FRISCO -- At times during the preseason, it was unclear if big-bodied depth players like Roman Polak and Brett Ritchie would even crack the Stars lineup. Ritchie was caught in the middle of a six-man battle for fourth-line minutes. Polak was signed in the offseason to be a seventh defenseman.
When the Stars opened the season Thursday night against Arizona, though, both Ritchie and Polak were on the ice and they delivered the physicality that Stars coach Jim Montgomery wants from two of his three heaviest players in the lineup. Montgomery said he also liked how physical Esa Lindell and Jamie Benn were.