DALLAS _ Across 96 seconds of the Stars' 3-0 win over Arizona on Thursday night _ amid the NHL coaching debut of Jim Montgomery, the introduction of Miro Heiskanen and the return of hockey to Dallas _ the Stars found everything they were looking for.
In those 96 seconds in the second period, the Stars seized control of their season opener, blitzing Arizona with three goals. The sequence broke open a previously goalless game and boosted the Stars to their third season-opening win in the last four years.
But in a year defined by a potential return to the playoffs, the way the Stars scored may have been more important than the fact that they scored.
The Stars received a goal from their bottom six when Devin Shore spun in a loose puck on the edge of the crease, 4:21 into the second period.
Last season, the Stars lacked secondary scoring, receiving the highest share of points from their top four scorers in the NHL. This preseason, the quest for depth scoring was a popular question and a key one if the Stars plan on competing for the Stanley Cup they covet. The first goal of the season was the preliminary step to answering it.
Twenty-eight seconds later, Alexander Radulov netted his first goal of the season, a flung backhand that snuck through Antti Raanta. The goal came on the rush, a transition goal sprung from the defensive zone. The next one came similarly, when John Klingberg finished a 2-on-0 break by zooming a wrist shot over Raanta's shoulder.
The Stars were fun again.
Those 96 seconds resembled what Montgomery has asked from his team. The Stars won four of the five faceoffs. They delivered four of the five shots on goal. Defensemen activated, pinching in the offensive zone to keep possession and create scoring chances. Heiskanen, the touted rookie, helped set up the first goal with a pass from the right circle up to the point to Connor Carrick.
In their own zone, the Stars broke out easily and pushed the pace up ice. Radulov and Klingberg were the recipients, but Dallas created similar chances early in the game, too, with Tyler Pitlick and Roman Polak firing shots on goal.
It was a renaissance of the high-flying Stars, one largely absent last season when Ken Hitchcock implemented his defensive style. It was what Montgomery preached when he took over his first NHL job, and part of what will assimilate the Stars with the modern game of hockey. The Stars will pressure the puck, possess the puck, and unleash their skill.
The final ingredient _ a healthy and impervious Ben Bishop _ was present for more than 96 seconds. Bishop made 30 saves in the shutout, frustrating Coyotes shooters and handling the puck with ease. When Bishop wasn't stoning Arizona, the pipes were. Arizona clanked three posts.
Montgomery's fingerprints were all over the Stars victory, even if he had to change up his message to the team at morning skate. Montgomery was supposed to be the anxious one, the newcomer who spent five seasons in college at the University of Denver joked about his nerves in the days leading up to Thursday night.
"Well, I had a message ready ... 'Hey, it's Opening Night, let's play on our toes,' " Montgomery said Thursday morning. "I had to actually switch it because the guys were pretty tight this morning. I told them 'I thought I was going to be the nervous one, not you guys. You guys have been through this a few times except for a couple of you.' "
For Montgomery, he'd finally see a goal accomplished. He said his family and his best friend from St. Louis would attend his debut. He played in the NHL years ago but stood behind the bench only in seven preseason games. The emotions were a little different pregame.
"I think as a player, you're really focused on yourself," Montgomery said. "Probably, I was more nervous as a player than as a coach because, as a coach, you're so immersed in your preparation that you don't have time to be nervous."
