Forget the minutes. Jamie Benn is the heartbeat of this Stars team right now, even if he plays less than ever. He is logging just 12:20 a game, which is down from 13:17 last season, yet he is still finding the net. That is the kind of old-school grit Dallas needs to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.
The Stars hold a 7-5-1 record while the Blue Jackets sit at 5-6-0. Dallas has won 22 of 38 games at home against Columbus all time. The Stars need Benn to keep doing what he does best. He has 35 career points against the Blue Jackets, the second-highest mark among active Stars skaters.
The Veteran Edge
Benn looks lighter and moves faster this year. Wyatt Johnston noticed the change on Thursday. “I think he’s been moving well,” Johnston said on Thursday, according to NHL.com. The coach agrees. “I thought Jamie has had good legs the last couple of games,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said.
Seguin backs up the praise too. “He shows us the way with how hard he works,” Seguin said. When Benn finds the net, the whole bench reacts. “It’s great when he finds the back of the net. We all get excited,” Seguin added.
The Math Behind the Matchup
Dallas has a massive edge on the penalty kill. The Stars are 93.5% effective, stopping 43 of 46 chances. Columbus struggles mightily in that department, killing only 74.3% of their penalties. This gap will decide the game. If the Stars draw penalties, they must convert. If Columbus gets power-play chances, they must capitalize.
Mikko Rantanen is also heating up. He recorded two assists in the last matchup and now has 10 points in his last seven games. As a Star, his 78th assist came on Benn’s goal, a mark that beat Kent Nilsson for the franchise record through a player’s first 100 games.
The game starts at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday at American Airlines Center. Against the Blue Jackets, the Stars secured points in 10 of their last 15 contests. They need that streak to continue. With only four points across 13 games this season, Benn shows his age yet remains capable of performing. “We just need everybody doing it,” Gulutzan said. The Stars have the home ice and the history.
