First Shift 🏒
One of the best aspects of the Stars’ lineup this season is the third pairing combination of Lian Bichsel and Alexander Petrovic.
Last season, Dallas battled to get the right minutes and ended up playing young defenseman Nils Lundkvist five minutes or fewer in many playoff games. So trusting the 20-year-old Bichsel with a bigger role is quite an ask for the coaching staff. In Game 1, Bichsel and Petriovic each played about 12 minutes, and that was in large part because Petrovic is a calming influence who is familiar with Bichsel’s game.
Petrovic is 33 and has played 15 seasons of pro hockey. He has bounced back and forth between the AHL and NHL and has 369 regular-season NHL games under his belt and another 14 playoff games, including seven last season with the Stars. He logged 58 games with the Texas Stars this season in the AHL, many with Bichsel, so jumping into high-level competition isn’t as hard a transition as it might seem.
“He’s got a poise and a composure to his game,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “You know exactly what you’re getting every night. He’s a better skater than people give him credit for. He can turn and play against speed and not get beat. He makes good reads. I think every coach at this time of year is looking for consistency – safe, solid, know what you’re getting, let’s not beat ourselves. The depth of your lineup, you need stability.”
And being a strong partner for Bichsel is an added bonus. The 18th overall pick in 2022, Bichsel is the largest player on the team, listed at 6-7, 231. He led the team in hits this season in just 38 games and his physical presence is needed on a Stars team that ranks 30th in hits. So helping get the most out of Bichsel is one of Petrovic’s jobs.
“I’ve learned a lot from him,” Bichsel said. “He’s just a good role model. I can ask him whatever I want, he always has the answer. He’s a good person, too, and has a great family.”
Petrovic’s calm is welcomed. A native of Edmonton, he has bounced around and played in some big games. Last season, he played in all six games against the Oilers in the Western Conference Final and dealt with Connor McDavid. This year, he and Bichsel find themselves on the ice against Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon.
“It’s still hockey,” Petrovic said. “You just have to stay focused, stay ready, and then be confident.”
Confidence is a huge factor for both players, and it’s one reason the coaching staff likes to deploy them.
“There has to be a reason I played the first playoff game, so I think they trust me,” Bichsel said of his relationship with the coaching staff. “I just have to prove it all over again. Tomorrow is a new game and I have to play good again.”
That’s the importance of being consistent. If the duo can continue to be solid on the third pair, it could go a long way in helping the Stars advance in the playoffs.
“There’s obviously a lot more energy and stakes are higher, but at the end of the day when your skates are on the ice, it’s focusing on hockey and making the next play,” Petrovic said. “Every game, you’ve got to get dialed in and make simple plays out there. It’s cliché, but it’s stuff that works.”
