Benn hoping to expand upon big game, pull Stars with him

It is maybe the most famous of hockey clichés, and possibly the most accurate.
Your best players need to be your best players.
You hear it all of the time from coaches, general managers and media members. While's it's important for depth players to contribute, the history of the league says that the players who have a history of scoring, who get paid the most money, who get the most ice time, will eventually be the key to victory.
Chicago's recent run is being led by Patrick Kane, the St. Louis winning streak was fueled by Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O'Reilly, Colorado's fast start was squarely because of the top line.
When the top players excel, the team excels -- right?

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Well, yes, mostly. The problem with hockey is that the best players typically play a third of the game, and that means finding a way to be the best player is sometimes challenging. While an NBA player will get plenty of chances to shoot or an NFL quarterback will throw the ball 40 times in a game, a hockey player has to be more opportunistic.
Jamie Benn had one of his best games of the season Thursday in a 5-2 win over St. Louis and had nine shot attempts in 20:11 of ice time. He took 31 shifts that averaged 39 seconds each, and found a way to strongly impact the game by scoring two goals.
"When Jamie Benn is moving his feet and looking to let his shot go … he has such a lethal shot, not only does he know where to put it, it's just hard," Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. "When he's playing like that, that's when we know that he's on."
And that's when the Stars can beat the hottest team in hockey. When they get games like that from Benn or Tyler Seguin or Alexander Radulov or John Klingberg or Miro Heiskanen, that's when Dallas can be one of the best teams in hockey.

So much of what the Stars have done during a recent 1-4-1 stretch has been frustrating, because they create great chances and don't finish. But on Tuesday, Heiskanen threaded a pass through a defender's legs to Benn for a beautiful goal, Radulov tucked a pretty shot under the crossbar, and Benn deftly deflected a puck past Blues goalie Jordan Binnington. It was a clinic in skilled plays, and the Stars' best players are best at capitalizing on those plays.
"To make those plays, you need special players," Montgomery said. "That's why you need them to win in this league."
So how do you get them to do it more often?
"It's not easy, but it's also the fun part of being a coach -- trying to help someone get out of a negative mindset into a positive mindset or trying to keep someone in a groove in a good mental groove," Montgomery said.
With Benn, being physical helps create the tone he needs, but the real key Montgomery said is for the captain to stop and start, move his feet, and attack plays.
"When Jamie is moving his feet, that's the most important thing to his game," Montgomery said. "That allows him to be on top of pucks, and when he's on top of pucks, he wins battles. Then, he has pucks and he either makes good decisions to teammates or he's shooting and attacking the net himself. To me, his whole game starts there."
Benn had not scored a goal in his previous nine games. Alexander Radulov had one goal in 17 games. Jason Spezza went 19 games without a goal. So then, how do they find a way to do the things they need to do every game?
Well, they're trying.
"Jamie Benn has very high expectations of himself, and he expects to do that every night," Spezza said of the Thursday performance. "Goal scorers are streaky, so you just have to try to do the right things every game and hope for the best. I think that game should definitely give him confidence, and that usually leads to good things."

Seguin said he loves when Benn starts feeling it, because that usually creates a positive vibe for the entire team. He said that everyone on the team knows they can contribute, and says the leaders want to lead by doing what they do best.
"I don't think it's pushing so much as pulling," he said. "We're the guys who need to lead it and pull other guys along. So now we have to step on the gas and do whatever we have to do."
Seguin said he understands the pressure of having to score, but said he doesn't think about it that way when he's preparing.
"My mindset is not I need to score tonight, it's I have to do all of these things (to do my job)," Seguin said. "If I do those things, I'll get my chances, and I believe I'll capitalize on those chances. I think that's a process with our team, it's a process with me as an individual. If I do what I'm supposed to do, I'll get rewarded."
Montgomery said that's the mindset he wants with all players, and that the star players will use their skills to score goals when hard work puts them in the right place. On Benn's deflection of an Esa Lindell shot Tuesday, the entire line had a relentless cycle that wore down the Blues.
"Jamie Benn's second goal, that whole shift by the (Radek) Faksa line was incredible," Montgomery said. "They won probably 10 battles before they put the puck in the net. That's inspiring play that builds momentum."
And now, the Stars hope that momentum carries for Benn and spreads to his teammates. For a team that ranks 29th in scoring, a boost in goals from the top players could be big at the right time of the year.
"I sure hope it sparks something," Benn said.
Him and everyone else.
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.