First Shift 🏒
The Stars have the best power play in the NHL, and the past week might reveal why.
Dallas had a golden opportunity to go ahead with a two-man advantage in the third period recently in Calgary, and was overly patient and conservative. The man advantage failed, and the Flames ended up winning in the shootout.
Two games later, the lads in Victory Green received a two-man advantage against the Edmonton Oilers. Head coach Glen Gulutzan called a timeout and assistant coach Neal Graham gave impassioned instruction on the bench, and Dallas scored within 20 seconds. The Stars were so efficient, they added a second power play goal en route to an 8-3 win.
Then, on Friday, the Stars once again earned a two-man advantage and once again used urgency and aggression. This time, the goal came within 30 seconds, and it provided the margin of victory in a 4-3 win over Utah.
“You need to take advantage of those,” Gulutzan said. “It’s not always how many you score, it’s when you score. We have been good at scoring at the right time.”
Bottom line, they have actually been great – and that’s a big reason the team is 16-5-4, the second best record in the NHL. Dallas currently ranks first in power play success at 31.8 percent. Even more impressive, the Stars’ 27 power play goals are head and shoulders above second-place Minnesota, which has 22.
It’s a huge boost for the new coaching staff after Dallas finished 17th last season at 22.0 percent and was 10th in power play goals at 55. Gulutzan was an assistant coach who was running the power play in Edmonton, so he has had a lot of success in his career. Graham was the head coach with the Texas Stars, so he and Gulutzan have built a bond.
Gulutzan said he understands the dynamic of being an assistant coach, so he gives his assistants the room to make decisions. He calls himself a sounding board for Graham, and that seems to be working very well.
“They have been giving us a different perspective and helping us be successful on the different (penalty kills) that we are facing,” said Johnston, who scored on Friday. “I think they have done an awesome job getting us that information and then letting us use our skill to capitalize.”
Johnston leads the NHL with 10 power play goals, and said he is lucky to be in a group that has this much talent. Rantanen made a great setup against Utah, and players like Heiskanen, Hintz, Seguin and Robertson have also had fantastic assists in recent games.
“The biggest thing for me is being ready for the puck,” Johnston said. “The guys we have out there are making plays and looking to find you around the net. We’ve done a great job creating chances on the power play. It was a great pass by Mikko to find me to score.”
As for the lessons learned from Calgary? Well, Johnston said that’s what good teams do.
“We’re always adjusting and trying to find those different looks,” Johnston said. “That Calgary one would have been a good one to get, but we learned from it. You should score 5-on-3, so it’s important that we execute when we get an opportunity.”
