canadiens

29 games in and the Dallas Stars are shining bright. He may not be one of the Stars hottest players, but Valeri Nichushkin is back to his former stature, right where the Stars need him to be. Jaromir Jagr once said that Nichushkin has the tools to be the best hockey player in the world one day. He may not be flying through his career so far, but he’s doing what he needs to in order to help the Dallas Stars with their success.