First Shift 🏒
Duchene is an effective player.
What’s maybe most impressive about the 34-year-old is his ability to be effective in so many different situations with so many different linemates.
Duchene is coming back from a concussion, and the seven-week recovery has been one of the toughest challenges in his career. But there he was on Monday, making plays beside Rantanen in a 4-1 win over Los Angeles, finishing with a goal and an assist while registering a plus-3.
And even more than that, he just looks like Matt Duchene again.
“You can see his timing is getting back and he’s creating some offense,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “That’s what Dutchy is going to bring for us when he gets his motor up and running – against these teams that play man-on-man, he holds on to pucks with his heavy body and twists and turns and buys time and makes plays in tight spaces. That’s going to help increase our O-zone time.”
That could be huge for a Stars team that is seeking to up its puck possession and even strength scoring - two areas where Duchene excels. In the previous two seasons, Duchene has ranked second on the Stars in even strength points. Two years ago, he was on a line with Seguin and Mason Marchment that was among the best in the NHL at 5-on-5 play. Last season, after Seguin was hurt, Duchene shuffled between Marchment, Evgenii Dadonov, Mikael Granlund, Johnston and Benn, and finished with 82 points in 82 games.
This year, he suffered a concussion in the third game of the season and has played just nine games in total. He has logged five in a row since his return, but Monday was the first game where he scored.
“I don’t think that has anything to do with being 100 percent,” Duchene said of his goal and assist. “I think if you look at the plays I made last game and this game, those are the plays I make when I’m 100 percent. I think it’s the process of how you feel that’s important, and the last few games I could really feel that coming. I’m feeling confident, I’m feeling calm, a lot of the anxiety of coming back is fading away, so I just want to keep going with it.”
He can definitely do that. With Seguin out again and Benn playing on a line with Hintz and Robertson, there is a spot available on a line with Rantanen and Johnston. It would likely mean that Duchene would have to play some wing, but he and Johnston can form a lefty-righty flip at center, too, and that could become the latest connection for Duchene.
“There are a lot of good players around me, a lot of smart players who can play anywhere in the lineup,” Rantanen said. “We’ve got a deep lineup where whoever you play with, you play with smart players.”
That’s a huge key for Duchene. He likes to hold onto pucks, he likes to take a few chances, he likes to be creative. To do that, he needs to find kindred spirits – as he has on so many occasions with this team.
“He's an elite player, he can make plays like that,” Duchene said of Rantanen’s pass that found him driving to the net. “I saw him get the puck and I knew if there was a lane, he would find me. It’s fun playing with a guy like that. I think the three of us when we’re together, we can all do that for each other.”
And that’s exciting for a team that is 22-7-5 and still believes it has plenty of room for improvement.
“You’ve got to score even strength,” Duchene said. “We know what the playoffs look like. Tonight was kind of that way. [Los Angeles] is one of the best defensive teams in the league, so 5-on-5 has to be your calling card. It’s been the weak point of our team this year. Our record is great, we’re in a good spot, but you’re always looking for ways to get better, and that’s a way we can take a step.”
As he has shown quite a bit in the past, Duchene can be very effective in that regard.
