Heika: Montgomery's skilled style could help first-rounders step up game

Jason Dickinson faked a shot on goal in the left circle in the first period, then sent a spinning backhand pass to Michael Mersch for a great scoring chance on a one-timer.
Valeri Nichushkin powered up the left wing with the puck and drew a hooking penalty.
Denis Gurianov danced through defenders on a couple of plays to keep possession of the puck or create scoring plays.
It was a nice reminder for Stars fans Monday during a 5-3 preseason win over Minnesota at American Airlines Center that there are skilled young players on this team, and that they're getting better.
Truth is, they should be.

Nichushkin was taken 10th overall in 2013. Dickinson was drafted 29th that year. Gurianov went 12th overall in 2015. They are talented players who have gained experience in the pros, and it's time they started to deliver.
Heck, mix in Miro Heiskanen (third overall in 2017), Julius Honka (14th overall in 2014) and Radek Faksa (13th overall in 2012) and the Stars could ice a lineup with six homegrown first-round draft picks this season.
MARK STEPNESKI: [Roope Hintz makes the most of his top-line opportunity, scoring a goal and impressing the Stars]
It's been a long time coming.
While the Stars have found late-round gems in Jamie Benn (fifth round in 2007), John Klingberg (fifth round in 2010) and Colton Point (fifth round in 2016), they have struggled with their early-round picks. Scott Glennie, Jack Campbell and Jamie Oleksiak have washed out of the organization and left a hole in the development chart. But the new guys have a chance to fill that in.
And the timing couldn't be better.

New coach Jim Montgomery is coming in with a style of play that takes advantage of skill, and the skilled players are starting to show more confidence. Gurianov clearly has more jump than he did when he was a healthy scratch in the AHL playoffs last year. Dickinson also seems to be embracing the puck-possession game.
Roope Hintz, a second-round pick in 2015, played on the top line Monday and had a goal and an assist.
"What I like is that everyone feels confident that they have the leash to make plays," Montgomery said. "We want them to make plays."
The improvement of the younger players means the battle at the bottom of the roster could be difficult. Hintz and Gurianov do not require waivers, so if either make the opening-night lineup, that means a player such as Remi Elie, Gemel Smith or Brett Ritchie might have to go through waivers.
Games like Monday mean the front office has to at least consider that decision.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

1. Not all is rosy, as mistakes can be deadly

The Stars were in control of the game early, outshooting Minnesota 13-5 and grasping all momentum. That's when Jamie Benn tried to muscle a puck out of his own zone, had his pocket picked, and watched the Wild score to tie the game.
It was a clear example of how the new style is going to put a lot of control in the hands of the players and ask them to make good decisions.
"That's where we have to be smart," Benn said. "We were going good for about 12 (minutes) in the first two periods, and then you could just see it flip. That's on us as players to recognize the situation and recognize the time in the game and just make smarter decisions with the puck. We're all guilty right now. Myself on that first goal, that's unacceptable at all times."
Likewise, Alexander Radulov took an ill-advised slashing penalty in the second period. The Wild scored on the ensuing power play to cut Dallas' lead to 3-2 and again swing momentum.
It was a good lesson for the Stars.
"We got comfortable, we got away from what we were doing, we got too cute and we started turning over too many pucks and not making good puck-management decisions," Montgomery said. "We started trying to toe-drag or forcing one against three, when we should actually just regroup."
Benn said the message was pretty clear.
"We're going to keep working on our game. It's definitely not perfect," Benn said. "I think that's where the coaches are going to come in and keep teaching us, and we have to keep working on it."
The Stars (3-0-1) have three preseason games remaining.

2. Miro Heiskanen has good hands, too

All of the scouting reports on rookie defenseman Miro Heiskanen is he is a wonderful skater with great hockey sense.
But he also has a greatset of mitts.
Heiskanen on Monday picked a puck out of the air to keep it from clearing on the power play. And then when he was backed up to the blue line and had to think fast, he kept a puck onside. But instead of just whipping it into the corner, Heiskanen moved the puck right to the tape of a teammate.
In a preseason game last week against St. Louis, Heiskanen blindly backhanded a puck out of the air and put it right on the tape of Jason Spezza. It was either incredibly fortunate or an amazing display of hand-eye coordination.
Heiskanen dumped a puck in on the power play at one point Monday and Wild defenseman Nick Seeler flipped it out of play for a delay of game penalty that led to a two-man advantage. We joked in the press box, "Yeah, Heiskanen meantto do that, too."
Heiskanen finished with 23:01 in ice time, most on the Stars, and was plus-1 with no points.
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.