When Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery decided to put Justin Dowling — whom up to that point was a regular healthy scratch — between Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin on the top line, many fans raised their eyebrows. But so far, the AHL veteran has been crushing it, with three goals and an assist in his last four games:
“He’s got a great attitude and he obviously earns everything he gets,” Benn said of Dowling. “It hasn’t been easy for him, but he definitely hasn’t given up. He puts in the hard work every day and he’s a great two-way player.