Dallas Stars: Special Teams Becoming Significant Strength For Team

The Dallas Stars have started another win streak as a result of winning their two most recent road games. A significant reason for both wins was the stellar performance of the power play and penalty kill.

Two games. That’s the length of the Dallas Stars’ newest win streak.

After sputtering out in the first two games of their five-game road trip, the Stars have bounced back. They narrowly handled the Calgary Flames in a 2-1 victory on Friday and followed it up with another 2-1 finish in overtime against the Vancouver Canucks. From 0-2-0 to 2-2-0, the Stars are back in the saddle on the road trip as they look to close it out on a high note Thursday in Winnipeg.

How did they manage to pull off these two wins and break out of their losing slump? Well, you could list grit, determination, and a burning desire as reasons. Or you could make it simpler and list the Stars’ greatest strength so far this season: special teams play.

Wait, what? You mean the Dallas Stars team that finished with the 20th best power play and worst penalty kill in the league just a season ago? The Stars that had an excess of scoring talent but struggled heavily on the man advantage last year? The team that couldn’t seem to get even one shorthanded stop in 2016-17?

Dallas Stars

Yes, that Dallas Stars team. Only this time, the special teams unit is new and improved.

After an offseason of adding talent and various new names to the roster, the Stars had a new look. But it wasn’t just their offense, defense, and goaltending that they improved. The new additions also helped bulk up the special teams units as well.

Players like Martin Hanzal, Tyler Pitlick, and Marc Methot were expected to help improve the PK unit. On the other side, Alexander Radulov was expected to make an immediate impact on a top power play unit already stacked with talent.

And through the first 12 games of the season, special teams have proven to be the difference for Dallas.

After last night’s contest with the Canucks, the Stars still own the league’s best power play (30.8 percent success rate) and second best penalty kill (90.5 percent success rate). Those numbers are way up from 17.9 percent on the PP and 73.9 percent on the PK at the end of the 2016-17 season. The turnaround has been fun to watch and enticing to follow through the first few games.

On the power play, both units are getting involved and the defenders are contributing in a sizable way as well. Tyler Seguin leads the group with four power play goals, followed by Jamie Benn with three and Alexander Radulov with two. On the defensive side, Esa Lindell has two and John Klingberg has one.

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The top unit is oozing (fun Halloween word) with consistency and dominance. Benn, Seguin, Radulov, Klingberg, and Devin Shore are a threatening combination that constantly creates chances and controls possession. When talking about depth, the second unit boasts Jason Spezza, Brett Ritchie, Mattias Janmark, Martin Hanzal/Dan Hamhuis, and Lindell. Both have their own positive set of characteristics that are allowing the Stars to control the game when on the man advantage.

On the penalty kill, the Dallas Stars have hit a complete 180. Last season, it seemed near impossible for Dallas to stop an opposing power play. This year, the opposition is lucky if they get a shot off while on the man advantage.

The Stars’ PK unit possesses a convenient balance of speed, skill, and smarts. Benn, Lindell, Seguin, Marc Methot, and Antoine Roussel are a few of the members of the first unit. The second unit boasts a just as frightening (another goof Halloween word) lineup, including Radek Faksa, Pitlick, Hamhuis, Martin Hanzal and Greg Pateryn.

Both units have proven to be capable and determined when shorthanded. They hound the puck carrier, take away shooting lanes, and break up the opponent’s PP setup.

The Dallas Stars have found unique combinations on both sides of their special teams, and that is producing results. Not only are these results beneficial, but they are also dominant. It’s hard to not be surprised at just how far the Stars’ PP and PK have come in a short time.

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And while 12 games is a small portion of the 82-game season, the early performance is encouraging. Will they be able to keep it up? Only time will tell.