Dallas Stars come out victorious in physical division matchup tonight

Tonight was not going to be an easy task for the Dallas Stars. After coming off a 6-2 murder of the Los Angeles Kings, the Stars had a more challenging task tonight. The St. Louis Blues had a chance to move into one of the wildcard spots in the Western Conference with a win over the Stars. The way the Blues played tonight was pretty noticeable. I'm sure the Blues wanted to win for Radek Faksa's first time back at the American Airlines Center since the trade. You could tell the Blues had one mission: to move into that wildcard spot.

The Stars stood after 60 minutes of physical hockey at the American Airlines Center. The Stars won by a final score of 6-3 tonight. With the way Wyatt Johnston played tonight and recording his third career hat trick, Jim Nill should rip the bandaid off now and give him a massive extension. He's worth every penny. The NHL salary cap will only increase over the next few years.

You have to credit the Blues for playing like a playoff team tonight. With the playoffs starting in April, every point from here on out matters. The Blues played like a desperate team trying to secure a playoff spot. The Stars learned they had some more work to do. Here are the four takeaways from tonight's Central Division grudge match.

Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues Recap: 4. Another four power play goals

I don't think anyone is complaining about how the Stars' power play has been recently. In the last two games, the Stars have scored six power play goals over the previous two games. Mason Marchment scored the first one to kick off the scoring tonight for the Stars. Wyatt Johnston beat the buzzer at the end of the first period to make it 3-2 Stars going into the first intermission. It's also the first time in Dallas Stars history that they scored four power play goals and went 100% on the power play in one game.

Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues Recap: 3. Offense is rolling as well

The Stars know what's working and what isn't on the offensive side of things. That's the seventh game in a row where they have scored four or more goals. They make it look so effortless on the ice. All the Stars have to do is get the puck to the net. They don't need to do all this fancy stuff to crack ESPN's Top Ten plays the following day. Just be aggressive in front of the net, and good things will happen. Let's see if the Stars can make it eight games on Tuesday night against the Devils.

Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues Recap: 2. Defense still has some work

The Stars' defense is just not where it needs to be right now. I know it's hard to judge with Miro Heiskanen and Lian Bichsel out, but the defensemen need to step up in both player's absences. While Lian could be back in the lineup on Tuesday against the Devils, the Stars must fix this issue before the playoffs begin. The Stars could end up being a one-and-done team if they can't handle a desperate Blues team tonight. Just imagine what a desperate Colorado Avalanche or Minnesota Wild team would do to this defense.

Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues Recap: 1. Devils advocate

The last takeaway of the game also has to do with the defense. With the way Ilya Lyubushkin was checked into the boards early in the game tonight, and Lian Bichsel recovering from the concussion, do you call someone up tomorrow as a stand-by player? The reason I bring this up is that concussions are not something to mess around with. If a player gets too many of them during his career, it could lead to early retirement from hockey.

I know Ilya Lyubushkin and Lian Bichsel want to play against the Devils on Tuesday. However, I think the Stars should consider resting them on Tuesday. I have nothing against either player because they both provide physicality to the Stars' lineup; however, missing one game will not be the end of their careers. I'm just concerned about the long-term effects of the big hits they took. The Stars return on Tuesday night as they look to sweep the New Jersey Devils.

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