Figuring it out: Duchene’s patience, perseverance pay off in Game 1 win

Matt Duchene is probably the most introspective player on the Stars.

That can be a good thing…and a bad thing.

The 34-year-old forward has played 1,138 regular-season games over 16 years with five different teams, so he has plenty of experience. But keeping his mind from getting in the way has been a challenge at times – and he says he’s now getting to the place where he feels more in control of his thoughts.

Duchene entered Wednesday’s Western Conference Final with no goals in 13 playoff games this year. That number jumped to 19 when you added last year’s conference final. That was shocking for a guy who led the Stars with 82 points (30 goals, 52 assists) in 82 games this season. But even before Duchene ended up scoring the game-winning goal in a 6-3 Game 1 victory, he had confidence in what he was doing.

“You’re learning every year,” Duchene said. “I think I’m in a much better place than I was last year, and so even when I’m not scoring, I know I’m helping our team.”

Duchene is in an interesting place. He was selected third overall in 2009 and spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Colorado Avalanche. However, he played in just eight playoff games in that span and didn’t really get the experience that other top players did. He went two rounds deep with Columbus in 2019 and had three single round visits with Nashville after that, but he really said last season’s 19-game run to the Western Conference Final in his first year with the Stars was eye-opening.

“It was something I had never been through before, and I really learned a lot,” he said. “Now, it just seems more natural.”

Duchene had 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 19 playoff games last season and has 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists) in 14 games so far this year. That said, he feels he is playing much better and just isn’t getting the puck luck. That allows him to calm his mind – something that has always been an issue for him.

“I think I understand it better,” he said of the playoff slumps. “It’s frustrating, because it’s the most important time of the year. At the same time, I always focus on the process, and if the process is good, the results will come. I went through a stretch like this during the season and didn’t get asked one question about it. And then you come out of it and you’re flying.”

He’s hoping that’s what happens now. Duchene has had several beautiful scoring chances throughout the postseason, and then the goal he scored was just a little grimy. The Stars were on the power play and Duchene found the puck at his feet to the right of goalie Stuart Skinner. He tried to shoot it into an open net but instead hit the back of fallen teammate Roope Hintz. Duchene then collected the “rebound” and lifted it over Skinner to put the Stars up 4-3 in a game where they were trailing 3-1 heading into the third period.

“The first one that hit him, I’m like, `This is kind of par for the course this postseason for me,’” Duchene said. “If there’s something that could go wrong, it did, and then it comes back and goes in, and I couldn't believe I still had room. It’s kind of a funny one, but it feels good.”

Duchene said that as a scorer, he needs to score. He definitely understands when he’s playing well and when he isn’t, but he said results do help keep his confidence high.

“I’ve talked about my process personally and just trying to focus on that,” he said. “Things like that come if you stick with it, and as a team, it’s the same thing. If you roll out your A-game individually and as a team, more often than not, you’re going to have results. You’ve just got to stick with it, and fortunately, that one bounced for me tonight, so hopefully, more of that to come and less of hitting my own teammate in the [butt].”

That assessment made teammate Tyler Seguin laugh as the two sat at the postgame podium, but Seguin knew very well what Duchene was battling. In fact, the Stars as a team have seen players like Mason Marchment, Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston hit scoring slumps so far in the playoffs, so getting a game where Seguin, Duchene, Mikael Granlund, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell all scored was reaffirming.

"We've all got to chip in,” Seguin said. “It's not going to be him and I on the podium next game, maybe it will be. There's different guys that step up at different times, that's what makes a team deep and successful. We hear all the noise of depth and how good Edmonton's depth was the last few rounds and how good they still are. We've got to do our job too and our part, and that's the only way we're going to beat these guys.”

And really, that might be the best way for Duchene to keep his mind focused. He knows he’s not alone in this battle. He knows he is just one spoke in a big green wheel.

“You score a goal and help your team win, and it feels great,” Duchene said. “But the wins are the best feeling this time of year.”

And that’s something that has taken 16 years to fully understand.

“I think that’s all part of maturing as a player,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “It’s great he’s still learning and he’s not stubborn enough to feel like he knows it all. He’s been open to accepting that he’s got to do some things differently in order to contribute.”

Duchene was philosophical at the morning skate before Game 1, but he was also prophetic in his balance between calmness and urgency.

“It happens, and it happens to everyone,” he said of his goal drought. “The nice thing is we haven’t needed it yet. But at some point, we’re going to be called on to have results. You just have to keep your head down and keep going.”

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 X @MikeHeika.