SUNRISE, Fla. _ In the last four years, sometime in mid to late January, Tyler Seguin made unscheduled trips to Tampa and Los Angeles and Nashville and Columbus. He was an All-Star in all four seasons, and a once empty weekend on the calendar was filled with festivities and responsibilities.
This year, more than two weeks before the Stars' 3-0 win over the Panthers on Tuesday night, Seguin wasn't an All-Star. He was the Dallas candidate in the fan vote as the last player voted to the game, but joked that he didn't want anyone to vote for him. So he spent his bye week and All-Star break relaxing in Mexico.
The nagging injuries that forced him to miss some practice time healed. And he came back to the Stars as the goal-scoring machine he'd been with the franchise across the previous five years. Against the Panthers on Tuesday night, Seguin scored twice and assisted on Esa Lindell's goal.
Seguin now has six goals in seven games since the All-Star break, including a pair of two-goal games. Since Jan. 1, Seguin has 13 goals and seven assists in 16 games.
"Over that break, I took some time to I don't want to say reset, but it was a good break," Seguin said. "Refreshing for me. I think going to the last (four) All-Star games, it was a nice break. Coming out of that, I felt a little more boost of energy."
Seguin's goal total has now climbed to 24 this season, putting him on a 35-goal pace across the entire season. That would be the fourth highest total of his nine-year career. His shooting percentage _ once as low as 4.23 percent in early November _ has grown to 10.8 percent, much more in line with his career average of 11.2.
To Stars coach Jim Montgomery, it's Seguin's play that has driven the Stars' recent play. Dallas is 6-1-1 in its last eight games, and is six points clear of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
"There's no question that Tyler Seguin, since we've come back from this break, has been our best player on an every night basis," Montgomery said. "He's leading us with his effort on the ice. He's doing the right things and saying the right things. It's been awesome to watch, and obviously makes us a lot better."
Before Tuesday's game, Montgomery talked about what has stood out to him about Seguin, the one-time teenager with a sullied reputation in Boston who found a new home with the Stars in Dallas. Montgomery labeled Seguin an intelligent player, even if he was reluctant to show it: "His mind for the game and his understanding of players in the league, and goalies in the league, it's unreal how intelligent he is about it."
After the game, Montgomery explained what was different about Seguin since the All-Star break.
"Just his focus and his intensity," Montgomery said. "He's always dialed in now. There's not a lot of horsing around, or moments when he's not engaged at the rink thinking about hockey. It's been very impressive to see, because it's a whole other level of intensity that you see him taking his game to."
Tuesday night, Seguin scored off the rush in the first period, deflecting a feed from Roope Hintz past Roberto Luongo to give the Stars an early 1-0 lead. He helped Lindell score his eighth goal of the season by one-touching a pass to him in the slot. And then Seguin iced the game with an empty-net goal with 2:12 left in the game.
The Stars will need Seguin to keep producing like he is. They still are the third-worst offense in the league, even with Seguin's contributions, and can ill afford their top goal scorer going cold like he did when he was banging posts in November and December. He's the engine of the Dallas offense, and they need him.
Because this is the way the Stars play. They held the potent Panthers power play (third in the NHL) scoreless on four tries. They held Florida scoreless for the first time this season. During the last eight games, the Stars have allowed just 1.75 goals per game.
"It wasn't pretty," Montgomery said, "but it's the way we play."
