'I know I can score goals': Janmark's confidence high despite scoring dip

Mattias Janmark is one of the more interesting subjects when it comes to understanding what goes through the mind of a hockey player.
The 27-year-old forward is thoughtful and well-spoken, and he's been through a lot in his career. He missed a full season because of a bone condition called Osteochondritis dissecans, and he has seen his goal scoring drop significantly in the past two seasons.
That makes him a perfect candidate to try to explain the recent scoring problems of the Stars as we ponder the season during the NHL "pause." Janmark has six goals this season. He had six last season. The year before, he had 19. So when asked about the team's scoring problems, Janmark said he still has confidence that he can score goals.

Asked if the scoring drought can get it into your head, Janmark said the day before the NHL shut down: "Yeah. Obviously, it's part of the sport when you go through it. But I scored almost 40 goals my first two years in the league, so I know I can score goals."
Janmark tallied 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) in 55 games for Frolunda in Sweden before coming to the NHL. In his first season with the Stars under Lindy Ruff's high-flying offense, he had 15 goals and 14 assists in 73 games.
Then, he missed the 2016-17 season due to his knee surgery, but he came back strong and scored 19 goals and added 15 assists under Ken Hitchcock in 2017-18.
He said that he believes he's still getting great scoring chances this season.
"I try to look at it that it's more frustrating if you don't have the chances," Janmark said. "I know I can work on finishing. It's hard during the year, but it's something I can fix. Right now, you have to work for that next chance and when you get that, you have to execute it."
Janmark's case study is an intriguing one. He seems to get some of the best scoring chances on the current roster, but he struggles when the moment of truth arrives. He has examples of shooting straight into the chest of the goalie, missing the net or simply fumbling the puck.

He said while he works on his scoring moves in practice, the game presents a different challenge.
"It's very easy to say afterwards that you should have done something else if you don't score," Janmark said. "And in practice, you can work on everything and you might be perfect. And then when it comes to the game, you could have a guy chasing you and you kind of feel forced, and maybe you're not as forced as you think at the moment."
That, of course, leads to players thinking too much.
"It's like I said, when you score goals, everything comes natural. And then when you go through a tough stretch, then maybe you make the wrong decision," he said. "I think everything comes easier when you have confidence in those moments. You're going to make the right decisions when you have confidence."
Stars center Tyler Seguin went through a career-long 17-game goal drought earlier in the season, and said he was able to break through by simply working on other elements of his game. Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said he believes players can push forward by playing a complete game which continues to create solid scoring chances.
The Stars as a team are having trouble converting their chances. The coaching staff is pushing a style where Dallas gets more high-quality scoring chances than the opposition, and that seems to be playing out, according to Natural Stat Trick. Dallas ranks seventh best in high-danger scoring chances for at 640 and seventh-best in fewest high-danger scoring chances against at 555. However, Dallas ranks 29th in shooting percentage at 6.65 percent.

Janmark said that while the team philosophy is different, he's also a different player. He was a scoring leader who got plenty of power-play time back in Sweden, and was a breakaway threat under Ruff. Now, he is a top penalty killer and a responsible two-way forward who concentrates on defense.
"I think we were different teams back then. Back home, before I came over, I was an offensive player, I was one of the top guys in the league and you had an offensive mindset. I think I carried that into my first year hear here," Janmark said. "Then I got injured and I had a lot of opportunities and since then I've been more reliable defensively, so you have more of a defensive mindset.
"But I still get chances now, and at some point it's going to go in."
In fact, when pushed on the matter, Janmark said he has to get better at converting his chances.
"There's no excuse to having no offense," he said.
Its something that Janmark and his teammates will definitely think about during the break.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.