from Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News,

Jamie Benn seems to bring out the best in Blues captain David Backes.

It's time for Backes to reciprocate.

The Blues have taken control of the conference semifinal series with the Stars 2-1, and Backes has been at the forefront. He has scored the game-winning goal in both victories and set a physical tone that has resonated in this series, dishing out a game-high seven hits in the Game 2 victory and nine more in the Game 3 rout.

"He's stepped up to the plate," said Blues teammate Alex Pietrangelo of Backes. "He seems to be all over the ice. He's done that all year. But with the big stage right now, he's really stepping it up and playing a big role at both ends of the ice."

The big stage is what defines Benn. He's one of the best hockey players in the world, and it's time he match the performance of the St. Louis captain. I would be surprised if Benn is not the best player on the Stars in Game 4 Thursday night. In fact, I'd be surprised if the Stars captain is not the best player on the ice.

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