Dallas Stars: Antoine Roussel Has Been Late-Game Hero

The Dallas Stars have played a lot of close games this season and Antoine Roussel has been one of their most reliable players during times of need.

Antoine Roussel is one of the most interesting players on the Dallas Stars. His physical ability, including throwing punches at opponents and winning battles along the boards, plus his unique goal scoring provides the team with a player that not many other teams can say they have.

Roussel has been having a solid 2015-16 season. With 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 65 games, he could potentially beat his previous high in points (29), which was set in 2013-14.

Roussel has been a major key to the Stars’ success this season as he is capable of performing in clutch moments. We’ve seen it from him in the past with his spectacular 3rd period penalty shot against the Chicago Blackhawks a couple of years ago and it’s continued ever since.

That’s not all he does though. We know Roussel is a very physical player whether the puck is on the ice or play is stopped. And it’s that aggressive play that puts him in the penalty box more than any other player on the team. However, he has the capability of taking good players off the ice with him and attracting others to the penalty box who were initially bystanders in the action.

This season, Roussel has been doing everything mentioned above and more for a Stars team that will be competing well into May and possibly into June.

One stat that particularly stands out is the fact that he currently leads the team in game-winning goals with six. That’s tied for fourth in the entire NHL. That’s pretty impressive for a forward who primarily plays on the third line and also plays on a team with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Roussel’s ability to help the Stars win close contests has been one of the most critical parts of his game this season.

Roussel has netted the game-winner in the 3rd period for four of his six total GWG achievements. He scored the goal within the last seven minutes of the game on three of those occasions, with his most recent coming against the Ottawa Senators in a game where the Stars struggled to find the offense that they needed.

The dying moments of games haven’t only been defined by offense for Roussel either. His current +/- of plus-4 is the highest of his NHL career plus his 99 total penalty minutes is considerably less than the 148 and 209 he has had in the past two seasons, even though the Stars still have 15 games to go this year.

That signifies that he is playing with a more complete style of play. He has improved on the offensive and defensive side of things and his great skating has played into the equation. Roussel has been a player to watch for late in games and if he brings his skills to the Playoffs this year, he could be a huge player for the Stars since they will be involved in many more close games come April.

Next: Stars Waking Up Before Crucial Home Stand

Though players like Benn and Seguin ultimately get most of the shine for the Stars, some of the critical pieces of their team have come in the form of third and fourth line players. Antoine Roussel is a perfect example of that.