Heika’s Take: Stars play smart, opportunistic game in blowout win over Ducks

Like revenge, roast duck is a dish best served cold.

Okay, that’s probably not Michelin Star standards, but it sure worked for the Stars on Friday.

Motivated for a ton of reasons – including a loss to Anaheim back in November - Dallas came up with one of its most lopsided games of the year, blowing out the Ducks 8-3 at Honda Center. It was a sound statement because coach Glen Gulutzan wasn’t completely satisfied with the team’s performance Thursday in San Jose. It was a sound performance, because local hero Jason Robertson came up with two goals, an assist, and six penalty minutes. It was a sound performance because a 7-5 Ducks loss at American Airlines Center last month really did stick in the craw of the Lads in Victory Green.

“We know they’re a fast team, kind of similar to San Jose, young, exciting, a lot of skill, a lot of talent,” said Robertson. “We tried to limit odd-man rushes and tried to play in their end as much as we can.”

And that was a formula for success.

Gulutzan said Dallas got too caught up in a chaotic game in San Jose Thursday, despite a 5-3 win. The game plan on Friday was to be more controlled. It worked to perfection.

Dallas did the little things right from the start and cashed in when opportunities presented themselves. Radek Faksa created a turnover behind the Ducks’ net while on the penalty kill and fed Oskar Bäck for the opening goal three minutes into the contest. After Anaheim tied it up, Dallas received goals from Roope Hintz, Sam Steel and Thomas Harley to exit the first period with a 4-1 lead.

The Hintz goal was a smooth sweeper off a pretty feed from Robertson. The Steel goal was an impressive individual effort where the scrappy former Duck drove the net and powered in a puck before getting drilled into the goalpost (that one had to stand up to a replay). And the Harley goal was a fantastic shot from the young defenseman off a silky transition play by Mikko Rantanen.

It was a clinic on why the Stars are 24-7-5. Dallas leads the NHL in shooting percentage at 13.8 percent, and that’s because the Stars have been structured and opportunistic. When Gulutzan addressed the troops on Friday morning, the push was for more patience, more smarts – and the team responded.

By building that lead, Dallas was able to stay in control and frustrate a very good Ducks team that falls to 20-13-2.

"I give them credit,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “They can make plays. They certainly had their way with us all night long."

That was important for a lot of reasons. One, the team is in a tough part of the schedule and trying to keep pace with Colorado in the Central Division and NHL standings. Two, Gulutzan is in his first year with the Stars and is teaching lessons every day. And three, the players themselves get a ton of momentum from scoring goals, so not only do Robertson and Hintz and Harley get boosts, but so do Steel and Bäck and Adam Erne, who scored in his first game back from injury.

“It’s huge,” Gulutzan said of the depth scoring. “It’s confidence for them, but it’s also team confidence for everybody else. You need depth scoring to be a top team and we got it tonight.”

That’s not the easiest task in an 82-game season. Typically, there are ups and downs, so to get everyone on an up is incredibly important. Casey DeSmith got the start in net and stopped 22 shots. He moves to 9-1-3 on the year and his 2.20 GAA and .920 save percentage are among the best in the NHL.

Dallas has the best record in the league over the past two seasons on the second night of back-to-back games at 13-2-1. This win runs their point streak in those games to 12 (11-0-1), which marks a new franchise record. To top it all off, Dallas has outscored opponents a triumphant 48-21 in that span.

“I think it’s maturity,” Steel said. “I think on back-to-backs most nights you’re not going to have the legs to outskate teams, so you have to outthink them or just play a little bit smarter.”

And a little revenge doesn’t hurt. Robertson had 20-plus family members in the crowd and took two early minor penalties. He also was part of a tussle in which Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano hog-tied him and ended up taking 16 minutes in penalties.

Robertson said he was revved up for the game.

“The novelty never wears off,” he said. “It’s always on the calendar, so whenever my extended family can come, it makes it more special.”

That, and tying the team’s season-high of eight goals, can indeed sooth whatever old wounds there might have been.

“I thought everyone played well throughout the lineup,” Gulutzan said.

Which is a statement in and of itself.

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.