"In terms of points, that's true. Eriksson had a goal in the Stars' first preseason game against St. Louis, an assist against Edmonton on Sunday. But for a player who has usually started slow, it's the finish that's the focus. And the Stars are encouraged with how he finished the preseason.

Eriksson played in what coach Dave Tippett considered, "by far his best game" against Edmonton on Sunday night, playing nearly 21 and a half minutes (including 5:46 on the power play), with the assist and two takeaways.

For Eriksson, the job remains clear: Stay strong defensively, cause turnovers and, if you want to score, get to the net - and stay there.

"That's something I have to work on," Eriksson said. "It's either stay around the front [of the net] or else don't score. You have to have traffic in front and get ready for the rebounds. That's where all the goals come from."

Eriksson had a slow start last season, too. He played three games here to start the season, then went to Iowa for a bit before coming back at the end of October. The playoffs were a boon for him, as he finished with four goals and four assists in 18 games.

This season, Eriksson will have familiar linemates, with fellow Swede Joel Lundqvist and Brad Richards; the three were a fairly successful combination last postseason, and Eriksson and Richards especially complement each other.

"Loui plays his best when he's pounding the puck and creating [turnovers]," Tippett said. "That's what Richards needs: someone to create those loose pucks so he can do something with them."

If Eriksson's regular season starts the way his preseason ended, he should be all right.

"He's a quiet guy, but we don't want him to play quiet," Tippett said. "Relentless has to be part of his equation.""