First Shift 🏒
Pete DeBoer was asked on Saturday about his team’s lack of depth scoring in the playoffs with the caveat that “three forwards are driving the whole show” right now.
DeBoer quickly responded, “I would argue that one guy has scored for us lately. You’re being kind.”
That one guy has been pretty spectacular. Rantanen leads all playoff scorers with 8 goals and 15 points in 9 games. That was huge in pushing the Stars to a 4-3 series win over Colorado and giving the team an important Game 1 win against Winnipeg. And, truth be told, Hintz has been helping a lot. Rantanen’s regular center has 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in 9 games, so he deserves some credit.
But the point is real: one of the best depth scoring teams in the NHL during the regular season is seeing little goal support in the playoffs. Matt Duchene, who led the Stars with 82 points (30 goals, 52 assists) in 82 regular-season games, has 0 goals and 4 assists in 9 playoff games. Jamie Benn, who had 49 points (16 goals, 33 assists) in the regular season, has 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist). Mason Marchment had 22 goals during the regular season but has just 1 in the playoffs. Mikael Granlund tallied 66 points between San Jose and Dallas, but has just 2 in 9 games so far.
“We need guys to get on the board, but you also have to understand that Winnipeg is the best defensive team in the league and it’s not going to be easy,” DeBoer said. “We might not get guys lighting it up this series, we might have to win 1-0, 2-1. It would be great if everyone was scoring, but it’s more important that we’re winning games.”
The Jets led the NHL in goals against per game this season at 2.32. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck was a huge reason why as he is expected to win the Vezina Trophy after posting a 47-12-3 record with a 2.00 GAA and .925 save percentage. Dallas ranked third in goal scoring at 3.35 goals per game, in large part because it boasted such fantastic depth.
Both teams have been challenged in the playoffs. The Stars are 13th in postseason scoring at 2.67 goals per game. They’ve also been shut out twice after only being blanked once during the regular season. The Jets are 10th in GAA at 3.33. Hellebuyck struggled mightily on the road against St. Louis, posting an 0-3 record and being pulled in each game. He had a 7.24 GAA and .758 save percentage at Enterprise Center, so there is a spotlight on what he will do Sunday at American Airlines Center.
He said that he and the team feel good after a 4-0 home win over the Stars on Friday.
“It helps because we’re playing our game and we know what it looks like and we know what it feels like,” Hellebuyck told reporters in Winnipeg. “That being said, we’ve got to wipe it and go play a hard road game. It’s never easy on the road, especially at playoff time.”
Duchene said he and his teammates were disappointed with the shutout Friday, but that they know how good Hellebuyck is and how they can beat him.
"He was great,” Duchene said. “I also think it wasn't our best game. We did enough to score some goals and he made some big saves. We know that's not our A-game, it's not our best. Game 1 was solid and we want to go back home and get ready for that."
And that means finding a way to get goals from a few more players.
"We need everyone to pitch in,” said Wyatt Johnston. “It can't just be Mikko scoring all those goals. We need everyone. It's so important, and that's what makes us such a good team is our depth and how we can get goals from everyone. That's definitely an important thing for us. It's crucial to have everyone chipping in and pulling their weight."
There is a chance the team can improve as the playoffs go on. Miro Heiskanen, who has been out since late January following knee surgery, is not expected to play in Game 3. However, Tyler Seguin is coming off hip surgery, so he is hoping to get better as the playoffs continue. Jason Robertson missed the First Round with a lower-body injury and has played in two games against Winnipeg. He played 17:08 and had two shots on goal in Game 2, so that was a step forward.
“I thought he was a lot better in Game 2 than Game 1,” DeBoer said of Robertson. “He started to look dangerous again. That’s a good sign for us, because he’s one of those guys who is going to have to chip in.”
Getting Heiskanen back would be a huge boost, but DeBoer said the team can’t wait for that. After all, they have found a way to win without their best defenseman for the past 40-something games, so they should be able to continue that.
“We’ve played without Miro for three and a half months. We’re still scratching and clawing and finding ways to hang in there,” DeBoer said. “When he comes back, it’s going to be a good day. But even when he comes back, he’s been out for three and a half months. He’s going to help immediately, but we’re going to have to temper our expectations.”
In the meantime, a couple of extra goals could do wonders for the Stars.
