from Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News,

"It's everything," Hitchcock said when asked about having the captain on his side. "If you don't have it, you've got chaos."

So the first meeting he arranged Wednesday was with Stars captain Jamie Benn. The two talked at length, and bared their souls on what needs to be done to get the Stars back to the top of the standings.

"The talk was a little uncomfortable for both of us, but we weren't glossing over things," Hitchcock said. "We had to dig deep so we could fix what needed to get fixed. And I feel we can get this fixed and get this thing turned the other way."

Benn said he feels the same way - about the honestly of the talk and about the direction of the team.

"We pretty much talked about everything and how he deals with his top players and his leaders," Benn said. "There's going to be a lot more responsibility for myself as a captain in communicating with him and letting him get a better feel for our team. It's something I'm excited for. It's not going to be easy, but in the end, it helps you win."

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