The Dallas Stars improved to 7-2-0 on the season with a solid 4-2 win over Chicago Saturday. And Adam Proteau has three key takeaways from the Stars' victory.
The Dallas Stars scored the first three goals of the game Saturday against the host Chicago Blackhawks, and hung on to win 4-2 to boost their regular-season record to 7-2-0. Here are three key takeaways from the game:
-- Dallas once again got a great game from center Matt Duchene, who posted a power-play goal and the empty-net insurance marker to give him six goals and 11 points in nine games this season. Duchene now is the Stars' leader in goals and points this year, and he's doing so with a high-value contract that pays him $3-million this season.
Duchene will be due for a major raise at season's end -- and with the Stars looking to lock up their young players to lengthy contract extensions, Duchene could prove to be too expensive for their long-term plans. But that's a problem for another day, and at the moment, Duchene is proving to be an excellent asset, and one of the league's best bargains on the salary cap front.
-- Stars No. 1-defenseman Miro Heiskanen chipped in two assists Saturday, giving him three points in nine games thus far this season. More importantly, Heiskanen led all Dallas players in ice time Saturday, logging 25:02 -- the fourth time this season he's posted at least 25 minutes of ice time.
Youngster Thomas Harley posted 22:28 against Chicago Saturday, and he's looked terrific this season as well. But Stars coach Pete DeBoer clearly trusts Heiskanen more than any other Stars players, and rightfully so. Heiskanen's panic threshold is sky-high, and he gives plenty of support to Dallas' goalies game-in and game-out. This was a typically-flaw-free game from Heiskanen, who continues to be one of the league's very best D-men.
-- Speaking of Stars goalies, Jake Oettinger put in another solid showing Saturday, stopping 22 of 24 Blackhawks shots in the victory. Oettinger now has a 1.84 goals-against average and .938 save percentage in six appearances this season, a far better performance than most goalies in the league this year.
Oettinger has received ample support from backup Casey DeSmith (.936 SP, 1.69 G.A.A. in three appearances), but Oettinger yet again is delivering as advertised, and underscoring his status as one of the NHL's elite netminders. Oettinger bent, but didn't break against Chicago, and Dallas got back onto the winning side of the ledger in no small part because Oettinger was his usual sharp self.
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