Dallas Stars News: Jamie Benn Returning To Lineup Against Blues
It’s been one week since Jamie Benn last played in a Dallas Stars game. On Saturday night, he will make his return to the lineup. And with the Stars wrapping up an important road trip, his return couldn’t have come any sooner.
The Dallas Stars have managed their current road trip in respectable fashion so far.
It all began last Sunday afternoon when the Stars, fresh off of a stale 3-0 loss to Carolina in Dallas and a handful of trade acquisitions the day before, visited Chicago for a showdown with the Blackhawks.
And though the Stars were teased with the presence of Mats Zuccarello, who provided an immense spark to the Dallas offense through the first two periods before breaking his arm by blocking a shot, they found a way to secure the win. Though injuries began taking a sizable toll and the Stars saw their 3-0 lead evaporate into a 3-3 tie, they dug in and found a way to come up with two points.
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Two nights later, the tables turned as Dallas dropped a 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Stars were lacking in emotion, effort, and purpose throughout the game, and fell drastically short in the third period of a 1-1 game.
With another loss in their back pocket, the Dallas Stars were bumped from the playoff picture on Wednesday night as the Colorado Avalanche passed them up.
But their stay on the outside of the playoff wall didn’t last long. 24 hours after being pushed down, the Stars were in Los Angeles to take on the Kings. And though the game started on a rough note for Dallas, they rallied in the third period and finished the game in overtime with an emotional win to reclaim the first wild card spot.
And that’s where they sit on this Saturday afternoon. The Dallas Stars are 2-1-0 on this Western Conference road swing and will wrap things up on Saturday night with a pivotal game in St. Louis against the Blues. It’s been a successful road trip for a team that has struggled away from home this season (13-17-3 overall).
But why is this trip considered to be so successful? Well, it’s because they have gone through the entire trek without their captain.
Jamie Benn exited Sunday’s game against Chicago after taking a hit during his second shift and did not return. After the game, it was announced that Benn had hurt something during the Carolina game the day before but had tried to play through it.
With the injury lingering, Benn also missed the games in Vegas and Los Angeles, leaving a sincere hole in both the Stars’ offense and their leadership group.
Dallas found a way to manage, though. And now, their captain will hop back into the lineup to help close out the trip.
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This is an important addition for the Dallas Stars for many reasons. It’s primarily important because Benn always seems to find a new edge to his game when facing the Blues. Whether it’s turning into a battering ram (like he did on many occasions last year) and frustrating St. Louis with his physicality or going on an all-out offensive assault, Benn usually takes his game one step further when squaring off with the Central division rival.
In 38 career games against the Blues, Benn has 16 goals, 36 assists, and a +12 rating. He also scored his first career hat trick at the Scottrade Center (now called the Enterprise Center) against the Blues in 2015.
You can also take the last game against St. Louis as an example. Benn’s intensity was on a new level and he quickly took control of the game. He scored two goals and posted a +3 rating, five shots, and three hits. When on the ice, the captain was all over the puck, playing airtight defense and working his way into the offensive zone to set up scoring chances on the way to a 5-2 victory.
Simply put, he played a determining role in that game and helped the Stars snap the Blues’ 11-game winning streak that had spanned across 29 days.
Tonight, he’ll be back in the lineup. With Denis Gurianov being sent back to the AHL due to the emergency recall rules, Benn will skate on a line with Joel L’Esperance (who is tied for the AHL lead in goals scored) and Jason Spezza on the second line. That’s a good balance of playmaking and physicality to round out the top six and could help the Stars’ offensive attack make an extra push.
With no. 14 back in the lineup, the Dallas Stars have their captain back. They have their emotional leader that puts everything on the line, especially in critical games like the one they will face on Saturday night.
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What kind of impact will he have? The puck drops at 7 p.m. from the Enterprise Center.