First Shift 🏒
Last week, the Stars had one of their worst games in the faceoff circle against Utah and that helped contribute to an eventual 2-1 loss.
On Tuesday, they had one of their best, and that helped create a 6-2 win over Boston.
So how can the team go from 33 percent against the Mammoth to 65 percent against the Bruins?
“It happens,” said center Duchene.
But the key is what the Stars do with the anomalies. Against Utah, the Mammoth took advantage and scored the game-winning goal off of a faceoff. Against the Bruins, Dallas scored two goals off of faceoff plays and that was huge for a team that was bent on shooting the puck.
“I think the biggest thing for me is we weren’t getting enough shots off of draws,” Duchene said of previous games. “Sometimes, you have fancy plays and it ends up in nothing. I think last game we got back to meat and potatoes and guys did a great job of holding up. That’s a huge part of draws – the wingers are more involved than you think. That’s such an important part.”
Stars coach Glen Gulutzan knows this team is routinely good at faceoffs – top three in the NHL over the past decade – so he is trying to use that skill to up the team’s total on shot attempts.
“We did have a little meeting about five days ago to say we want to have a shooting mentality,” Gulutzan said on Thursday before playing the Columbus Blue Jackets. “We want to win these draws and then shoot. Let’s play some road hockey off of it and see what happens.”
The Stars currently sit seventh in the league at 51.9 percent. That’s down from the 53.4 percent that had them second previously, but it’s clear the team can win draws and use that skill as a weapon.
“If you play the right way, you get the puck back,” said forward Robertson, who had 17 shot attempts and nine shots on goal Tuesday against Boston. “You not only shoot it, but you get the puck back so you can get more shots. For me, I was just trying to find good ice and score.”
Bottom line, the team believes winning faceoffs can help them play better all game.
“It’s a product of good play,” Duchene said of the shots on goal total. “If you go into a game and think we’re going to shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, you’re giving up possession and you’re letting a goalie feel it. I think if you’re thinking play right and play offense, I think you’ll get shots.”
