Benn's return helps 'light a fire' for Stars in shootout loss to Canes

Anyone who has watched the amazing documentary "We're Not Going Home," understands the impact that captain Jamie Benn has one the Dallas Stars.
The retelling of the Stars' run to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final (that was shot and produced by Jeff Toates) gave you a glimpse into Benn's motivating ways, from the time the team arrived in Edmonton with Benn saying he was looking forward to a long stay; all the way to the end, where Benn was crushed by a Game 6 defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
On Sunday, Stars fans got a little reminder of just how big Benn can be for the team.

WATCH: [All highlights from Stars vs. Hurricanes]
Dallas lost a 4-3 shootout to the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., but Benn returned from a four-game absence caused by a lower-body injury and not-so-gently nudged his team back onto the right track. Dallas was embarrassed on Saturday, getting
just 11 shots on goal
in a 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes. It started on a similar path Sunday, getting outshot 12-3 and trailing 1-0.
But Benn came out and delivered a huge hit on Carolina captain Jordan Staal just 30 seconds into the second period and then went on to tally a goal and an assist. In the process of getting to the shootout loss, the Stars at the very least became the team that had started the season with four wins.

"Chubbs is invaluable to this team, to be honest. He's our leader, he's our captain, he's one of those guys you in the room at all times, because he competes and he's just a phenomenal leader," forward Andrew Cogliano said of Benn.
"Chubbs is a man that you genuinely want to play for as a player. He's selfless as a person and a player. We need him every night."
Benn had a collision with Nashville's Victor Arvidsson in Game 1 of the season and appeared to hurt his knee. He worked hard to return, skating with the taxi squad and coaches, and said that helped him in Sunday's return.
"I felt good," he said.
Bowness said one of the reasons Benn was able to recover and play well was because he came to camp in fantastic shape. Benn was a leader in preparation before playoff training camp, and did the same thing for this season. As a result, he should be able to get back into gear pretty quickly.

"He was absolutely flying in training camp, so he's in great shape," Bowness said. "It took him a couple of shifts (Sunday) and when he found his legs, he was a dominant force out there."
The hit on Staal was a bit controversial. Benn was penalized for interference, and Staal had to leave the game to recover from being hit from behind. But the vitriol that Benn injected into the air was important for a Stars team that seemed to be sleepwalking for two days.
"That penalty he takes, it's right in front of our bench, and those are the ones where you absolutely have to kill," Bowness said. "He did that to get the team going, to light a fire under us. That's the type of leader he is."
The Stars did kill the penalty, and started to play better. Five minutes after the kill, Benn drove the net and put a shot on goal. Jamie Oleksiak followed up and shoved in the rebound, and the game was tied.
Carolina took the lead back late in the second period, but then Cogliano fired in a pretty goal seven minutes into the third period, and Benn then gave the Stars the lead with eight minutes left in regulation on a pretty wraparound goal.

"Jamie is one of those players where he does everything really well," said defenseman Joel Hanley. "Whether you need a goal or a big hit, or he can fight … he does it all. He brings that in every game. He always knows what to say at the right time, and he's someone everyone looks up to."
The Stars needed that presence just to feel like themselves again. That happened on Sunday. Of course, the Hurricanes are a very good team, so they also didn't back down. Nino Niederreiter fired in a rocket past Anton Khudobin to tie the game with 2:35 left in the third, and then Carolina won it in a shootout to go 5-1-0 on the young season.
Still, heading into two games in Columbus starting on Tuesday, the 4-1-1 Stars feel a little like themselves again. And if the captain is there, that's a pretty big addition.
"They're a very good team, simple as that," Cogliano said of the Hurricanes. "They're in your face, they play tight all over the ice on you, they forecheck really hard. It would have been nice to get the two points, but we stuck with it right to the end, and that's the type of team we are."
Thanks, in large part, to the captain.

Up next

at Blue Jackets, 6 p.m. CT Tuesday
Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
TV: FOX Sports Southwest
Radio:The Ticket 96.7-FM, 1310-AM
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.