EDMONTON, Alberta — Who are these Stars?
A victory with nine combined goals? Back-to-back games with at least four goals? Scrubbing away a two-goal, third-period deficit? Check, check, check.
The Stars came back to beat the Oilers on Saturday afternoon 5-4 in overtime, finished by Jamie Benn’s game-winner but completed in an unexpected fashion for the typically locked-down Stars. It was their first win in a game they allowed four goals. It was their third win when allowing at least three goals.
“I actually said before the game, it’d be nice for us to win a game 6-4 or 5-4,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. “That’s what matriculated. But we feel the way we’ve played, especially in the last 10 games, we haven’t scored earlier like we have the last three games, but we felt we were getting those chances. Just a matter of time with the players we have that we’ll even start to score more.”
The Stars have been a defense-first team under Montgomery. Last year, they were second in the league in goals allowed; tied for third worst in goals scored. This year, they entered Saturday tied for second in goals allowed; tied for fifth worst in goals scored.
Dallas has built an identity on keeping opposing shots away from the slot, counting on strong goaltending and crushing other teams in transition. It’s what the Stars did last postseason, and it’s what they even did Thursday night in Vancouver.
But Montgomery wanted his team to excel in a high-scoring game at some point. It just happened to be against the best player in the world (Connor McDavid has nine points in the last two games), his scorching teammate (Leon Draisaitl leads the NHL with 43 points in 22 games) and the second-best power play in the league (Edmonton entered the day at 31.2%).
“It’s something to think you can do it, it’s another thing to believe you can do it,” Montgomery said. “Once you accomplish it, it’s easier to do again and again.”
“There’s never any quit in our team,” Stars captain Jamie Benn said. “Obviously, we don’t want to give up four every night, but with those two kids over there, they’re going to score. They’re great players, you’ve got to tip your hat to them. We found a way to get five and, like I said, great battle back by our team.”
The Stars outshot the Oilers 15-4 in the third period to erase a 4-2 deficit, and drew two penalties that put them on the power play. That followed a second period in which Edmonton outshot Dallas 19-10 and cashed in on one of their two power plays.
“We were trying to be cute [in the second period] and it fed their transition and it’s why we took too many penalties,” Montgomery said. “Third period, we got pucks in, we went to work on the forecheck. We started skating and finishing, and we built momentum and we drew [two] power plays.”
Esa Lindell: “Like the coaches said in the second intermission, we haven’t played even close to our best. I think that gave us more boost in the third. I think the way we played in the third showed what we’ve got.”
Countering McDavid: Among Stars forwards, Benn, Tyler Seguin and Jason Dickinson played the most at 5 on 5 against McDavid while Esa Lindell and Roman Polak led the way among defensemen.
The Benn-Dickinson-Seguin line was a new one formed Saturday afternoon with the purpose of creating another unit that could play against McDavid and Draisaitl. Montgomery also reunited Andrew Cogliano, Radek Faksa and Blake Comeau on a line.
“Well, we switched up our lines to make sure that we have two lines that can be out there at all times,” Montgomerys said. “[McDavid and Draisaitl] play 24 minutes a night. We don’t want anyone playing that many minutes. They’re used to playing those minutes, so you’d be at a disadvantage if you had one line trying to check them. That’s why we have Dicky between 14 and 91.”
McDavid finished Saturday with three assists and five shots on goal in 27:21 of ice time. Draisaitl had a goal and an assist in 27:20 of ice time.
“Those two players over there, you don’t even need to say their name,” Dickinson said. “They’re special. So they’re going to create stuff, they’re going to make things happen and the key is to just minimize it and limit it to one chance instead of letting the rebound come out to them like Draisaitl’s goal there.”
Lindell: “It’s tough, obviously. They’re going to get chances, but you’re just trying to play them like everybody else: top players, take their time and space away, play hard and heavy and just watch the chest, not puck, otherwise they’re going to pull some drags on you and make you look bad. I think we were OK today against them.”
Dickinson stays hot: Dickinson posted his first multi-point game of the season on Saturday night, when he scored a goal and assisted on Miro Heiskanen’s. It gave Dickinson four points in the last five games.
After the game, Dickinson said he still thinks he hasn’t played his best offensively.
“It’s funny how this game works sometimes where even if you’re not at your best offensively, sometimes the puck just bounces the right way for you and you get benefitted,” Dickinson said.
Montgomery confirmed Saturday morning that Dickinson went through concussion protocol on Thursday in Vancouver after he was crunched into the boards in the third period.
“Not a penalty,” Montgomery said, “but it is concussion protocol.”
Benn’s tape: Edmonton held its Hockey Fights Cancer night on Saturday afternoon, as members from both teams used purple tape on their sticks during warmup and participated in a pregame ceremony on the blue lines.
But Benn kept the purple tape on for the entire game. After the game, he was asked if there was any meaning behind it.
“It shows that we’re all together here, everyone who’s fighting cancer,” Benn said. “I only kind of used it because a few years ago, I was in a scoring slump and used it and got a couple. So, tried it again tonight.”
