"Sometimes you get hit by the pucks, sometimes you don't," Eaves said. "Some of them you see, some of them you don't. But that's the way I play."
He's being rewarded by coach Lindy Ruff for the way he's played this season. Entering the Stars' home game against the Washington Capitals on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; NHLN, FS-SW, CSH-DC+, NHL.TV), Eaves is averaging 16:22 of ice time, third among Stars forwards behind captain Jamie Benn (19:55) and All-Star Tyler Seguin (18:41). Last season he played 12:58 per game.
"I'm very fortunate to get the opportunities I'm getting this year," Eaves said. "That's one of the biggest things. Our lines switch up quite a bit but you know you're out there with good players every shift."
Eaves' teammates are happy to see him healthy and producing.
"He's had some tough injuries in the past and hasn't been able to string a lot of hockey together but he's been a great player for us all season long," forward Patrick Sharp said. "He's played [almost] every game. He's got that great scoring touch around the net and you give him the puck and good things are going to happen. He's another guy who brings a great attitude to the rink every day and does all the right things with and without the puck, and is a great guy to hang around with."
Eaves hopes some of his good luck can rub off on his teammates. Last season the Stars had the most points in the Western Conference and led the NHL with 3.23 goals per game. This season, despite few significant changes to the roster, they're fifth in the Central Division, five points behind the third-place St. Louis Blues, and 16th in scoring at 2.68 goals per game.
"We're there, we're working, we're putting the time in, same as we did last year," Eaves said. "The results aren't the same."