FRISCO, Texas - Lindy Ruff is never afraid to shake things up in his lineup whenever necessary, which is why it wasn't surprising to see he had some different line combinations for the Dallas Stars as they practiced in Frisco on Monday morning.
Here is what those lines looked like:
Jamie Benn â Tyler Seguin â Cody Eakin
Patrick Eaves â Jason Spezza â Ales Hemsky
Antoine Roussel â Vernon Fiddler â Ryan Garbutt
Erik Cole â Shawn Horcoff â Colton Sceviour
Dallas hit the road on Monday afternoon for a quick two-game trip that takes them to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday before returning home to host the Philadelphia Flyers at American Airlines Center on Saturday night.
And after the Stars fell 4-1 at the Nashville Predators on Saturday, a lackluster performance to say the least, Ruff felt a few changes were in order.
Of course, as always, the veteran NHL head coach could go with something different at morning skate Tuesday in Columbus and in the game against the Jackets.
"It's something we want to look at. I was really happy with the effort and everything that went into game one. Game two, you know not so much," Ruff said. "I think with matchups sometimes on the road, it might give me some different options. I told those guys it's something I want to look at in practice and we'll see where we're at when we hit the road."
One player missing from those lines on Monday was second-year forward Valeri Nichushkin, Dallas' top pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. Nichushkin, who did not play the final part of the third period in Nashville, continues to be slowed by a lower-body issue and may not play Tuesday.
"He's trying to push through a groin, hip flexor/something like that. He struggled with it through camp. I don't think he's been skating as well," Ruff said. "I thought he started off today (Monday) really well, but then again felt it and couldn't skate anymore."
Dallas (0-1-1, 1 point), who is still seeking their first win of the young season, will be facing two unbeaten clubs during this short trip to the Eastern Conference as both the Jackets and Pens currently sit at 2-0-0.
Ruff sees his club's first opponent, the Blue Jackets, who beat the New York Rangers 5-2 on Saturday in the Ohio capital, as a rather formidable draw.
"I think Columbus is already proven they're one of the better teams when it comes to hanging onto the puck, one of the better teams defensively. They've got some real good skill up front. That top line with Johansen, Atkinson and Nick Foligno, they've got real good numbers, like numbers when it comes to even strength play," Ruff said. "They've carried most of the play. They've had the puck a lot, but they're deep. They've got some good size. They've got some good speed and I think they've got a back end that has played very well for them."
Stars captain Jamie Benn is also expecting a hard fight from the Jackets, a team Dallas now only sees twice a year since they play in the East.
"Yeah, Columbus is a big, fast team and I think they've been getting better every year. I think they've got a really strong team this year," Benn said. "There's really no easy games this year. They play a good team game at home and we've got to come in there and bring our best to beat those guys."
Two nights later, the road trip concludes in another rather tough place to play, the Consol Energy Center, home to Sidney Crosby and the Penguins, who won 5-2 at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
"Two names come to your mind are Malkin and Crosby. And I think late in the year we played a heck of a game against them. It is (all about) frustrating those guys, not giving them the open ice, not giving them the easy opportunities. That's our challenge," Ruff said. "I think they have a little bit different look, but I still think they've got high-end offensive talent and a couple lines that are real dangerous."
Part of that different look Ruff speaks of is the fact that in the offseason, the Pens traded ex-Star James Neal to Nashville with Patric Hornqvist going to the Steel City.
And as someone who has matched up with Hornqvist countless times over the past few seasons when he was with the Preds, Benn sees him bringing many of those same qualities to the Pens.
"Yeah, he's a little bit of an agitator. He can put some points on the boards and I think he's a pretty good fit over on Pittsburgh with those guys, so we're going to have to control him and make sure he's not being too aggressive out there and obviously watch the rest of their team," Benn said.
