Stars Logan Stankoven never lost his game despite scoring drought

Logan Stankoven isn’t really a rookie.

Sure, technically he is by Calder Trophy eligibility, but the 21-year-old played 43 combined NHL games between the regular season and playoffs during the 2023-24 season.

“I guess I think I feel like a rookie, but I played a lot of extra games (last season),” Stankoven said. “It really helped to have those extra games, especially the ones in the playoffs, that really prepared me for this season.”

It also prepared Stankoven to handle the adversity of a difficult 25-game scoring drought, which he finally snapped Tuesday with a pair of goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs, as the Dallas Stars won 4-1.

Stankoven explained his thinking on Tuesday morning.

“I think in my entire career I’ll never change the way I play, but when the puck isn’t going in, you’re gripping the stick a bit tighter,” Stankoven said. “I think that’s the time you have to stick to things with your defensive details and not shy away from that. If you keep doing those things right, you’ll show up on the scoresheet sooner than later.”

When Stankoven finally scored against Toronto it wasn’t a dashing or dazzling play. He simply went to the net, stopped, and found the rebound on the second whack after an initial shot by Sam Steel.

His second goal, which effectively iced the victory, was scored in similar fashion as he went to the front of the net and a shot by Matt Duchene simply deflected off Stankoven for the goal.

That area, the net front, was part of my conversation on Tuesday morning with Stankoven, who explained that figuring out the leverage and taking advantage of his low center of gravity have become vital to his success.

It’s something the Stars recognized throughout Stankoven’s development. Multiple times in recent years Stars general manager Jim Nill has compared Stankoven to former Stars forward (and current Anaheim Ducks GM) Pat Verbeek, who was famously known as a “little ball of hate.”

Stankoven isn’t necessarily “hateful,” but he does bring a bit of an intense edge that lies under the surface, which once again was sharpened by the NHL playoffs last spring.

“The physicality and the intensity and the grind,” Stankoven said. “It was a good run for us, and this year the goal has to be to get to the same exact spot, and get further too.”

In the short term, for Stankoven, the goals are finally happening, and if he can add that to his overall game, the Stars will be in good shape.