The Sweet Spot- Stars Forward Matt Duchene

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2:21We have to say hello to a member of one of the hottest teams on Earth. That would be the Dallas stars. It's our friend, Matt Dushane. And, hand me a sponsor for this. Jay Alexander Loffer. All right, Matt, how are we doing today? Good, how are you? Writing that 13-game point streak, you guys are playing some excellent hockey. It was great to watch you guys close the door on Vegas last night. And I'm guessing since you guys have been back from the Olympic break despite the injuries, it's great to see just a bunch of dudes on every line step up these days. Yeah, I mean, that's what it takes, right? Especially this time of year. And that's the beautiful thing about our team is, you know, you cut a couple heads off. You got a bunch of heads through a place it was. So, yeah, I mean, we're a deep team. We're really showing it right now. You know, you see what we've done since the break and even before with guys hurt and everything.

3:24And, you know, it's a good spot. And, you know, I think we're doing a lot of really good things. And I still think we should be undefeated through this streak. Obviously, the Colorado game, you know, we all played them and deserved that one. But hockey's funny because, you know, game two of the season, we were absolutely terrible and somehow beat them in Denver and hockey has a funny way of evening out. So, it's probably probably what we deserved. But, you know, it still feels like that one's done a bit because it felt like we, you know, easily should have won that game. Yeah, if we could talk about that Friday night game a little bit. And that's one that I'm sure you guys had circled on the calendars. We talked about it a lot last week. The top team in the NHL at the time. And, man, just the first period of that game was so fun. It was back and forth. You guys had a two goal lead at one point. And then, you know, when Ropey went down, I was ready to jump over the boards and go fight. I think a lot of stars fans were fired up.

4:25And though, even though you guys got a point in that game, it just, it was one of the most sports mad moments I've been in a while, just to see one that was that close. Get away. And you guys recovered from it. You've been on a winning streak since then. Just what were the emotions of that game and afterwards? The kind of way you describe it, I think. I think all of us were, you know, I remember talking to Jamie Ben the next day and he said to me. And this time of year, you do, you don't feel like this because you're playing so many games, but he said to me. He goes, I can't wait to play tomorrow like the Chicago game. And I looked at him and he's like, I'm dead serious. I'm like, I, I agree with you. Like I like and for two guys this far into our career to feel like that. At this point of the season, you usually don't have to look forward to games. You don't have time to look forward to games because you're just getting through the one from the night before, right? And you're kind of onto the next one. And it's it's Groundhog Day right now. And it's a mental grind as much as it's physical. And to feel that way, I mean, that speaks to how.

5:28That's kind of pissed off and disappointed we were to be lost at game. And, you know, that was a, like, that was a measuring stick game. And I think we saw where we, we, you know, what it looks like. But that team is just so explosive and we're facing another team like that tomorrow. And they're the two teams that have kind of been, you know, right there with us last two years. And so I think tomorrow, I think we all, anytime we see that, you know, that Edmonton logo on the schedule. I think there's a little something there for sure. So, you know, the hardest thing to get right now is that mental and physical rest. And I think both teams were a little tired last night and that kind of made for a bit of a methodical chess match. But I give our guys a lot of credit for sticking with it for 60 minutes and being a sharp mentally as we were. And we really gave up not a lot. We didn't generate as much as we'd like to, but we didn't give up much either. Yeah, it was surprising to see so few shots on net both ways in the first period, but things, things cranked up and it had to feel good.

6:29Just from a defensive standpoint to, I mean, a couple of games against Colorado and Chicago where they pull the goalie they get an equalizer. You guys have to play more hockey had to feel good closing the door on them last night. Yeah, for sure. I think anytime you you're up a goal, you know, the goalie gets pulled, you know, you want to end the game. And I think last night the guys out there did a great job and they had a long shift there. You know, couldn't get off and they they stuck with it. So, they did a really good job and even even the other two times, you know, we did some good things. I mean, just missing empty net there. He has on his back and tough shot on bad ice late in the game, you know, hits the side of the net or else Colorado games a win and then. Bedard shot in that next night. I'm in the shot lane. I'm like, OK, perfect. I'm in a good spot. He let's it go. And I hear it go in and it's like how the heck did that happen? You know, you see the bad bounce off Myers leg, you know, it's going a couple feet wide.

7:31But it that's going to happen in playoffs. It always does and you literally have to sometimes it feel like someone put punches you in the gut, especially during playoffs. It's a hard, it's a definitely harder punch, but it's all about how you respond to it, right? And you can't sit in that stuff too long. It's all about the next shift, the next play and you know, being in that being in the moment as much as possible. And I think that's. That's the biggest thing this time here, because if you start looking too far ahead hit. It's very daunting because it's just game after game after game and important one. I mean, if we want to we know how important winning this division is. And if we, you know, if we can avoid having to play the two other best teams in the league in the first two rounds, potentially. Well, you know, there's no guarantees. Obviously you get through the first round, but it gives you a better chance. And so we want to catch Colorado. I think we believe we can do it. And it's, I mean, I know Jamie and I have talked about it a ton.

8:32You know, we have chats like this all the time. This is kind of the two older guys and kind of having perspective on things and kind of haven't been there and stuff like that. And this is the year to do it if you're going to do it. So we're, we're about to determine and we got Colorado twice more. We got Minnesota twice. And we're kind of there's playoff games sprinkled in here in the last 20 games or so. This is Matt Dushane of the Dallas stars joining us for his weekly visit. Sean and I were kind of talking about this last night of just the rivalry right now with Colorado and Dallas. And you guys winning in a thrilling game seven last year. And it's just, it's, it's great where it is right now for, for Dallas. Does it feel like the pressure is more on Colorado at this point? And you can talk about either, you know, where you are in the, in the standings or in the playoffs. It just feels like with them being the top seed right now. It feels like they, them seeing you in the rear view mirror is more pressure than you guys, you know, creeping up behind them.

9:35I mean, I hope you're right on that. I can't speak to that not being in their spot. I'm sure they're feeling that way. I mean, we feel that way on the other side. I mean, we, we know what we have here and we're splitting hairs, you know, between our two teams. I mean, it's coming down to a save here, a save there, you know, a power play goal here, a power play goal there. It's a razor thin margin, just like it was last year. And, you know, hopefully we're getting the injuries out of the way. And we're going to be, you know, full, full capacity and full, full roster, come playoff time. But, you know, the beautiful thing is, is like you said, we have guys stepping up. I mean, calm black, well played. It was probably our best player last night. You know, that's a guy who plays 10, 11 minutes. No power play, you know, all heart minutes, all fourth line, even strength and or third line, even strength. And then, you know, he's killing penalties, blocking shots, taking draws. He was outstanding. He, he, he was the one guy I thought on our team that didn't look tired last night.

10:37And he didn't play, he had jam. So guys like that stepping up and, and having big games. I mean, against Colorado, Rich Govian was unbelievable. He was probably our best player that game. And then, you know, the, the next game, there's different guys that step up again, right? So it's, it's, it takes a village this time of year because, you know, the guys that are playing the big minutes and that, you know, I've been kind of leaned on a lot of the year. It's tough to do it night and night out and just physically right now. And you need everybody going. And so, and that's what playoffs is to. I mean, a lot of times the playoffs isn't decided between your top guys. It's a lot of the time it's the depth guys that that really can make the difference and score big goals at big times. Well, Dutch, this is the first time we've spoken since the trade deadline in Jim Nill who's always active. You know, he goes and gets a big body defenseman and Tyler Myers. You bring in a Michael Bunting. What are your early impressions of your two new teammates? Well, I think I've known Myers for a long time.

11:40We played under 18s team Canada together. He's a year older than me, but we kind of came up together and we. We were in the same rookie class. And I, you know what? It's freaky to watch him move for how big he is and you see him off the ice and he, you know, he can't believe the size of him. He doesn't look like a hockey player. He looks like a basketball player and, but he can. Like when you watch him skate, it's an, it's absolutely crazy to see him skate for how big he is. And how coordinated and how athletic he is. He's a, he's a, he's a truly a freak athlete and. He is a tremendous person type of character guy that we want on this team and type of guy that we guys that we have on this team. So he fits in perfect and. I, I was really excited. We had heard, you know, we had heard rumors about him coming here for weeks and that, you know, they just had to make the right deal. And with bunting now and kind of came out of that field, we weren't sure, you know, we hadn't, I hadn't heard his name much, but.

12:41Guy from, you know, he's actually got a cottage 45 minutes from my hometown and. He's from Toronto, so a lot of common ground with myself and some other guys played in Nashville, obviously. He's, I'd get to know him, you know, briefly, he's a great guy and he's, he's a guy out that brings some sandpaper to his game and he's got a lot of skill too. So yeah, they both just seem like I grabbed a bite in a beer with a couple of guys last night. They're two of them that were there and kind of just sitting around talking, get to know them better and. You know, they're, they're a great fit for us there. We didn't need a lot. We didn't need, we didn't need to go out and, you know, make significant, significant moves. These are, these are depth and like to shore up our team and. I think a guy like Myers, you're going to, and these guys are both going to have huge, huge moments throughout this, this run. I can guarantee you that because they're of the type of players they are and also like, you know, just. That's how it goes. So. Myers is, you know, we've, we've needed another right shot DMN for a while and he's, he's kind of the perfect fit.

13:46So the year Tyler Myers won the Calder trophy, you finished third in that. Does, does he still bring that up to you? No, we've never talked about it. And, you know, I, he, we all knew he was going to win it. He had like, I led rookies and scoring that year, but he was a defenseman and he was like only like eight points behind me or something. And so everyone knew he was going to win. The one that still pisses me off is the guy who beat me out for second. Yes, was a 25 year old goalie who played half the season. So I still don't know how he, he, it cost me a little bit of money back then. That was a lot of money being 18. So I'm still, that's the one that I'm still kind of ticked off about. I don't know how leading the leading the league and rookie points at 18 doesn't at least get your second, but. So my, he was a, it was, it was definitely the, the, the one horse there. We all, we all thought he was going to win. So speaking of Myers, I know that he's, you know, from Houston.

14:48So I guess some call him big text, but I guess up in Vancouver, he also got the nickname chaos giraffe. Is that made, is that made its way into the room yet? You know, so I didn't know that was a public name. Casey dismissed played with them up there and he called him. He told me that was that he called him that to me and I started howling. I'm like, that is so funny. And then the goal that went in off of him from Baudard. When Casey and I were talking in case he just looks at me and goes chaos giraffe. And I start laughing like, yeah, I guess he's loving up to his name in this first game here, but. Yeah, I mean, I had no idea that he was from Texas originally, like he, he's Canadian, right? He's played for Team Canada. So he's hockey wise. He's a Canadian. I never, he played in the WHO like he, I think he came up playing. I think I heard a story he moved to Canada really young, but kind of cool to check both boxes. You know, you get, you get the Canadian pedigree for hockey and then you have your born in Texas.

15:51So it's kind of a nice little, little combination. What do you think having him in the room, Tyler Myers means for the development of Leon Bischel. I mean, you got a six seven dude and a six eight guy on the team now. And I would just imagine having a tall physical veteran like that will help out the, the young guy. Yeah, I think, I think all this has to do is watch him. You know, and sometimes when you're that age, you don't realize what you can pick up. I know I didn't I didn't watch guys enough at that age. You just don't, you're, you're two in your own world when you're that young. You know, I think someone's talking to him and saying, Hey, like, this is Myers out of unbelievable career. And, you know, he's a great teammate. He's a great, a great player that, you know, obviously was coveted by us at 36 years of age. It's hard to do. And, you know, I think Bisch is more physical than than Myers is, but I think some of the things the way that Myers skates and moves the puck and handles the puck, I think.

16:55You know, Bisch is on his chin has all that potential to be able to do that. And he's actually since the, since the break, I think since he's come back from injury. It's the best hockey. I've seen Bisch play. He's taking a step. He looks really, really good. And, you know, he, he's such a big body and he's so young still. We always think that he's like 25 and he just turned 21. Maybe I don't even know if he's 21 yet. Like, so it's, it's kind of freaky to see him. See a guy that big and he looks older than he is. And, you know, so there's a lot of potential there. And, yeah, whether it's the size or I think the cool thing about hockey is I think you can, you can look around the dress here and pick something up from a little something from almost anyone in that room. There's all, there's a reason that everybody is in that room. And I think that would be, you know, if I'm given, if my kid is in a position like Bisch where he's a young player in the NHL, you know, one day, I'll, that'll be something I send him off with. Like, hey, try and pick something up from every guy in that room because there's a reason they're all there. And if you can kind of, kind of pick that up and put it into your own makeup.

18:01I mean, it's, it's pretty, it's pretty valuable. Well, Matt, we love picking up stuff from you every week. It's a really good talk and go get them and get Edminton. Thanks guys. Appreciate it. All right, there he goes. That's Matt Dushan, our weekly visit with number 95, your Dallas stars. The sun shining birds are singing and all feels right in the world. Until the season changes and suddenly you lose your motivation to get out of bed. In fact, one in five people experience some form of depression, no matter the season or time of year. At the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, our vision is to build a mentally healthy nation for all because we want you to live your best life and be your best you all year round. Please visit mentally healthy nation.org to learn more.