Role reversal: Tyler Seguin tries hand at goal, gets scored on by Kari Lehtonen (video)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Stars coach Lindy Ruff has a history of making things fun for his team. It could be a game of "barn ball" in Los Angeles or a game of tennis ball hockey in Frisco.

Or, on Wednesday, it was a game of tennis ball shootout at Verizon Center.

The short drill involved putting two skaters in net with goalie sticks and goalie masks, and having shooters come at them with tennis balls instead of pucks. Tyler Seguin and Vernon Fiddler volunteered for goalie duty, and the battle ensued, including both Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi taking shots.

Fiddler admitted that Seguin was much better, and Seguin said he felt good...except for the time when Lehtonen dazzled him with the Peter Forsberg move.

"I had some great saves, and the only guy who really got me was Karpa," Seguin said of Lehtonen's nickname. "He's got long arms."

Seguin said the drill was taxing, but that he enjoyed the chance to play goalie. Fiddler said he played goalie in his youth, but said he's lost the edge he once had.

"I'm too small to play goalie now," he said. "Goalies are good athletes, there's a lot to the job."

Both Seguin and Fiddler said the change from hunter to hunted was taxing mentally. They said that sitting back and waiting to react was much different than attacking and thinking of a way to score.

"Yeah, it's terrifying," Seguin said. "You don't know what they're going to do."

Stars captain Jamie Benn said he played some goalie when he was a kid and loved it.

"I always wanted to be a goalie, but my dad wouldn't let me," he said. "Maybe he knew better than I did."

Asked if he felt Seguin could be the Stars' emergency goalie, Benn paused and said "Ummmmm....," as he looked at the nameplates around the dressing room.

"Y'now what, he was actually pretty good," Benn said.

And while the drill was just a short part of practice in preparation for a game with Washington Thursday, it was a nice diversion for a team that has pushed hard to get to a franchise-record best start of 15-4-0.

"We mixed a little fun in today, and that's always good," Ruff said.

While Benn added: "There was a smile on every guys' face, and a lot of laughs."