As one of DBD’s #fancystats mavens has already pointed out, the Dallas Stars’ putative identity as a defense-first team is given the lie by their actual numbers. So why not look for a little more offense in their defense?
One solution for this might be to pair the team’s two best offensive blueliners a bit more often than on empty-net plays. But the Stars seem to be avoiding that cheat code at all costs. The Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks investigated:
The Stars have been reluctant to ice Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg at the same time, if even just to take advantage of offensive-zone faceoffs or icings.