Captain Jamie Benn knows the Stars need to be better early in games.
Captain Jamie Benn knows the Stars need to be better early in games.
DALLAS - The Stars (4-1-1) will be looking for a particularly strong start against the Blue Jackets (3-3-2) on Monday.
First periods have proven to be difficult for head coach Pete DeBoer's contingent through six games.
Dallas has scored just two goals in the opening stanza, which ranks last in the League, and the group has also appeared sluggish at times, too, just as contests are getting underway.
Captain Jamie Benn recognizes the importance of righting the ship in that department as soon as possible.
"It’s obviously something that we need to work on. We can talk about it all we want, but until we go out there and do it, we’ll just keep talking about it," said Benn, following Saturday's community practice in Euless. "It’s on individual players to get themselves ready, and then when your line and your D partner goes on the ice, get the job done and execute. If we roll four lines and do that, we’ll be just fine."
The Stars have fared far better offensively in the second period with eight goals to show for their efforts.
Allowing the opposition to set the tone, however, isn't a recipe for success.
"You don’t want to be waiting [to get the emotion going]. You can’t turn that switch on when you’re down a goal or two," said Benn. "You need to have that killer instinct of coming out right away, trying to get up one or two, and put the other team in a tough situation."
The Blue Jackets are winless in their last three games, so this should be an interesting matchup at the American Airlines Center. Puck drop is 7:00 p.m. CT.
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