DALLAS _ The ebbs and flows of the hockey season welcome inconsistencies and uneven performances. It lends itself to anemic outputs and explosive onslaughts. It's part of the beauty of the season. Every night presents an opportunity to erase the previous night's errors.
So, it only made sense that the Stars broke out for 6-4 win over Ottawa on Friday night, receiving two goals from defenseman Miro Heiskanen and firing 54 shots on goal. The 54 shots on goal were more than the previous two games combined, when Dallas managed 36 shots total in losses to the Rangers and Penguins.
Nineteen of the 20 Stars skaters registered shots on goal and Dallas' 54 shots were the most since 1995, when the Stars had 55 shots on goal in a tie with the Kings. Heiskanen, the 19-year-old rookie, was not born the last time the Stars had as many shots.
The brief offensive drought ended with a wave.
It started from the back end. Dallas defensemen had 20 shots on goal against the Senators, nearly as many as the last three games combined (22). In two of those three games, the Stars scored just one goal.
"The last three games, defensemen doesn't have that much shots," Heiskanen said. "They said shoot the puck, and we shoot and there was traffic. It's good."
Devin Shore made his return to the lineup with two assists, including a dazzler by dangling around an Ottawa defenseman and flipping a pass to the trailing Taylor Fedun, who roofed a backhand for his first goal as a Star. It was his first game for Dallas since coming over in a trade from Buffalo less than two weeks ago.
Shore's influence on the game was apparent, leading the rush on Fedun's goal and helping keep possession on Heiskanen's tally. Shore returned to the lineup after missing the previous four games with a lower-body injury.
"I think we held on to the puck more when we could," Shore said. "I thought our D did a really good job of getting their shots through to the net. Miro's went in, but that can create rebounds and traffic, and difficulties for the other team. Just establishing more of a cycle game and getting a lot of shots through."
During the road trip, Montgomery was displeased with the Stars ability to hold pucks and create extended possessions in the offensive zone. In a loss Monday to the Rangers, the offense faded for the final 40 minutes. In a blowout loss to the Penguins on Wednesday, they mustered three shots on goal in the first period.
Montgomery blamed himself after the Pittsburgh loss and came into Friday with more of an emphasis on themselves and their own game.
"The pre-scout was about us, and about us executing," Montgomery said before the game. "Our execution isn't _ especially with the puck, on breakouts and neutral zone counters and in the offensive zone _ anywhere where I would like it."
Heiskanen is an ideal candidate to help in those areas. Without John Klingberg because of a hand injury, the Stars lack a defenseman who can skate the puck out and find space in the middle of the ice. So they struggled to create offense because they couldn't escape cleanly from their own end.
That's part of Heiskanen's game, but Friday night showcased his shot.
He whipped a shot from the top of the circles in the second period to beat Senators goaltender Craig Anderson. In the third period, his point shot found its way through a Jason Spezza screen and off an Ottawa defenseman. With the goalie pulled, Heiskanen took aim at a hat trick in the closing minutes.
He missed, and said he hasn't had a hat trick in his pro career, in the NHL or Finland's Liiga.
"Maybe 10 years ago, something like that," Heiskanen said. "A long time ago. Not today."
