DALLAS _ Ken Hitchcock warned everyone Friday that line shuffling could just be a way of life down the stretch.
The Stars coach said he was going to try Jason Spezza with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin on the top line just to see what happens. By the end of Saturday's 3-2 overtime win against the Blues, Alexander Radulov was being double-shifted and Spezza was seeking a place to play.
"I think most coaches are nuts. We'll change in a second," Hitchcock said. "I know this time of year that if it's not working, don't sit on it. That's my experience. Don't think it is going to turn around a week later if you just stay with it. You've got to be able to see chemistry. If you see it right away, stick with it. And if you don't, you've got to move quick. We're prepared to move quick either way."
He did exactly that on Saturday. Radulov was having a great game playing beside Mattias Janmark and Devin Shore. Radulov then took an extended shift and stayed out with Benn and Seguin, and that gave Hitchcock all the motivation he needed to put the top line back together.
"If you look at it, this was a three line game," Hitchcock said of his decision. "Both teams knew what was at stake. This was three lines. We got some good minutes from (Jason Dickinson's) line, but this was mostly a three-line game."
And Radulov, who played five shifts of one minute or more, was playing on two of those lines a lot of the time. Late in the game, he scored the game-tying goal off an assist from Seguin. He then almost set up Shore for the go-ahead goal.
However, officials determined Shore kicked the puck in. Radulov was seen on the bench earlier in the game giving Shore advice on a shift they just played together.
"It's awesome," Shore said. "He's so tenacious on the puck, you just try to support him. He also brings some pretty incredible hockey sense that he's got his head up and he has the ability to make some really good plays, so you're trying to match that work ethic, support him, and play with your head up, as well. Bring a strong working mentality, because he brings that every shift."
As for the decision to double shift Radulov and eventually move him back to the top line, Hitchcock said the player forced that decision.
"Rads, he doesn't want to give up anything. He doesn't give up any ground. He doesn't want to give up anything," Hitchcock said. "That line was excellent tonight. It was really good."
