After an injury to Jani Hakanpaa, Nils Lundkvist made a strong case for more ice time in Wednesday's win over the Arizona Coyotes.

During his media session following Wednesday's morning skate, Stars head coach Pete DeBoer was asked about the challenges of making the most of an opportunity after being out of the lineup for long stretches.

The question was in reference to defenseman Nils Lundkvist replacing Jani Hakanpaa, who is currently listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Lundkvist, who has been a healthy scratch in 12 of the Stars' last 15 games, would be taking Hakanpaa's place alongside Ryan Suter for that night's home game against the Arizona Coyotes.

DeBoer didn't mince words with his answer.

"You're an NHL player," he said. "You get paid to do this. Nils has experience now. He's played over a hundred games here. He's been in and out of the lineup, he's handled the situation. The challenge is making yourself an everyday NHL player, making the decision as hard as possible for the coaches that take you out."

Lundkvist took a big step in meeting that challenge in the Stars' 5-2 win over the Coyotes Wednesday night at American Airlines Center. The 23-year-old right-handed defenseman scored two points and brought a high level of energy to the ice en route to the victory. He even took one for the team after getting hit in the face by a puck in the third period, requiring 4-5 stitches.

In the second period with the Stars trailing 1-0, Lundkvist snapped a shot from the top of the right circle following a delayed Arizona penalty. The puck first hit Coyotes goalie Connor Ingram, then went behind him before Logan Stankoven was able to poke it into the net for his sixth goal in just 12 NHL games.

Lundkvist was instrumental in the Stars' go-ahead goal, when Jamie Benn scored off a redirection by Lundkvist. It was Benn's 375th goal and the 1,100th game of his NHL career.

On the night, Lundkvist tallied two assists along with two hits, two blocked shots  and four shots on goal in 14:14 of TOI before heading to the locker room to get stitched up.

"I thought Nils had a really good game," DeBoer told reporters after the win. "I thought all our defense did a good job and Nils was part of that. They did a good job of getting the puck to the net... I think probably three of the goals were scored off defensemen just getting the puck to the net, and I think (Lundkvist) had two of them."

It's been an up and down season for Lundkvist, who has battled inconsistency and an upper-body injury suffered February 15 against the Nashville Predators. Through 47 games, he's recorded 17 points (2-15-17) in 47 games. For his part, he's taken the healthy scratches in stride.

"It's tough, and you always want to play, but (you have to stay) ready and perform as best you can when you come in," Lundkvist told the media following morning skate Wednesday.

The prolonged stretches of inactivity on the ice are nothing new for Lundkvist, who went through the same process last season as a rookie. He brings a faster pace to the defense than Hakanpaa when paired with Suter. But DeBoer has stuck with the Hakanpaa-Suter veteran combination, and Lundkvist has yet to make the same impact as some of the other Stars' young defensemen like Thomas Harley and Miro Heiskanen.

Lundkvist may have only a short window to make his case for more playing time, depending on when Hakanpaa returns. One game certainly won't be enough to change DeBoer's mind, but the opportunity is there, so now is Lundkvist's time to shine.

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