Blues' Hitchcock: Stars better than Blackhawks
The Dallas Stars finished first in the Central Division this year, but despite their record, they are considered by most to be an underdog against the St. Louis Blues. The two were close in the standings, but once the Blues got past the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in the first round, they earned a lot of believers.
The Stars, meanwhile, dispatched the Minnesota Wild in six games and there were enough moments in that series that caused some concern about the Stars’ abilities this postseason. Their goaltending situation appeared less than ideal with Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi not doing much to separate from each other as the No. 1. Additionally, the defense has been spotty at times this year and in the series against Minnesota.
However, in Game 1 against the Blues, the Stars put forth a dominant performance. They earned a 2-1 victory behind solid goaltending from Lehtonen and played at a pace so high that it looked like they caught St. Louis completely off guard. That victory got the Stars some well-earned respect – even if they probably should have already had it based on their performance all season.
One of those that was most impressed with the Stars after Game 1 was Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock. Here’s what he said about the Stars during his media availability Saturday (via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch):
“I think there’s a realization that this is a better team than anybody we’ve played — nothing to take away from Chicago, but this is a better team, and we’re going to have to be even better than we were against Chicago if we expect to win,” Hitchcock said. “I think everybody’s realized that and then we’ve got to put our work boots on and get to work.
That’s pretty high praise considering the high regard Chicago’s organization has league-wide. It’s also accurate praise.
The Blackhawks were exposed for the holes in their lineup pretty early on against the Blues and it continued throughout four games. While the defending champs were still very good in 2015-16 and had the weapons to compete with anybody, they didn’t have the depth that either St. Louis or Dallas possesses. That difference was evident in the Stars’ win in Game 1.
The Stars have had to play without one of their best players in Tyler Seguin. He remains out and the timeline for his return is uncertain. However, in his absence, it becomes all the more clear just how much Jamie Benn can do on his own.
The Stars captain has established himself as one of the game’s most dominant forwards and it shows almost every time he steps on the ice.
Losing a guy like Seguin would cripple a lot of teams, but the Stars’ depth has really shown up these playoffs. Jason Spezza and Patrick Sharp are more seasoned veterans, but can still wreak havoc on the opposition. John Klingberg is an absolute weapon from the blue line thanks to his tremendous puck-moving capabilities and willingness to jump into the rush and take some chances.
Another key factor for Dallas is that they have such tremendous speed throughout their lineup. On top of that, they move the puck so well. It allows them to burn the opposition in transition, which is something the Blackhawks had been doing expertly when they had slightly better personnel. It was part of their Stanley Cup recipe. This style is also what allowed the Stars to take Game 1 and put the rest of the league on notice.
When Dallas dictates the pace of the game like they did in Game 1 against the Blues, they are going to win a lot more than they lose. One of the key reasons is how quickly and cleanly they can get out of their zone once they get the puck back. That’s been a key to their success all season and that seems to be continuing in the playoffs.
In doing that, they better tire out the opposition, keep the defense on their heels and own the puck in possession. They also tilt the ice to the other end, as the best defense is keeping the puck 180 feet away from your net. It’s a difficult style to sustain over a full series, but reasonable to expect they can do it just enough to win and advance.
That’s what the Blues have to contend with. So how does Hitchock plan to slow down the vaunted Dallas attack? More from the Post-Dispatch:
“We’ve got to do a lot of the blue-collar stuff that we did last series; we’ve got to do it again, and we’ve got to do it even better throughout our team. I think there’s a realization that it’s a very deep hockey club across the way and we’re going to have to have even a bigger commitment than before.”
On top of the blue-collar stuff, the Blues have to get their top players in positions to succeed. While the Stars have Benn, the Blues have Vladimir Tarasenko. He got more ice time in Game 1 than he had through most of the series against Chicago and that is something the Blues should keep doing. They have to exploit the holes that still exist for Dallas.
As well as Lehtonen played in Game 1, consistency is the key. The Blues have enough offensive talent to score in a hurry just as much as the Stars do. If they made enough adjustments in Game 2, it could be a very different game. They at least will be better prepared for the pace of play.
The Stars have their weaknesses, no question, but their strengths are what got them the big win against the Blues and what give them a chance to do some special things this postseason.
Game 2 is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
Ken Hitchcock had some high praise for the high-flying Dallas Stars. (USATSI)
