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How Stars coach Jim Montgomery is managing the ice time of John Klingberg and Roope Hintz in very different ways

Ice time was a popular topic Monday after the Stars’ morning skate, notably why the two players’ minutes are down for vastly different reasons.

Ice time was a popular topic Monday after the Stars’ morning skate, notably why two players’ minutes are down for vastly different reasons: defenseman John Klingberg and forward Roope Hintz.

Klingberg has struggled to open the season as Dallas has stumbled to a 3-7-1 start in its first 11 games. He entered Monday’s 2-1 win over Ottawa with just three points and was a team-worst minus-7. During Saturday’s win over Philadelphia, Klingberg played just 17:53 and was benched for almost 12 minutes in the first period after he lost Sean Couturier on a goal 43 seconds into the game.

“Instead of being Tom Brady and looking for six first downs in an 80-yard drive that leads to a touchdown, he’s looking for Dan Fouts, let’s get the 50-yard bomb to [John] Jefferson or [Charlie] Joiner,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. “That leads to more interceptions.

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Montgomery continued into a different comparison.

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“The best analogy is Tin Cup,” Montgomery said. “You going to lay up and stay tied with the lead for tournament? Or do you want to look good? I’m not saying this in particular to John Klingberg, but this is what we’ve been doing. We haven’t been sticking with the plan. We’ve got to stick with the plan. Last game was a step in the right direction, and John got benched and it was warranted.”

On Monday night, Klingberg was back to his normal heavy workload, logging 22:50 of ice time and registering six shots on goal. He was also on the ice for Joe Pavelski’s power play goal as the Stars won consecutive games for the first time this season.

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It was the best all-around game of the season for the Stars, who pumped 43 shots on Senators goaltender Anders Nilsson (including 17 in the first period and 15 in the third). The power play scored. The penalty kill was perfect. Anton Khudobin carried a shutout into the final two minutes, while Radek Faksa scored his second goal of the season.

“I just think we’re rounding into form, but it’s still only two games where we’ve played the right way,” Montgomery said. “We’ve got to continue to build on it and we will.”

For Klingberg, his typically aggressive, offensive style yields scoring chances and points. He’s a catalyst of the Stars offense and their power play. But failed pinches along the wall in the offensive zone have led to odd-man rushes the other way, and turnovers have gifted other scoring chances.

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It’s a risk vs. reward game that usually leans in the Stars’ favor because Klingberg produces. That hasn’t been there early.

“He’s a difference maker and he knows it,” Montgomery said. “And he expects to be a difference maker. He’s ultra-competitive and he wants the puck on his stick. That’s what you love about him but your biggest strength is also your weakness. Me, it’s lack of style of my hair. It’s also a strength that I have a good-shaped head. That’s life.”

In Hintz’s case, the Stars want to play him more minutes. He entered Monday with a team-high six goals, but was averaging just 16:28 of ice time. That was sixth-most among Stars forwards and he has not yet played 20 minutes in a single game.

A big reason for how low his minutes are? The length of his shifts.

Montgomery asks the Stars to keep their shifts at 5-on-5 to 40 seconds or less. Hintz’s shifts average 36 seconds, and he’s actually receiving the second-most shifts among Stars forwards (only behind Tyler Seguin).

“He works, he brings it every shift,” Montgomery said. “I want to play him more minutes. I want to play him to 18 minutes. Actually in Pittsburgh, I said ‘You let me know when you’re ready to go’ because I read his shoulders. He’s taking deep breaths, he doesn’t take any easy strides. Trying to get him out there as much as possible, but the minutes and seconds we’re getting are extremely effective.”