Agitator Antoine Roussel doing job so well, he doesn't even know why some opponents are mad at him

Dec 10, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Antoine Roussel (21) tries to fight Chicago Blackhawks left wing Jeremy Morin (11) but is separated by linesman Lonnie Cameron (74) at the end of the game at the American Airlines Center.

Antoine Roussel has become so annoying, there are times he's not sure why people are mad at him.

Take Philadelphia's Zac Rinaldo. He jumped Roussel on Saturday and was ejected from the game.

"I've never talked to him in my life, so I don't know what happened there," Roussel said. "Some people just don't like me."

It's part of Roussel's role as an agitator, and it's something he said he's happy to see from the opposition. Roussel on Tuesday was in the crosshairs of the Chicago Blackhawks. The teams were playing for the third time in 12 days, and Roussel had found a way to get under the skin of Chicago players.

"It's a big part of my job, so if they're worrying about me, then I know I'm doing my job," he said. "You don't want to go so far that you hurt your team, but you do want to make sure that you are playing hard and the other team knows you will play hard against them."

Roussell and linemate Ryan Garbutt have provided a lot of the grit for the Stars. Roussell scored both goals against Chicago, giving him seven goals. Garbutt has five, tied for fifth on the team. Not bad for two guys who are supposed to be fourth-liners.

Stars coach Lindy Ruff entered Tuesday's game with the duo on the second line with center Cody Eakin and said they earned the move up.

"There's a lot of speed in their game, a lot of speed and tenacity," Ruff said. "They've been able to back the opponent off, and the fact both are physically able to take ice away and frustrate the other team, and then they have the counterpunch where you can finish. That's the reason their ice time has gone up. They've taken real advantage of the offensive situations and put them in the back of the net."

With the lopsided score, Ruff moved his forwards around, but it seems clear that Roussel has earned a look at bigger minutes.

"I just want to play hard and help the team win," he said. "If I play more, I'll just play even harder."

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