The Dallas Stars are fighting more, why it might actually matter
Some quick thoughts on something that I rarely write about.
I rarely write about fights.
I think in most cases they are completely unnecessary, especially in today’s NHL. We often romanticize fights, how they swing a game or something like that, when in reality, in my view, momentum-swinging fights rarely, if ever, actually exist.
I also can’t help but notice that when hockey is at its peak, the stuff we brag about, the NHL playoffs and the Olympics, fights rarely happen.
So, why am I writing about fights after watching the Dallas Stars 5-2 win against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday?
Because for this Stars team, it might actually matter, especially after Glen Gulutzan’s comments this summer about better prepping this team for the Stanley Cup playoffs and the “hand-to-hand” nature of the postseason.
It’s not that the Stars were soft last season, but they did lack a certain grit and grind, especially against the Edmonton Oilers. They also, pretty famously, didn’t do much of anything when their No. 1 center, Roope Hintz, had his foot broken on a slash by Darnell Nurse.
The Stars, for years, have also put most of the fisticuff-related responsibilities on Jamie Benn. With some rare exceptions, if the Stars were going to fight or dish out retribution, it was going to come from the captain.
But Benn isn’t available right now, he’s still receiving from a collapsed lung that will keep him out for at least four weeks. And despite Benn’s absence, through three games, the Stars have looked grittier and nastier — a side effect of committing to a fourth line with a distinct role, and they’ve also been willing to respond with their fists.
Through two games the Stars have fought twice, Justin Hryckowian on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche and Alexander Petrovic on Tuesday against Minnesota.
In both cases it was depth players dropping the gloves after big, semi-clean, hits on the Stars best players. Hryckowian fought Ross Colton after the Avalanche forward leveled Miro Heiskanen along the end boards.
Petrovic sparred with Jake Middleton on Tuesday after a hit by the Wild defender on Matt Duchene that knocked the Stars forward out of the game.
It’s a bit of a new norm for the Stars. The Stars had just 10 fights last season, eight the season before. While I don’t expect a fight every game, it feels pretty likely that this season the Stars could easily double up the number of bouts.
Through three games the Stars have played one of the NHL’s most entertaining schedules, the games against Winnipeg, Colorado, and Minnesota have objectively been pretty exciting, even for neutral viewers. And there’s a lot of in-game things I’d like to talk more about, and will, later this week. But, the fighting, for me, hasn’t felt like a sideshow, rather more of a mentality shift for a team that might have needed an attitude adjustment in certain areas.
Again, kind of surprised myself to be writing about fights and the Dallas Stars at this time of year, but it’s something that might oddly have been slightly needed.
Obviously curious of your thoughts on this, and after we get through five games under the new regime we’ll really dive into some of the schematics of how the Stars are playing.
Overall, I can definitely see that the players are going that '1% extra' across the board. I said to my husband after leaving the game last night that I think that was the most physical game I've ever seen Harley play. There were a couple times that Nil's even was very physical along the boards with a couple of players that were much bigger than him, not that that's hard, but you get my jist. Robo was much more physical and used his body more than I've ever seen him. It was nice to see them not shy away from it.
I appreciate your take on this. Here's mine:
Whether you’re all-in on hockey fights or think they should go the way of the dinosaur, one thing’s clear: it’s a team thing. Though I’m sure it happens, it’s rare to see anyone say, yeah, our guy shouldn’t have done that. It’s fair for him to get punched. Fans take sides.
Obviously players do too. Maybe only one player per team is involved in a fight, but it’s generally on behalf of a teammate, and it’s all about the team.
To all appearances, Pete DeBoer forbade fighting, even angering fans (and probably players too) by saying, “We’re not built for that.” (We were built fine for that.) Taking the high road might be a good thing, but everyone knows it doesn’t always work out. And for the Stars, when it didn’t, it left the team both defeated and deflated, as a whole and as individuals, in moments that really mattered.
Glen Gulutzan accepting, embracing, even praising fighting squares up with his emphasis on “physicality” and “combat.” But it also further demonstrates his understanding of team unity and morale.
Players feel something when a teammate goes to bat for them. The team connection strengthens when one becomes “all for one.”
Fighting isn’t the only way to do this, but it’s one tool in the box. While I’m not a fan of fighting, I think Gulutzan and the Stars are wise to use it (prudently) as the tool that it is. When it comes to understanding what makes this team as good as it is, and potentially even better, Gulutzan seems to have a well-outfitted toolbox. It’s served the team well so far, and raised my expectations for the team’s ceiling this year.