Stars' depth steps up in needed victory over Red Wings

The Stars took out the shovels and showed their depth Saturday.
Getting goals from Tanner Kero, Andrej Sekera and Ty Dellandrea -- as well as a shutout from goalie Anton Khudobin -- Dallas took a 3-0 win in Detroit and made a statement that it definitely can get back in the playoff race. Of course, they did it in a manner that shows this whole season is not going to be easy.

WATCH: [All highlights from Stars' shutout victory over Red Wings]
The Stars played without veterans Blake Comeau (upper-body injury), Andrew Cogliano (illness) and Mark Pysyk (lower-body injury), and also saw Alexander Radulov have to sit out. Radulov, who earlier missed 15 games with a lower-body injury, aggravated the same problem in recent games and now will be a game-time decision for the foreseeable future. That could mean he's in the lineup one game and out the next, just like center Roope Hintz.
"It'll be the same as Roope," Bowness said when asked about the status of Radulov, who had played in three games before sitting out Saturday.
"It's the same lower-body injury," Bowness said of the problem that had Radulov on the shelf for a month. "Nagging, has been playing with it. Roope's playing with his. Give them both credit, they're playing through their injuries. Rads' status now will be joining Roope, day-to-day."

So if two of your leading scorers might not even be there, then getting help from the depth scoring is imperative. Sekera got his second goal in 21 games this season. Dellandrea cracked the net for the second time in 17 games. And Kero scored his first NHL goal since 2017 when he was with Chicago.
It was a huge boost for a team that has been putting a lot of pressure on itself to score.
"With the schedule we're on, with the injuries that we have, you need your young players to step up," Bowness said. "Ty's power-play goal, Kero's goal, you need those things to happen if we're going to have any success."
Still, they are both surprising and appreciated when they do happen. Kero grew up in Hancock in Michigan's upper peninsula, about 10 hours from Detroit. His family wasn't in attendance, but they were watching on television.
"It's big whenever you can get contributions from throughout your lineup," said Kero, who busted free late in the second period, taking a pass from Jamie Oleksiak and scoring on a semi breakaway. "Our big guys are going to get their goals, so whenever you can get contributions from your bottom six or whoever it might be, that obviously helps. But I think our team effort, we were all over the ice working hard together."

And that really was the first step. Dallas outshot Detroit 40-21 on Thursday, but lost a 3-2 game because it made too many defensive mistakes. On Saturday, the Stars were tighter. They had a 33-21 advantage in shots on goal, but they were also more patient.
"I think that's kind of our identity, y'know?" Oleksiak said. "When we're making extra plays, sometimes it gets us in trouble, so I think if we keep the puck going north/south, get our forecheck going, and play a physical game, the chances will come. That gave us success in the playoffs last year. We've got to make sure, especially with guys out, that we play a structured game, play a disciplined game in that respect."
Sekera was able to thread a shot through a crowd for an insurance goal in the third period, and then Dellandrea iced with a power play goal with six minutes left to play. Having the room to breathe for a night was a big deal, as well.
If you add the four who missed Saturday to veterans Tyler Seguin (off-season hip surgery) and Ben Bishop (off-season knee surgery), then the Stars are working with a pretty depleted group. If you consider that Hintz could possibly join the injured list on Sunday when the Stars play Nashville in Dallas, then panic could set in.
But this is a deep organization. Kero is 28 and has played 84 NHL games. Younger players like Nick Caamano, Dellandrea, Jason Robertson, Jake Oettinger and Joel Kiviranta spent two months with the team in the playoff bubble last season. Yes, there are challenges, but ones the team seemingly can meet.

"It keeps you on your toes," Kero said of coming in and out of the lineup. "You want to be sure you're doing the little things away from the rink and always ready for that call. You never know when someone might be sick or there might be an injury before a game. The coaches have done a great job on and off the taxi (squad) just to make sure if we get that call we're ready to go."
Saturday was a great example. Now, the Stars move to 10-10-7. They are six points behind Chicago and Columbus for fourth place in the Central Division -- the final playoff spot -- and they have five games in hand (or a potential extra 10 points in the standings).
That just tells the Stars they have to dig even deeper.
"It's something you keep an eye on," Oleksiak said of the standings.
"We've got games in hand, but you've got to get points in those games and we have to go on a little bit of a run here. I think for the most part, we're not looking too far ahead. We're taking it game-by-game."

Up next

vs. Predators; Sunday 7:30 p.m. CT
American Airlines Center
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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.