Someone call animal control — the moose is loose. Mikko Rantanen’s hat-trick lifted the Dallas Stars over the Boston Bruins in overtime.
The PK brilliance continues
Through their first eight games, the Stars’ penalty kill sits fourth in the league, and that dominance continued tonight against an eighth-ranked Bruins power play. The second kill of the night — highlighted by Tyler Myers’ quick stick — kept Boston in its own zone for over a minute.
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However, the Stars’ relatively rigid box structure allowed Boston several easy zone entries through the middle, especially on the first penalty kill of the night.
The third kill saw the Stars give up the best chances they had all night, but your best penalty killer has to be your goalie, and Jake Oettinger certainly played the role.
Speed kills
The Stars’ defense struggled against some of the Bruins’ quicker wingers, such as J.J. Peterka and Casey Mittelstadt. Boston found success on the cycle against some of the Stars’ slower blue liners.
On the opening strike, a rare Miro Heiskanen failed clear attempt allowed rookie defenseman Frederic Brunet to jump in the play before finding Matthew Poitras. Those inner-slot chances were commonplace tonight, as the Stars struggled to defend low-to-high passes tonight.
That trend continued in the second, with Mittelstadt beating Thomas Harley behind the net before finding Hagens. Early in the period, Boston began sending its forwards behind the Stars’ defense — earning two early breakaways following the adjustment.
Offensive consistency remains a question
Following last year’s first-round exit to the Minnesota Wild, where the Stars struggled to generate at five-on-five, even-strength offense remains an area of weakness for Dallas.
It’s still early, but the Stars rank second-to-last in expected goals for at five-on-five, ahead of only the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings secured their first win of the season during the second intermission of tonight’s match — so being mentioned in the same breath isn’t exactly a glowing endorsement.
Tonight’s game was much of the same, with Robertson’s line in particular struggling to maintain consistent zone time. With that being said, the Stars are playing a defensive-oriented game, highlighted by their league-leading three shutouts.
Head coach Glen Gulutzan will likely adjust the offensive scheme if this trend continues, but it’s hard to imagine this group of forwards will continue to struggle much longer.
The third period offered a glimpse into Dallas’ offensive potential, with their defenseman jumping into the play more frequently in the final frame. Rantanen’s brilliance is something that Stars can certainly rely on consistently, but elsewhere, the even strength offense will need to find its footing.
