The Dallas Stars’ first line has been one of the NHL’s best over recent seasons and was expected to continue as such this year.
Dallas has a loaded offensive lineup. While Joe Pavelski had been a massive part of that top line, it was thought the roster still had enough firepower to replace his production adequately. Through 17 games, it simply hadn’t happened. But something changed on Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks.
The Stars were finally able to use the expected combination of Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, and Wyatt Johnston on the front line. It paid off with three goals and seven points in a 5-2 win.
“We needed those guys to get going,” head coach Pete DeBoer told the media during a postgame press conference. “The right guys scored. You could tell by their body language that it was a weight off their shoulders, and hopefully, it’s the start of some big things here. We need them.”
Struggling Stars
The Stars entered the offseason with Hintz and Robertson returning and many expecting Johnston to join them on the team’s top line. However, injuries to multiple players, including Robertson, derailed that plan.
While the team sorted through those situations, the trio played separately. Hintz and Robertson remained on the first line with a rotation of Evgenii Dadonov and Logan Stankoven. Johnston stayed on the third line with Jamie Benn and usually whichever of Dadonov or Stankoven was not playing on the top line.
The Benn-Johnston-Stankoven line worked well together, but the Stars still needed to add some juice to the top as two of their top players continued to struggle. Luckily, the second-line combination of Matt Duchene, Tyler Seguin, and Mason Marchment has picked up the slack and then some.
Still, the Stars need to pick it up quickly. Now trending toward full health, they can finally move forward with the line combinations they had hoped to have.
Why Johnston is the Best Fit
Johnston has become an emerging star in the NHL with 56 goals and 106 points over his first two seasons. He also led Dallas in goals throughout last year’s playoff run. Pairing him with two other forwards with Hintz and Robertson’s skill levels is almost unfair.
All three have finished among Dallas’ most productive forwards over the last two seasons, with Robertson tallying 109 points in 2022-23 and Hintz leading the team in scoring during the postseason that year. This line combination could give Dallas two elite groupings at the top of a deep offensive lineup, helping them against fellow championship contenders because of they all have the ability to produce at both ends of the ice.
“He’s very responsible on the defensive end — knows where to go, knows where to be, takes draws, plays hard minutes,” Robertson said of Johnston. “We’re going to play some good teams coming up here, so he’s very trustworthy to play against top players, top lines. It definitely helps when you to have a right-handed centreman, especially one of his caliber. I look forward to building off this and start[ing] something special.”
Getting Results
The Hintz-Robertson-Johnston combination continued its progress with a power-play goal to seal a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Dallas has also had its share of struggles on the power play this season, but with a seemingly healthy lineup, maybe now the Stars can carry over some continuity and chemistry from their full-strength lineup to their special teams.
Of course, it is just two games. But if they can replicate the recent success throughout the year, the Dallas Stars could have a special first-line combination. It would provide a huge boost for a team that expects to contend for the Stanley Cup.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
