Duchene's jump and the habits of winning hockey

Matt Duchene has jump.

That’s an odd circumstance for a 33-year-old in the middle of training camp, but there is a reason for the extra energy. Duchene last season was bought out by the Nashville Predators and flung into a new home in Dallas, so there was some turbulence that he had to deal with. This season, he’s back for his second campaign with the Stars and everything is just a little more calm.

“It’s definitely easier coming in when you know what to expect,” said Duchene, who had two goals and an assist in a 4-2 win over Colorado Friday. “It feels like a continuation of last year.”

And that’s a good thing, for a lot of reasons. Not only is Duchene a bargain at $3 million, he’s a hungry veteran who is helping to drive the Stars. Duchene made it past the First Round of the playoffs once in his first 14 NHL seasons. He made it to the Western Conference Final in his first go in Dallas. That run not only helped fire up his competitive engine, it showed him areas where he needs to improve. Duchene’s hockey brain is constantly moving, and getting to Game 6 of the Western Conference Final was quite a journey.

“This is the shortest summer I’ve ever had, and I’ll be honest, it felt like the right length, it didn’t drag on,” Duchene said. “It’s knowing the systems, not having to think as much and being on autopilot and letting it flow . . . it’s good.”

He’s not alone in that category. Duchene struck up a chemistry with Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment, and now the trio is back together with a few hundred days of practice under their collective belt. That shows in workouts and was really clear against the Avalanche. Duchene said Colorado players were giving the Stars a hard time about running set plays in preseason, but he said that’s where they are right now.

“Their guys were giving up crap for setting up plays, but that’s where we are right now,” Duchene said. “We want to hit the ground running, so we’re attacking it like it’s a regular game.”

The Stars have one exhibition game remaining Thursday at St. Louis, and the expectation is they will try to get the full lineup, or as close to possible, out there. That means the trio could be together and that’s important as the top line gets restructured after Joe Pavelski retired and Jason Robertson missed training camp with a foot injury. By allowing Roope Hintz some strong support, the Duchene line can make a significant contribution

“We need that line to get back to where they were last year,” assistant coach Steve Spott said of the fact they had combined for 35 goals by Jan. 1. “There is a lot of talent on that line. You’ve got size, you’ve got grit, you’ve got skill, so it’s a huge line. If they can take some pressure off Roope’s line, it gives us great depth.”

In the Colorado game, Seguin sprung Duchene on a breakaway down the off wing and his center beat Alexandar Georgiev with a top shelf shot. On Seguin’s goal, Duchene won a faceoff back to defenseman Thomas Harley and the Stars perfectly executed a “set piece” as Harley went behind the net and found an open Seguin. On Duchene’s second goal, captain Jamie Benn joined the line and made a nice feed to Seguin on the right wing. Seguin then flipped the puck into the slot and Duchene redirected it in.

Seguin joked that he felt the chemistry from his old linemate Benn, but the theory holds water. Chemistry is real. It’s built over thousands of repetitions, and it lasts for quite some time.

“It’s part of what makes us good,” Seguin said. “You play with someone for so long, and so long being a full season, and you’re going to have that chemistry. We have been practicing together almost the whole summer, precamp, in camp, so I think it was expected of us.”

And that’s a big difference from last season.

“I think being in Nashville so long and the whirlwind of not knowing all of that stuff that went down, it’s hard for anybody to adjust that quickly, so it’s nice to see him feeling more comfortable early on this year,” Seguin said.

And now, it’s clear Duchene has a head start this year. When asked what he is hoping to accomplish before the season opener next Thursday, the veteran said, “Just sharpness, the habits of winning hockey and what makes our team good.”

“I think one is an individual thing and one is a team thing,” Duchene added. “They’re both equally important. The team stuff is what I’m more used to this year. It’s a lot easier knowing what to do, knowing where I’m supposed to be. Knowing when I mess up, knowing when I do something well. We’re so well coached and that’s a big part of what makes us a good team.”

And that just makes raising the bar that much easier.

“Last year was good, I want this year to be great,” Duchene said. “Every day, that’s my mindset.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @MikeHeika.