DALLAS _ A look at either blue line during Friday night's 1-0 Stars overtime win over the Bruins and there were bound to be unknowns on defense, such as recent residents of AHL arenas in Cedar Park or Providence _ Zboril? Bayreuther? Clifton? Hanley? Lauzon?
Both the Bruins and Stars entered Friday night bruised on defense, shaken by a rash of injuries that ravaged their depth and forced both teams to reach deep into their organization. Big names like John Klingberg and Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy were among the 10 total defensemen missing on Friday night _ six Bruins and four Stars.
So, of course, the night when three defensemen made their NHL debuts set up for a low-scoring and hard-knocking affair decided by Jason Dickinson in overtime.
The win marked the seventh time in the last nine games that Stars have collected points, and it was the final game before they play seven of their next eight on the road, beginning with Sunday afternoon's game in Brooklyn against the Islanders.
The teams also combined for 10 roughing penalties and two fighting majors, with Boston's Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron and Dallas' Radek Faksa at the center of the action.
Despite the injuries on the blue line, the night appeared to favor the Stars. They still had more experience on defense and boasted arguably the best defenseman whenever Miro Heiskanen touched the ice. At home, they could control the matchups and dictate who the young Bruins would play against. They hadn't played since Monday while Boston was playing three games in four days on the road.
"It's a good game to be at home with our back end, and it's also a good game to be at home with who their back end is so that we can get favorable matchups," Stars coach Jim Montgomery said before the game. "We're going to make their defensemen try and beat us. That's going to be the focus of our game plan. But at the same time, when we're a good team, we're a forechecking team."
The Stars had decent chances throughout the game but couldn't dent the scoreboard. Tyler Pitlick trickled a puck through Tuukka Rask in the first period, but Torey Krug stopped it before it crossed the goal line. Tyler Seguin had an opportunity on the power play. Esa Lindell stepped down to challenge Rask in the third period. Faksa was stoned on a couple loose pucks around the crease.
But Faksa's stellar night _ shutting down perhaps the best line in hockey with Marchand, Bergeron and David Pastrnak _ would be overshadowed by a hit on Bergeron in the second period.
Faksa and Bergeron both went to the boards while chasing a loose puck, but Bergeron got crunched and ultimately would have to leave the game temporarily. Marchand dropped the gloves with Faksa, and both earned roughing penalties. When Bergeron returned to the game, he pestered Faksa after the whistle, ultimately detonating a third-period scuffle in which Bergeron, Marchand, Blake Comeau and Roman Polak all earned roughing penalties.
Nearly three minutes later, the usually mild-mannered Jason Spezza fought for just the sixth time in his career.
But the chippiness couldn't mask how neither offense could capture a perfect opportunity to dominate a seemingly overmatched defensive corps.
"It's going to be a real indoctrination for a few of them, but it is what it is," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "It's the National Hockey League. You can either play in it or you can't. We'll find out."
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