First Shift 🏒
The Stars defense group has been a bit of a puzzle this season.
Sure, the top three are all going to the Olympics and are among the most solid blueliners in the NHL, but the second group still is a mixed bag. That means that every pair is susceptible to change, as it was Monday against the Kings.
Heiskanen and Esa Lindell have formed the top pair for much of this season. It was a big focus of the new coaching staff to put the two Finns together, because they have chemistry and can log big minutes. Heiskanen is playing almost a minute more per game this season and leads the team at 26:04 in average ice time. Lindell has upped his minutes from last year by 40 seconds to 23:50, and is second on the team.
Thomas Harley has battled injuries this season and is down about a minute per game, while Ilya Lyubushkin, who was often paired with Harley last season, has been moved around the lineup and is also down about a minute per game.
Combine that with the loss of Cody Ceci to free agency, and the Stars have had to look to different places. Nils Lundkvist is taking more minutes after battling injuries last season and is at 15:35. He is at plus-7 so far. Meanwhile, veterans Alexander Petrovic and Kyle Capobianco have stepped up after spending most of last season in the AHL.
Petrovic is averaging 15:48. He has played 41 games but was scratched for two in a row before Monday in Los Angeles. He jumped back in and Lyubushkin got the scratch against the Kings.
Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said he allows assistant coach Alain Nasreddine to make the big decisions, but added that the whole group works together. If Heiskanen and Lindell get split, it’s because that makes sense.
“We do split them up and Harls has played with Miro,” Gulutzan said. “Nas does a good job of that and what we’ve found is Capo has come in and played some good hockey for us, so he’s going to stay in.”
Capobianco had a goal in a 5-4 overtime loss at San Jose on Saturday. The 28-year-old was one of the top scorers for the Texas Stars last season at 50 points (7 goals, 43 assists) in 64 games. He said he is trying to bring that philosophy to the NHL.
“That’s the feedback I’m getting – to be aggressive and just play my game,” Capobianco said. “That’s moving up in plays and pushing the play, but it has to be from the right areas.”
Lian Bichsel is out with a lower body injury and might not return until just before or after the Olympics, so players like Capobianco, Petrovic, Lundkvist and Lyubushkin will have to jockey for minutes in the meantime.
“All of our guys have had stints of playing great hockey and now our whole group has to have good games,” Gulutzan said.
