Veteran forward Matt Duchene continued to show why he was the Dallas Stars’ big free agent acquisition this offseason, scoring two more goals in Monday night’s overtime win over the Seattle Kraken at the American Airlines Center.
After a slow start to the season, which saw him accumulate just three points in October, Duchene has caught fire and produced at a high rate, putting up 24 points in the last 22 games, including seven in the last four.
“If he hadn’t had the slow start, he might be leading the league in scoring,” Stars head coach Pete DeBoer told the media after Monday’s win. “He’s been that good and consistent. Every night, he’s bringing it for us; he wants the puck on his stick, and he wants to be a difference-maker. He’s just been fantastic.”
Duchene opened the scoring just 1:14 into the game, taking the puck up the ice, playing some give-and-go with teammate Tyler Seguin, and depositing the puck into a wide-open net behind a sprawling Joey Daccord.
Later, with the Stars leading 2-1 and dangling the puck as the referees signaled for a delayed penalty on Seattle, Duchene snuck behind the defense and blasted a one-timer into the net off a cross-ice pass from Joe Pavelski.
“We were just patient,” Duchene explained. “The puck was over on [the far] side for the most part, and [Evgenii Dadonov] and [Joe Pavelski] were both looking at me, trying to find me through, and it wasn’t there. Pavelski gave a little deception and then sent it over, and finally, the lane opened. He and I met eyes three or four times before that opened. When you get in those situations, it’s a fine line between patience and going for it. Dadonov and Pavelski did a really good job over on that side.”
But the big night wasn’t over for Duchene just yet. The Kraken scored a goal in the final minute of regulation to send the game to overtime tied at three. Almost halfway through the overtime, Duchene fed the puck right to the stick of defenseman Thomas Harley, who was standing in front of the open net and easily scored the winning goal, giving Duchene an assist to cap a three-point night with a Stars win.
Duchene is now third on the team in points and tied with the second-most goals, coming up clutch as Dallas battles in the Central Division with much of the season yet to be played.
