One month ago, commercial flights and long bus trips were a regular part of Alexander Petrovic’s job.
The 33-year-old defenseman for the Texas Stars, over the last five years of his career, has become an AHL regular, with a few glimpses of NHL action.
After spending the five seasons prior solely in the NHL for the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers, his career took a turn, and the once glamorous life of NHL hockey was no longer his norm.
But on those lengthy road trips in his last four seasons with the Texas Stars, Petrovic’s determination was all in hopes that he could have a moment like Sunday.
The third-pair defenseman scored the game-winning goal for the Dallas Stars 3:51 into the third period en route to a 5-2 victory in Game 3 over the Winnipeg Jets. The goal — though controversial for a possible kick that led to a lengthy review — allowed the Stars to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Related:Five thoughts from Stars-Jets Game 3: Dallas responds with third-period surge
Petrovic joined the rush, a place the defensive defenseman rarely is, and passed back and forth with Mikko Rantanen, who took a shot at Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Petrovic collected the rebound, it bounced off his skate, hit Hellebuyck and went in. The Stars took a 3-2 lead.
“Usually I’m not in that position, but just thought we had good control,” Petrovic said. “It was a pretty lucky goal.”
Related:What Stars, Jets said about Game 3’s controversial game-winning goal, lengthy review
His first goal of this year’s playoffs came nine years after his last NHL postseason goal, also a game-winner for the Panthers in the 2015-16 season.
From 2014-19, Petrovic played nearly 260 NHL games, including six in the playoffs. But after the 2018-19 season, he didn’t return to NHL action until appearing in one regular-season game for the Stars last year.
Over the last two seasons, he’s played in six regular-season games in Dallas. But he’s become a playoff regular for the Stars, earning the call-up ahead of the start of this playoff run and appearing in all 10 playoff games this year — and another seven last year.
Petrovic entered the lineup in Game 6 of the Colorado series last year for Nils Lundkvist and played the entire Edmonton series. Ahead of this run, the Stars opted to use the AHL vet over their own NHL defensemen Matt Dumba and Brendan Smith, who have been healthy scratches all playoffs.
“I always liked him,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “He’s not a career minor leaguer. This guy’s got a lot of NHL games under his belt. … I’ve always liked his makeup and his game. He made a believer out of me last year in the playoffs. So when we got to that point of the year this year, where we were talking about depth up here, we brought him in, and he’s an easy guy for a coach to play.”
The Edmonton native now has two points in 10 playoff games, but scoring isn’t what he’s in Dallas for. He has skated alongside rookie defenseman Lian Bichsel, and the two, who were seen as a weakness for Dallas entering the playoff run, have exceeded all expectations. Petrovic is averaging nearly 14 minutes a night. He and Bichsel have been consistent, and they’ve been two of the Stars’ most physical players.
Petrovic delivered a memorable hit to Adam Lowry in Game 2, sending the Winnipeg center into the bench.
“We played together down in Texas,” Petrovic said of his partnership with Bichsel. “If we can just be consistent back there, we know our role. Just keep it simple, clear the net-front, break pucks out, be physical when we can. If we can just do that, the rest kind of takes care of itself. We’ve got a lot of skill on this team. We’re not too worried about offense.”
As well as Petrovic has played through 10 games, his days in the lineup could be numbered. When Miro Heiskanen returns from injury, which DeBoer said will happen at some point this series, Petrovic is likely the next defenseman to join the healthy scratches.
But he’s spent a career managing moments like that, and preparing so that if his number is called again, he’ll be ready to contribute just as he has in the last 10 games.
“It was a grind,” Petrovic said of his career. “Starting in the American [Hockey] League, coming up to the NHL, everything’s great up here, and then get sent down again. … It’s tough. But it humbles you a bit and kind of teaches you what’s more important.
“It was just staying ready. You never know when that opportunity will come. Whenever it does, you just want to take advantage of it.”
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