The impact of adding Richards paid big dividends and showed just how potent the Stars can be with their strength up the middle of the their lineup, which now features Richards, Mike Ribeiro and Mike Modano.

The line of Richards, Hagman and Antti Miettinen were responsible for four goals at even strength in the game. Three of them scored by Hagman and one more by Trevor Daley.

"It gave us great balance," said Stars coach Dave Tippett. "We had all three our top lines scoring in the game. That committee, that scoring that we are going to need is spread around and makes it hard to play against."

If the Richards line wasn't enough, there were more coming over the boards when they went off the ice. The Stars' usual big line of Brenden Morrow, Ribeiro and Loui Eriksson chipped in one goal, Eriksson's sixth in the last four games.

And then there was more. Modano, who centered Steve Ott and Jere Lehtinen as usual, scored an unassisted goal thanks to some forechecking pressure by Ott.

"Mo had a couple points. Every one is talking about how Mo is going to just check, check, check," said Tippett. "It's about balance. It's about winning as a group, not individual players. It's not about Mike Modano or Brad Richards, it's about winning as a group. That's the only way you can win championships and that is what we are striving for."

Throw in a power play goal, scored by Lehtinen and set up by Richards and you have a big offensive night for the Stars.

"Some pretty goals and a great start," said Modano.

And it was an impressive debut for Richards, who tied a franchise record with five assists and they weren't your garden variety helpers. Four of them were primary assists and simply great passes.

"Haggy is going to the net hard and the one thing Brad can do is find," Tippett said. "Some of those plays he made were unbelievable."

Richards set the bar high on his first night and joked he may have set it too high.

"Hopefully I didn’t do too much, expectations are going to get too high," Richards joked. "I know it’s going to get harder. It was one of those nights where the guys were getting in the open. I just have to keep that excitement level up and who knows what’s going to happen. I’m just so happy to be a part of this and hopefully it keeps going."

After giving up an early power play goal the Stars rattled off five unanswered goals to take a 5-1 lead heading into the third period.  The Stars gave up three goals in the third, including two shorthanded goals to Chicago's Rene Bourque.

"When you’re up 5-1, the game gets a little sloppy," said Tippett.

But overall it was an impressive debut for Richards and a glimpse of the kind of three-line attack the Stars can roll out.

"It's good for our team to get some life and come out and play well like that, but we've got to continue to get better," said Tippett.