Game Day Guide: Stars at Devils

First Shift 🏒

Lian Bichsel became the Stars’ latest casualty on defense, as head coach Glen Gulutzan said the big blueliner will be out 6-8 weeks with a lower body injury after colliding with the boards on Sunday against Ottawa.

“Bisch is probably going to have surgery so he’s going to be out for 6-8 weeks,” Gulutzan said Tuesday before the Stars faced the New York Rangers. “It’s the same as Nils’s injury, pretty much identical.”

“Nils” is defenseman Nils Lundkvist, who has been out since suffering a lower body injury on Oct. 16 against Vancouver. He’s missed the last 23 games and his return is up in the air. Also currently out is Thomas Harley, who was sidelined on Nov. 13 after a game in Montreal. His return date is still undetermined as well. That means the group the Stars had assembled at the start of the season is missing three key pieces and is instead relying on No. 7, No. 8 and No. 9 on the depth chart.

“We have great defensive depth as an organization, so that’s been a huge help,” Gulutzan said. “I’ve been impressed with the players who have come in.”

Alexander Petrovic has played 24 playoff games in the past two postseasons with Dallas, so he has been through the battle. The 33-year-old has played 25 games this season and has a goal and six assists.

That means the depth defensemen have really had to step up. Kyle Capobianco, 28, has been in the Stars organization for two years and has played 11 games this season. He has played 85 NHL games and is showing the skill he uses as a power play quarterback in the NHL. Vladislav Kolyachonok, 24, was acquired in the Matt Dumba trade with Pittsburgh and has played in six games with the Stars this season. He has played 80 NHL games with Arizona, Utah, Pittsburgh and Dallas and is also seen as a skilled player who can skate.

“It certainly helps that they can move,” Gulutzan said. “We’re usually a defending team but now you add in some guys that can move, and Koly can really move the puck, and that’s helped our group.”

Also helping is the fact the top pairing of Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell have been fantastic. Heiskanen is averaging 25:52 in time on ice per game, third most in the NHL. Lindell is at 23:38.

The Stars are in the middle of playing six games in nine days, so that’s a heavy toll, but the top pair has been eating it up.

“We’ve had to manage them, but they’re such a good pair that it’s hard to not have them on the ice,” Gulutzan said. “We’ve tried to manage their days off and their rest in-between, and they’re great athletes, so they can handle them in those minutes and they’re very efficient in those minutes.”