Heika’s Take: Benn’s burst helps Stars close homestand on winning note

As Stars captain, Jamie Benn’s contributions are almost immeasurable.

The veteran forward not only helps out in guiding and advising young players like Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven, but he helps create a culture that has been instrumental in making the Stars a winner by doing all of the little details behind the game.

That said, Benn was battling a few challenges when he returned from the All-Star Break. After putting up one of his best statistical seasons in 2022-23 with 78 points (33 goals, 45 assists) in 82 games for a 0.95 scoring average, Benn was at just 0.59 in February. He had 8 goals and 21 assists, and was really fighting to get his scoring totals up.

But in recent weeks, the captain has been playing more like himself. After his first two-goal game of the season on Friday in a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Benn has 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in the past 10 games.

“I thought Benner was great,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “We got through the first and we talked about getting more engaged in the game physically and he went out in the second period and did that. That’s leadership, showing the group and dragging the group into that part of the game, which was important.”

The Stars struggled at the start of a five-game homestand, blowing a 3-0 lead against Florida and losing 6-2 to New Jersey, but they won the final three games and are now 8-2-0 in their past 10. Dallas sits 43-19-9 (95 points) and is in a tight race with Colorado and Winnipeg atop the Central Division.

“We finished off strong, and we’re going on the road now with a little thing going,” said forward Jason Robertson, who had two assists. “Our desperation levels and details are really heightened right now, especially at this time of year. It’s a race to the finish line, so it’s good we finished off the homestand strong.”

The Stars recently got Tyler Seguin back in the lineup, and he has jumped in on a line with Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment, and they are playing well again. The top line with Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski also is playing well. The third line with Benn, Johnston and Stankoven continues to be the hottest line on the ice most games. In addition to Benn’s 14 points, Stankoven has 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists) in his first 13 NHL games, and Johnston has 14 points (8 goals, 6 assists) since Stankoven joined the team. Oh, and the fourth line of Craig Smith, Radek Faksa and Sam Steel has seven goals in nine games this month.

Dallas has some of the best forwards in the league, and because of that depth, they hand off energy from one line to the next. When it’s working, it is a thing of beauty.

“A big part of hockey is you want to have a good shift, create some momentum, and set your teammates up for them to follow,” Benn said. “We feel we have a group that can do that.”

Benn said adding Stankoven has been huge. The 21-year-old dynamo made a great play to set up one of Benn’s goals.

“It’s been awesome,” Benn said. “He’s been playing some good hockey. He’s a fun kid to play with - a lot of skill, a lot of speed, and it’s been great playing with those two.”

Like the top line, Benn has seen his numbers drop this year. That’s been balanced out by strong play from other areas of the lineup. In fact, the Stars this season are scoring more (second in the league at 3.62 goals per game) than they did last season (seventh at 3.43). So while nobody was panicking about Benn’s numbers, it still does feel good that one of the leaders is on a roll.

“He’s one of the most unselfish players I’ve ever had,” DeBoer said. “It’s never about him, he’s always willing to defer credit, but that wears on you. You want to contribute. Those guys aren’t immune to that. I thought he handled it well throughout the year, but I think everyone is glad he’s starting to roll here.”

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 Twitter @MikeHeika.