Heika’s Take: Stars trounce Canucks to push win streak to historic nine in a row

The rehab of Lian Bichsel has provided some fascinating insight into the Stars organization this season.

The hulking defenseman went out Nov. 30 with an ankle injury and then had to find a way to heal and keep himself involved with the team. That process went well, and then he started taking the final steps in hopes of returning before the Olympic break.

While it would have been nice to get Bichsel into a game or two, the Stars coaching staff and training staff preferred to get him 100 percent before putting him in the lineup. Part of that training included working with assistant coach David Pelletier and skills coach Stan Tugolukov. Those ice sessions helped the 6-foot-7, 231-pound blueliner get some jump in his legs and make him feel a little more nimble.

It paid off Monday as Bichsel scored two beautiful goals and helped the Stars roll to a dominant 6-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. The victory pushed the team’s current winning streak to nine straight games, a new franchise record. It also reflected a team that is doing a lot of things right – both behind the scenes and on the ice.

“I liked the way our guys played the entire way,” said Glen Gulutzan, who took over as head coach this season and brought Pelletier with him from Edmonton. “I think we’re just staying with our game for a long time. We’re doing a good job of outlasting other teams and that’s what I like about it.”

Gulutzan’s first year back has been challenging. There has been plenty of adversity, but dealing with it is why the Stars are on this run and sitting at 37-14-9, the second-best record in the league.

“I think we worked for it,” said Adam Erne, who scored a key first-period goal and was part of a wave of depth players who chipped in Monday. “We played the right way and got some bounces, but I think we earned what we got.”

Erne’s goal was a shot from the wing that deflected off a defender, off the end boards and then off Vancouver goalie Nikita Tolopilo and into the net. It was the exact kind of play the team needed after Vancouver took an early 1-0 lead.

“We’ve got a lot of guys chipping in right now,” Gulutzan said. “It’s good when every guy feels good about himself.”

With the score tied 1-1 after the first intermission, Dallas kicked into a different gear. The Stars had a 16-4 advantage on shots on goal in the second period, and Bichsel scored his first of the game. It was a beauty, as Dallas ran a puck-handling clinic and Ilya Lyubushkin found Bichsel sneaking to the net. The left-hander snapped a perfect shot and picked the top corner for his second goal of the year.

Jason Robertson followed with a power play goal off a great pass from Matt Duchene and it was 3-1. Dallas is currently missing Mikko Rantanen (lower body) and Roope Hintz (illness), so there could have been some hiccups with the power play. But new assistant coach Neil Graham continues to push the right buttons, and Dallas has scored a man advantage tally in all three games since the break.

“He’s been great all year,” Duchene said of Graham. “I think the best part about him is he just has to put a simple game plan in place and let us do our job. Power plays are contagious. When you hit a roll, you can really get rolling.”

Duchene and Colin Blackwell added even strength goals in the third, and then Bichsel finished things off with another graceful shot that nestled skillfully into the net.

“It’s pretty cool to pick a corner,” Bichsel said.

Gulutzan added, “Give credit to the guys who rehabbed him, because those are two nice goals he scored and his puck play in general has been sharp.”

Bichsel said the process was both hard and fun. He said the entire team worked to get him back to a good place.

“The last three months have been a lot of work,” he said. “I was trying to rehab fast, but also with patience. It wasn’t easy at times, but I thought we all did a great job, everyone involved. I’m really happy it’s working out well right now.”

And so are the Stars. With the changes made in the offseason, there was plenty of opportunity for potential setbacks. But as this team moves into the final run before the playoffs, it keeps showing some pretty neat progress.

“Everyone is working hard,” said Gulutzan. “It’s paying off and we know we have a lot more to do.”

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.