Dallas Stars Finish Road Trip With Complete Performance Against Blues

While the road trip itself had some not-so-pretty moments, the Dallas Stars made sure that Saturday night was a work of art. They outplayed and outdid a streaking St. Louis Blues team and closed out their four-game road swing on an encouraging note.

It didn’t take long for Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn to get back into the swing of things in his return to the lineup. In fact, it only took him a little under 17 minutes.

But even after Benn deflected a Taylor Fedun shot past Jordan Binnington to open the scoring in the first period of Saturday night’s game against the St. Louis Blues, there was still a certain feeling of anxious uncertainty lingering. It was the same uncertainty that had accompanied the Stars for much of their 2018-19 regular season campaign.

This anxiety is tied directly to the Stars’ inability to harness consistency. Whether it’s playing slow in the first period, a lacking effort on the road, or an inability to consistently dominate in all areas from a game-to-game basis, Dallas has struggled with keeping their fire alive through the first five months of the season.

More from Blackout Dallas

• Dallas Stars Traverse City Tournament: Who had great performances?
• Grushnikov and Stankoven lead Dallas Stars to 6-3 win over Columbus
• Dallas Stars prospects look to wrap up tournament with a win
• Burn the tapes: Dallas Stars prospects lose 5-1 to Toronto Maple Leafs
• Dallas Stars look to continue success today against the Maple Leafs

So, why should Saturday night be any different? The Stars were in St. Louis to wrap up a four-game road trip against a Blues team that had won seven consecutive games at home and 13 of their past 16 contests overall. And while Dallas had outdone the Blues nine days before at the American Airlines Center, this was a new challenge.

The Dallas Stars had just finished up a two-game swing on the west coast before arriving in the Gateway City. That swing included being bullied by a Vegas Golden Knights team in a 4-1 loss on Tuesday night and escaping with a narrow 4-3 comeback win in overtime over the Los Angeles Kings two nights later.

Those results offered a shaky look for a Stars team that was in the middle of an overstocked Western Conference playoff race. So, as the standings continued to tighten up and an average 3-3-0 record in the past six games looming, Dallas headed for St. Louis to duke it out with the Blues. It was the final meeting of the regular season series between the two clubs and had the potential to significantly shift the Central division race.

By the time the first period had finished, however, that uncertainty seemed to dissolve. And as the game went deeper and deeper into the night, the Dallas Stars looked stronger and stronger. By the time the game ended, the Stars had a 4-1 win, two valuable points, and a significant boost to their playoff hopes.

Live Feed

Bleedin' Blue

But, as we sit back on Sunday afternoon and reflect on the victory, it’s not the two points that are the focus; instead, it’s how the Dallas Stars went about getting the win.

Dallas found a way to be better than a top opponent in almost every regard of Saturday night’s game. In a game that closely resembled the win over the Winnipeg Jets in January that kickstarted a five-game win streak, the Stars took control of the game right out of the gate.

There was no sign of a slow start. After killing off back-to-back penalties, the Stars began pushing back. A few minutes later, Benn scored to push Dallas out to an early lead. Less than two minutes later, John Klingberg broke his 11-game goal drought with a snipe over the shoulder of Binnington.

But even after building a 2-0 lead in the opening frame, the Stars didn’t let up. They were back on the attack in the second period, generating offensive chances and spending limited time in the defensive zone. And when Alex Pietrangelo scored to cut the Dallas lead in half, Benn reestablished the deficit 91 seconds later on a no-look power play goal.

After limiting the number of chance against and holding the line in the third period, Benn scored into an empty net with 29 seconds left to complete his fifth career hat trick (and second in St. Louis).

It was a complete 60-minute effort from the Dallas Stars. Unlike in similar situations this season, they didn’t play down to the level of a tired opponent nor did they allow the size of the stage to intimidate them. They were faster, more explosive, and dominated every area.

The Dallas offense picked up where it had left off in terms of efficiency in their last matchup with the Blues, scoring four goals on 21 shots. The defense was sharp, minimizing the impact of the St. Louis scoring attack and keeping the high-danger chances to a minimum. And when the Blues did break through, Ben Bishop was there, stopping 29 of 30.

The power play went 1/1 and the penalty kill finished 3/3, including two early kills that swung the momentum in the Stars’ favor. From there, all Dallas needed was a well-rounded attack. They got it.

Jamie Benn took over and looked like the “beast mode” captain that Stars fans have come to respect and admire over the past few years. He finished the game with three goals, a +2 rating, and three hits after missing the last two contests with an injury.

More from Editorials

• Dallas Stars hockey is about to be the main attraction in Dallas this year
• Age Before Beauty: The impact of Benn’s new role on his Dallas legacy
• Dallas Stars hockey is the light at the end of the tunnel
• Dallas Stars coverage is lacking and it’s very concerning to be honest
• Sit back, relax and watch Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars draft scouts cook

John Klingberg also turned in one of his more notable performances from the past month with one goal, three points, and two blocked shots. The win marked his first goal since Feb. 4 against Arizona and his first multi-point game since Jan. 19 against Winnipeg.

The Stars were clicking on Saturday night. Slow starts? Dallas had a 2-0 lead at first intermission. Struggles on the road? The Stars finished the road trip on a high note with a 3-1-0 record. In a game that carried sincere weight in regards to the Central division race, Dallas met the challenge head-on and claimed two big points in their final meeting of the season with a red-hot Blues team.

Speaking of the season series, the Dallas Stars finished with a 3-1-0 record against the Blues. That includes outscoring them 13-7 and going 2/8 on the power play (25 percent) and 9/11 on the penalty kill (82 percent). And while rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington (who was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for February) has been the main catalyst in the Blues’ turnaround with a 15-3-1 record, .933 save percentage, and 1.68 goals against average, his numbers against Dallas wrap up at 1-2-0 with an .876 SV% and 2.76 GAA.

To put the importance of this win further into perspective: a loss would have pushed Dallas to the second wild card spot and would have created a seven-point gap between them and third place in the Central. But now, they sit just three points out of third and are three points from the playoff wall.

Everything went right for the Dallas Stars on Saturday and it created a sense of dominance for the team. The win showed just how tough the Stars can be when everything is rolling and they produce a complete effort.

Now, with a 3-1-0 road trip in their back pocket, the Stars return home for a three-game stand. And if Saturday’s victory is any indication as to how this final push to the playoffs will pan out, the Stars could be in for an entertaining ride.