Dallas Stars surge into Olympic break on 6-game winning streak, hope to keep that momentum

DALLAS — The Dallas Stars surged into the Olympic break winning six games in a row, and now have to pause their longest streak of the season.

“I kind of hate the timing of this, to be honest. You know, feeling good as an individual and then as a team, we’re rolling,” center Matt Duchene said. “But I think that hunger will continue to fester on the break.”

Dallas certainly hopes to come out of this three-week hiatus better than it did after a much-shorter break at Christmas. The Stars had won eight of 10 before an overtime loss in their last game before the three-day holiday, then dropped 10 of 13 until this six-game stretch of one-goal wins that began and ended at home against St. Louis — the deciding goal came in the final minute of both of those games.

“It's nice because it buys you some peace on the break,” coach Glen Gulutzan said after a 5-4 win over the Blues on Wednesday night. “But I do know that these streaks, that much of a break, you've got to try to start them back up again. It's almost like they end because it's all new when you come back.”

Gulutzan, first the Stars coach from 2011-13, was re-hired by general manager Jim Nill last summer after Pete DeBoer was fired following their third consecutive season that ended with a loss in the Western Conference Final.

After the break

The Stars (34-14-9, 77 points) are again a top contender in the Western Conference, trailing only Colorado (88 points) and Minnesota (78) — who have the NHL's top two records. They have 25 regular-season games (15 at home) remaining over 50 days when they resume play Feb. 25 against Seattle. They play the Avalanche three times and the Wild twice.

“We’ve done a lot of really good things lately. I think four of those six (wins) are our best hockey we’ve played all year. ... There’s lots of build to and we’ll come back really hungry from this break,” Duchene said.

“There’s always something to work on as a group and we’re not perfect by any means,” Stars captain Jamie Benn said. “But I like the way we found ways to win, and we’ll get some rest and come back and work at our game. We’re in for a sprint after these Olympics, and it’ll be fun.”

Contributing veterans

Duchene missed 24 games early in the season because of a concussion, but the 35-year-old center has six goals and two assists during his point streak that equals the team's winning streak. He had a goal and an assist Wednesday night.

The 36-year-old Benn, in his 17th NHL season and all with Dallas, missed the first 19 games this season because of a collapsed lung in the preseason. He scored two goals in the latest game, including the game-winner with 22.8 seconds left, to snap a 15-game goal drought. It was his first multigoal game since scoring twice against Pittsburgh on March 22, 2024.

“I've been telling him nonstop how well he's playing and he's got some swagger in his game and he's a heck of a player, and he's shown it throughout his career,” Duchene said of Benn, who has been with him on the same line. “He's still got a lot of game in him and he's been awesome to play with.”

Off to the Olympics

Seven Stars are going to the Milan Cortina Olympics, including all four of their Finnish players: Mikko Rantanen (20 goals, 49 assists), Roope Hintz, Esa Lindel and Miro Heiskanen. Thomas Harley will be part of Team Canada, along with GM Nill, while Radek Faksa will play for the Czech Republic and goalie Jake Oettinger for the United States.

Left off the Team USA roster was Jason Robertson, who has 66 points (32 goals, 34 assists) this season. He became the first player from the NHL’s 2017 draft class with 200 career goals when he scored in his 431st career game Wednesday night.