Jim Montgomery Notices What Glen Gulutzan Is Building in Dallas: 'The Structure Hints at Change'
Photo credit: IMGN
The vibes are good, the Dallas Stars are humming, and Glen Gulutzan is putting his stamp on structure while Jim Montgomery watches closely.
On Saturday, St. Louis Blues coach Jim Montgomery offered a measured read on Dallas under Gulutzan. He said the Stars do not look drastically different yet, but the underlying structure hints at change.
His exact words were:
«Right now, I can't say they look all that different, but you see in the structure they are going to be different Defensively, they've made some subtle changes, but I haven't seen that really impact anything yet.»
You can already spot those tweaks in the defensive zone. Wingers collapse a half step lower, the weakside forward supports beneath the dots, and defensemen are holding tighter gaps exiting the corners.
In the neutral zone, Dallas is more patient. The first forechecker angles, the middle forward fronts the puck carrier, and the third forward protects the middle to deny clean entries.
Off the rush, the Stars are steering plays outside the dots, then killing cycles with quick bumps to the low center. That first pass looks safer, but exits are crisper, which suits their speed game.
Jim Montgomery Weighs In on the Stars' Early Play Under Gulutzan
As a fan, I like the honesty. Montgomery's point tracks, but the process stuff Gulutzan emphasizes usually pays off over weeks, not weekends.
Special teams show hints, too. The penalty kill is more aggressive above the hashmarks, with controlled pressure up top and a quick collapse when pucks hit the bumper or back post.
At five on five, the identity remains pace and layers. Gulutzan is nudging risk to smarter spots, asking his defense to surf early, and trusting centers to close seams in the slot.
Montgomery also knows this roster can bury you in transition. His «not all that different» line reads like a coach guarding against overreacting to small samples, which is fair in mid October.
The bigger tell will be how Dallas defends leads against heavy teams. If late game breakouts keep looking cleaner, and net-front scrums shrink, the subtle changes will cash out in standings points.
Gulutzan's second run in Dallas was never going to be about fireworks on day one. It is about making the next right play, stacking habits, and letting the stars shine within a tighter frame.
If the Stars keep marrying that calmer breakout to their rush punch, Montgomery's caution will age into respect. The long race starts with boring details, then finishes with big moments.
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