In search of elusive goals, Stars try to master art of discipline

From the first time most future NHL'ers picked up a stick and started firing tennis balls against a garage door, they have always been trying to score goals.
It's the most exciting part of the game for most players, and the one that usually gets the most practice.
And yet, it's still the hardest thing to do in hockey.

The Stars have battled with getting scoring throughout their lineup the past two seasons, and found a shining example of breaking through in Devin Shore, who tallied 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 18 games. However, Shore is out with a lower-body injury for 7-10 days, and that means the quest for goals will now fall to some of his teammates.
Next man up, and all of that.
But while the desire for scoring is intense, players say they can't be tempted to change their game in search of the elusive goals.

"Nothing changes for me," said versatile forward Jason Dickinson, who could get ice time with Jason Spezza and possibly more powe- play time with Shore out. "It's just more opportunity and more ice time to take advantage of, so it's finding that killer instinct, finding that drive to really push bar for the team.
"I've been trying to as best I can, and now it's time to take another step. We've got to increase the productivity for everybody."
At practice Thursday, the second power-play unit included Radek Faksa, Brett Ritchie and Tyler Pitlick, so this really will be replacement by committee for Shore. Coach Jim Montgomery said he's searching for answers and is willing to try different options.
"Faksa last year scored a lot of goals with tips, and when we see him in practice, he's really good at the net-front," Montgomery said. "We figured that Ritchie and Faksa together with (Pitlick) would create a lot of puck retrievals, and we're just looking for new blood. We've tried other people on the second unit, and it hasn't worked."
And that only seems to amp up the pressure. Mattias Janmark had 19 goals and 15 assists in 81 games last season. He has one goal and one assist in 18 games this season. That is a legitimate slump, and yet the 25-year-old forward said he can't let it get in his head.
"It's always nice to score, but you can't worry about it," said Janmark. "I feel like I skate I pretty good, but I'm just not playing good enough, maybe. That's going to come. You go through stretches in the year, and hopefully I can get going."

In other words, they do worry -- but they try not to.
"For sure, you think about it, because it's part of your job, but if you think about it too much, and you want it too much, it doesn't work," said Faksa. "You have to focus on whole game, and the goals will just come. I think the most important thing is win the battles. If you win the battles, you will get the chances."
And chances are important.
Tyler Seguin has just five goals, but he leads the team with 82 shots on goal, so coaches believe he will ramp up his goal scoring going forward. Ritchie has just eight shots on goal in 12 games, so he needs to increase his activity around the net. Montgomery said he will move Ritchie up to a line with Spezza for Friday's game against Boston in hopes of sparking the big winger's goal scoring.
Ritchie said he understands the process and just has to remain consistent in his effort and drive.
"First of all, you want to spend more time in their end than your end. If you outplay the other team night in and night out, you're going to score. You might go through slumps, but over an entire season, you're going to score," he said.

And that means you can't get caught up in finding logic to a slump
"When you look at slumps, sometimes it's unexplainable," Ritchie said. "We watch the video, and I can see I'm running the same routes, I'm in the same positions, and sometimes the puck finds you and sometimes it doesn't. Whether that's luck or not, I don't know. But if you keep doing the right things, the puck will eventually come to you."
And in the end, that's a lot better than the puck going to the opposition. Because maybe the most important part of this whole thought process is remembering that good defense often leads to good offense.
"You've got to worry about doing the little things -- moving your feet, taking the right angles -- everything will come from that," Dickinson said.
"Once you start thinking about scoring a goal, you start cheating and you get on the wrong side of pucks, and that's when the puck ends up in your own net."
Which, coaches will tell you, is much worse than not scoring a goal.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika,and listen to his podcast.