First Shift 🏒
Johnston might have had the line of the night on Sunday after Dallas took a 6-1 win against the Ottawa Senators.
“Confidence,” he said, “is a hell of a drug.”
The Stars are riding a high right now, and that is showing in their results. Dallas has won four games in a row and outscored the opposition 21-9 in that span. The power play has gone 6-for-14 in that span and now leads the NHL in both success rate and total goals.
It's a good time for the team.
“I feel like when you’re feeling it, things start to flow and different things open up,” Johnston said. “Confidence is a hell of a drug. It’s been fueling us for a bit now.”
Dallas has battled injuries all season and has had its ups and downs despite a 17-5-4 overall record. However, Robertson is on a roll with 13 goals in the past 10 games. Meanwhile, Rantanen had 15 assists in 14 games during the month of November.
Rantanen is a huge catalyst on this team and is earning quite a bit of praise for his passing prowess.
“You have to respect him whenever the puck is on his stick,” Robertson said. “I’ve seen that for years, and I’m glad we’ve got him on our team now. It’s another dynamic added to our lineup.”
Rantanen was acquired in a blockbuster trade back in March, so this is his first full season with the Stars. But Dallas players know him from spending nearly a decade in Colorado. They are now getting to see a different side of him.
“He’s an awesome player,” said Johnston. “He sees the ice so well. Not many guys can see plays that he sees. It’s a lot of fun to play with him. I’ve learned to be ready at all times, especially when he has the puck.”
Johnston, too, has been “awesome,” and part of the reason is because he is so ready. He gets interior positioning and then gets ready for the pass. On Sunday, Rantanen found him on one bang-bang play, and Roope Hintz delivered another assist that was turned into a quick release for a goal.
“He’s really good in tight,” Gulutzan said. “I don’t know if I’ve seen another guy better in tight. He’s got quick hands and he knows where to shoot. It’s hard to teach stuff that makes these guys great.”
Rantanen has been on a line with Johnston and captain Benn and said that chemistry is helping fuel confidence.
“Obviously, Johnny and Benny are two really smart players,” Rantanen said. “They both can score, but they can also make plays, so I have to be ready when they have the puck. The more minutes we get, we will find each other even better.”
Because you know what they say about confidence.
