Stars' Nieuwendyk returns to his familiar form.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

DALLAS _ It seems almost comical that just six months ago Joe Nieuwendyk was being discussed as washed up. Through three months of this season, he's cleaning up.

The Stars center has rebounded quite well from a frustrating season in which a chest contusion, then a separated right shoulder, wrecked half his season, kept him sidelined until March and led playoff onlookers to outwardly query, "Where's Joe?" Hardly imaginable just a season removed from winning the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

"I only played in 40-some-odd games last year, so that to me is a big difference when you're trying to battle back, but that's an old story," Nieuwendyk said. "I'm excited about playing everyday. It's a lot of fun coming to the rink."

Nieuwendyk's hat trick in Sunday's 6-1 victory against the New York Rangers gave him 17 goals on the season, four behind team leader Brett Hull. Nieuwendyk has already surpassed the 15 goals he scored in 48 games last season, and he is on a pace to challenge the 39 goals he scored in 1997-98, his second full season with the Stars.

Now that Nieuwendyk is healthy again, and playing a tough, physical game, especially in the gritty goal-mouth area, where Sunday he scored his secondand third goals, the goals are coming more in waves. Sunday was his third multigoal game of the season and his third-period power-play goal gave him eight, one more than he had last season.

When Nieuwendyk posts a goal, the Stars are 10-2-1.

"He's getting closer into the net, he's getting shots from close in and that's a big difference," teammate Mike Modano said. "He's hanging in there on the power play around the net, getting rebounds. Plus, when he has time to get his shot off, he tends to put it where he wants it."