SB Nation - Brenden Morrow

2010 Olympics: Picking Team Canada

James Mirtle — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:05:00 -0000

by Jeff McIntosh - AP

With the Canadian Olympic brass finally set to name their roster a week from today, expect a whole bunch of these lists over the coming days. For mine, I've tried to offer a bit of a statistical bent — although without relying solely on numbers to pick the team.

All of the stats I'm using are from Behind The Net and prior to last night's games. The metrics are "rating," an advanced form of plus-minus; "quality of competition," which measures the strength of opponents; "points per 60 minutes"; and "on ice goals for and goals against per 60 minutes" (along with goal differential).

Players that scored the highest across the board are ranked higher and those marked in yellow are my picks for the team. Keep in mind that this is based solely on even-strength play, so some of these players offer more on the PP and PK that's not ranked here.

Goaltenders

I didn't delve too deeply into the netminder side of things simply because there are only three Canadian-born goalies with more than 11 wins this season, and they'll be the ones that make the team: Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo and Marc-Andre Fleury.

Should one go down to injury, I'm not even sure who No. 4 would be given their play this season. Canada's famed depth at the position isn't all that evident this year.

Defencemen

Into the numbers we go. I've included 12 blueliners I think represent both those talked about and those who should be considered for the team (with my choices to make it in yellow):

	NAME	TM	RATING	QCMP	P/60	GF/60	GA/60	GF-GA
1	BRENT SEABROOK	CHI	0.72	0.16	0.95	2.54	1.69	0.85
2	MIKE GREEN	WSH	0.84	-0.02	1.65	4.22	2.57	1.65
3	CHRIS PRONGER	PHI	0.90	0.11	1.06	2.02	1.64	0.39
4	DREW DOUGHTY	L.A	1.08	0.00	1.10	2.99	2.19	0.80
5	DUNCAN KEITH	CHI	-0.28	0.14	1.44	2.34	1.98	0.36
6	DAN BOYLE	S.J	0.31	0.00	1.19	3.47	2.56	0.91
7	SHEA WEBER	NSH	0.55	0.08	0.84	3.13	2.40	0.73
8	MARC-EDOUARD VLASIC	S.J	-0.36	0.09	0.79	2.68	2.19	0.50
9	JAY BOUWMEESTER	CGY	0.10	0.02	0.37	2.25	1.78	0.47
10	SCOTT NIEDERMAYER	ANA	-1.13	0.11	0.75	2.14	3.20	-1.07
11	DION PHANEUF	CGY	-0.34	0.05	0.67	2.99	2.79	0.19
12	ROBYN REGEHR	CGY	-1.31	0.05	0.74	2.33	2.76	-0.42

If we were to go strictly by the numbers, Niedermayer wouldn't make the team, and Doughty and Weber would. Both youngsters have had great seasons and given some of the other teams I've seen picked, they have a lot of popular support.

My reasoning was putting together three really solid pairings: One made up of Keith and Seabrook, as they've been the best duo on the NHL this season (save for maybe last night); One made up of veterans Niedermayer and Pronger, who had a lot of success together in Anaheim; and one made up of Bouwmeester and either Green or Boyle, a solid third pairing with one excellent defensive player and an excellent offensive one.

Doughty's youth concerns me more than anything, as I saw plenty of games last season when he was still overmatched. He's going to be a pillar on the Canadian blueline going forward, however, and may go as the No. 7 just to gain some experience.

Weber meanwhile just gets lost in the numbers game. He'll also play a major role with Canada down the line.

Phaneuf and Regehr, however, rank last among the metrics I've used here and shouldn't in my mind make the team. There are other players available who do what they do better.

Forwards

Once again, I've included 32 forwards I think represent both those talked about and those who should be considered for the team (with my choices to make it in yellow):

	NAME	TM	RATING	QCMP	P/60	GF/60	GA/60	GF-GA
1	SIDNEY CROSBY	PIT	1.68	0.12	3.37	4.27	2.58	1.68
2	NATHAN HORTON	FLA	2.03	0.09	2.82	3.61	2.71	0.90
3	JOE THORNTON	S.J	1.25	0.07	3.04	3.82	2.25	1.57
4	JONATHAN TOEWS	CHI	1.71	0.09	1.92	3.25	1.48	1.77
5	PATRICK MARLEAU	S.J	1.50	0.02	3.18	4.12	2.35	1.77
6	DUSTIN PENNER	EDM	2.31	-0.04	3.28	4.13	2.67	1.46
7	RYAN SMYTH	L.A	2.13	-0.04	2.59	4.18	2.59	1.59
8	MIKE FISHER	OTT	1.13	0.09	2.21	2.86	2.21	0.65
9	RYAN GETZLAF	ANA	1.25	0.07	2.58	3.33	2.90	0.43
10	PATRICE BERGERON	BOS	0.31	0.18	2.43	3.07	2.81	0.26
11	MIKE CAMMALLERI	MTL	2.16	0.04	2.11	3.22	2.32	0.91
12	DANY HEATLEY	S.J	0.54	0.08	2.28	3.69	2.61	1.09
13	VINCENT LECAVALIER	T.B	1.15	0.06	2.37	2.75	2.25	0.50
14	PATRICK SHARP	CHI	1.26	0.06	1.93	2.96	1.55	1.42
15	JAMES NEAL	DAL	0.95	0.03	2.83	3.67	3.11	0.57
16	JAROME IGINLA	CGY	-0.13	0.10	2.43	2.75	2.43	0.32
17	COREY PERRY	ANA	0.91	0.08	2.31	3.41	3.19	0.22
18	STEPHEN WEISS	FLA	0.55	0.11	2.15	2.82	2.94	-0.11
19	MARTIN ST. LOUIS	T.B	0.45	0.09	2.22	2.92	2.92	0.00
20	MIKE RICHARDS	PHI	0.58	0.10	1.37	2.23	1.99	0.25
21	BRENDEN MORROW	DAL	1.18	0.04	1.58	2.79	2.06	0.73
22	JASON ARNOTT	NSH	0.89	0.01	2.03	3.05	2.03	1.02
23	BRAD RICHARDS	DAL	0.29	0.03	2.87	3.52	3.39	0.13
24	ERIC STAAL	CAR	0.91	0.08	2.00	3.33	3.83	-0.50
25	JORDAN STAAL	PIT	-0.11	0.04	2.20	2.93	2.44	0.49
26	STEVEN STAMKOS	T.B	0.24	0.09	2.09	3.00	3.13	-0.13
27	JASON SPEZZA	OTT	-0.61	0.16	1.37	2.33	2.88	-0.55
28	MARC SAVARD	BOS	0.23	0.04	2.03	2.25	2.03	0.23
29	JOHN TAVARES	NYI	0.65	0.03	1.33	2.54	2.66	-0.12
30	JEFF CARTER	PHI	-0.68	0.05	1.62	2.24	2.86	-0.62
31	SHANE DOAN	PHX	-1.12	0.05	1.07	2.01	2.49	-0.47
32	RICK NASH	CBJ	-0.69	0.03	2.01	2.90	4.01	-1.11

Nash, like Niedermayer, gets a pass because of his experience, both in the NHL and internationally, but neither are having great years. Doan, Carter, Staal, etc. aren't so lucky and I'd leave them behind.

Crosby is, by almost every measure, the top Canadian forward. Thornton, Iginla and Toews are three more no-brainers, and given their success, I think it makes sense to take Thornton's Sharks linemates Marleau and Heatley and try and squeeze some of that chemistry into Team Canada.

Getzlaf-Perry and St. Louis-Lecavalier are two duos to keep together, meanwhile, and all four have been playing better of late even though their teams have struggled. That leaves Richards and Fisher as my depth guys to win faceoffs and kill penalties, which both can do with the best of them.

If you're not a Fisher fan, Sharp and Bergeron could also fill that 13th forward role well.

As for players who are playing well who I left behind, keep in mind that the statistics are only based on 34 or 35 games to this point. Sure, Horton's been a stud in the early going, but his entire body of work isn't enough to get him a spot at the Olympics. Ditto for Penner, Cammalleri and Neal — although don't be surprised if these are the sorts of players we're talking about four years from now.

There's my picks — drop a note in the comments or as a FanPost with yours.

Happy holidays everyone.

Game 38 Preview: Jackets limp into Dallas

Mike MacLean — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:05:00 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Browse more photos »

Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is a god damned win! The Jackets are in the midst of the worst tail-spin of any NHL squad right now. Remember when they were at or near the top of the Western Conference standings? Now they are battling with Edmonton and Anaheim to stay out of the conference cellar.

Based on the Dispatch's projected lineups, it looks like the roster is is set up like we all predicted it would look like back in the summer. Vermy and Brass are the scoring line pivots, with Juice, Nasher, RJ and Jake as the scoring wings. Chimmer is checking with Sammy and Freddy, which makes a hell of a lot more sense than having Juice on that line. The fourth line will bring energy and physical play, no doubt. I'm pulling for Blunden to score that first goal, and i think if Boller and Raffi can create havoc and the guys can work the forecheck as well as they have of late, it could happen. Mase gets the start. I hope he took Hitch's comment about he and Garon being equal on the depth chart personally and re-affirms himself as the clear-cut number one.

The Stars are a good team- they can score and they bang bodies. The James Neal subplot is an interesting one, it will be fun to see how he is treated by the Jackets. I'm sure that given the chance he and Boller will chuck knuckles tonight. Brad Richards seems to have returned to his former high-scoring self, so he will need to be contained. Their defense is missing some pieces, but are serviceable. I remember watching Fortunus and Vishnevskiy when they were playing in the QMJHL, they are both good players and while they aren't household names yet, they have the potential to forge decent NHL careers, especially Vishnevskiy, a former first round pick. He's a natural Zubov replacement. Turco is in net for Dallas.

Fearless Prediction : A decent effort, the Jackets want to go into the break on a high note, so they can start fresh after Christmas. Mike Blunden gets a point.

Game Time: 8:30pm ET

Opponent's Blog: Defending Big D

Game Page: Blue Jackets vs Stars Coverage

TV: FSN Ohio

Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)

More after the jump...

From the Columbus Dispatch:

It's hard to imagine a more fragile club in the NHL right now than the Blue Jackets. Getting out of the first period without trailing would be huge. The Blue Jackets are 5-1-1 in Dallas the past three seasons. If the Jackets lose tonight and Edmonton wins in Minnesota, they fall to last place in the Western Conference.

Jackets Links:

Columbus Blue Jackets / Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule

Columbus Blue Jackets Roster / Columbus Blue Jackets Stats

Here are the lineups for tonight's tilt:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Kristian Huselius	Antoine Vermette	Rick Nash
R.J. Umberger	Derick Brassard	Jakub Voracek
Jason Chimera	Samuel Pahlsson	Fredrik Modin
Raffi Torres	Mike Blunden	Jared Boll

Fedor Tyutin	Mathieu Roy
Mike Commodore	Jan Hejda
Kris Russell	Marc Methot

Steve Mason

Mathieu Garon

EXTRA: Andrew Murray

INJURED: Anton Stralman, Rostislav Klesla, Derek Dorsett

Dallas Stars

James Neal	Brad Richards	Loui Eriksson
Brenden Morrow	Tom Wandell	Jamie Benn
Steve Ott	Mike Ribeiro	Fabian Brunnstrom
Toby Petersen	Mike Modano	Krys Barch

Nicklas Grossman	Stephane Robidas
Karlis Skrastins	Maxime Fortunus
Jeff Woywitka	Ivan Vishnevskiy

Marty Turco

Alex Auld

Frustrations Mount as Dallas Stars Lose 6-5 in Overtime to Thrashers

Brandon Worley — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:15:55 -0000

Sigh...

View full size photo »

We've said it before and we went into detail during last night's post-game show; get ready because this season is going to be one hell of a bumpy ride for Stars fans. After forcing overtime in a game they should have won by four goals, the Dallas Stars lost once more in the extra frame. Instead of the normal 'here's a rundown of what happened' game recap, I'm going to give you ten thoughts on tonight's overtime loss to the Atlanta Thrashers; we'll have much more details and breakdowns tomorrow.

First thought: Ondrej Pavelec is incredible.

Ten more thoughts, after the jump.

Before we get to all of the bad, bad stuff from this game, let's go over the good. Stephane Robidas rebounded from perhaps his worst game of the season and had yet another big game from the point for the Stars. He would finish with two goals, an assist and seven shots on goal and maintained the strong play on defense he's had all season long. He's developed a knack for knowing just when to launch a shot from the point, and you have to give the guys credit for creating big traffic in front of the net.
I know we're all pissed off at the outcome, but it's just bad damn luck that in a game the Stars showed great execution, determination and hard work in, they face a goaltender that is a cross between Dominik Hasek and Patrick Roy. That the Stars scored five goals tonight is a testament to the offensive firepower the Stars showcased; this could easily have been an eight goal game. The Thrashers were completely unconcerned with covering the trailing forward or defensemen tonight, and it opened up some prime opportunities. Once again. the Stars were unable to cash in and they paid for it.
After going through a stretch where the penalty kill looked so good and was giving this team ample opportunities to win, they have now allowed five power play goals in the past two nights. Tonight, the Stars took some unnecessary penalties and gave the Thrashers a chance to get back in the game with their top-ranked power play. Atlanta has some snipers on the team; giving them open chances time and again is a certain recipe for disaster.
We've shouted from the rooftops all season long that Jamie Benn needs to shoot more. See what happens?
Brenden Morrow finished the game with zero shots, one hit and was a minus-1. He was instrumental in causing some big messes in front of Pavelec, but that is not the game we need from our captain the night after the worst loss of the season.
Here's a perfect microcosm for how the Stars' season has gone. On a night when the Stars explode with 47 shots against a team ill concerned with playing defense, on a night when the Stars score more than four goals for the first time in eleven games, the goaltenders decide to take the night off. Sure, there were some defensive breakdowns but when you're playing a kinetic team like Atlanta and in a system that's designed to expose the goalies at times, you need your netminders to be in top form. Allowing six goals on 25 shots is frankly pathetic.
However, no excuse for one again absolutely putrid defensive coverage and a breakdown of fundamentals. The inability to cover the backside of the net, the constant lack of attempts to take out trailing forwards in the slot and a dark void where the transition game should be has left this defensive corps ragged and a pale glimmer of what they once were. Is the loss of Zubov and Norstrom affecting this team that much? Despite any offense the Stars may try and put together, this team will go nowhere until the defense finds a way at least be average. These players are better than they are showing right now; they may not be the best group but they are better than this.
With Trevor Daley out indefinitely, and Mark Fistric leaving in the second period, I'm certain that the Stars' defense was gassed late in the game. Yet the sight of seeing Matt Niskanen make a poor clearing attempt then fail to adequately cover his man in front of the net is getting beyond frustrating. He's a good player who is better than the level he is performing at right now, and I'm at a loss at how you fix it. One idea would be to give him less time on the power play and keep him fresh throughout the game, especially if Vishnevskiy is called up.
I agree with Crawford's decision to pull Auld after he allowed two quick goals to let Atlanta take the lead in the second period. Auld looked shaky in net, Turco had a somewhat decent game last night and Crawford wanted to keep his team's head above water as they fought to not be overcome by frustration once again.
The next five games for the Stars: Detroit, San Jose, Columbus, at Colorado and Chicago. Get ready for one rough and dangerous two weeks.
Finally, thank goodness for Eriksson's visor. While I'm happy for the goal it scored, I'm even more ecstatic that his nose/eyes/face were saved from a potentially serious injury. I'm still uncertain why players refuse to wear one.

Ok, so that was eleven.

Marty Turco and Dallas Stars Drop Sharks in Shootout, 3-2

Brandon Worley — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:32:54 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

Browse more photos »

Of all the players on the Dallas Stars that have taken the ice this season, none have received the amount of criticism as Matt Niskanen. The young defenseman that had shown so much promise two years ago, and lately he's struggled perhaps more that any other player on the team. Yet tonight, he emerged as the unlikely hero for the Stars in the 11th round of the shootout when he lifted a hard wrist shot over Evgeni Nabokov's glove.

The game started off shaky for the Stars as they attempted to match the Sharks physically and energy wise, and opened up the scoring with a nifty tip-in by Mike Ribeiro late in a power play. Yet the Stars found themselves down 2-1 after the first period as they allowed the Sharks to establish their forecheck, and allowed yet another seemingly soft goal. It was an emotional and penalty-filled first period and for a time it seemed as if the Stars were more focused on agitation and physicality than actual execution.

Yet led by a masterful performance by Brenden Morrow and Steve Ott, the Stars mounted an inspired comeback starting in the second period. Dallas outshot the Sharks 29-18 in the second and third periods and dictated play for a large chuck of time in the second half of the game. With Marc Crawford leaning heavily on his top three lines, the Stars were able to sustain pressure keep the Sharks away from their strength: their offensive firepower. Nabokov was masterful throughout the game, challenging the shooters and rarely allowing a rebound opportunity.

Eventually it was the Stars' aggression around the net that was the difference in this game. This was a theme through the game as the Stars had attempted to create as much havoc in front of Nabokov as possible, and had led to several scrums and a number of penalties for both sides. Midway through the third, as Brad Richards skated the puck out from behind the net, James Neal established position in front of the crease. Scott Nichol and Nabokov was more worried about Neal than the puck, and all three crashed to the ice as Richards' shot found the back of the net. Fittingly, the only way the Stars could score was to basically knock the goaltender out of the way.

Yet it was Marty Turco who stole the show in the final ten minutes of regulation, in overtime and then finally in the shootout. With the Sharks mounting a counterattack with the game tied Marty came up huge for the Stars, making 16 saves with the game on the line, including several tremendous stops on the penalty kill late in the game. He also made the save of the season when he stopped a rebound opportunity by reaching behind his back with his glove to snag a shot out of the air.

The shootout was a combination of incredible goaltending and questionable scoring skills; both teams combined for just three goals in 22 opportunities. Turco used the poke check to perfection while Nabokov was confident and forcing shooters to make moves with the puck. It was frustrating to see the Stars come up empty time and time again, but Turco was tremendous as he gave his team a chance at the win. Eventually, Niskanen was able to score when he snapped a big shot over the goalie's glove.

It was a big win for a Stars team that was reeling from two painful losses in the past week, and they'll get a chance to carry over the strong play tonight against Los Angeles.

Stars Lose Yet Again in Shootout Against Oilers

Art_M — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:42:27 -0000

More photos » by Ralph Lauer - AP

Browse more photos »

Afternoon games weren't exactly kind to the Dallas Stars last season as they went 1 and 4. This season's stretch of afternoon games didn't start much better as the Stars dropped a 3-2 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

The problem with afternoon contests most times - and this is true for almost any level of hockey, not just today's game or the NHL in general - is the players take a little bit longer to get into a groove and actually playing the game at their usual level. (And based on the bad officiating both ways for both teams, we can throw refs into that group as well.) Generally a key to winning these games is to be the first team to find your legs and get a jump on the scoreboard. Which is what the Stars ended up doing about ten minutes into the first as they started applying pressure low in the Oilers zone and cycling the puck well.

Their hard work was soon rewarded at the 15:51 mark as Mike Ribeiro got the puck from behind the Edmonton net, danced around dour different Oilers and then fired a shot from the slot that was saved by Oiler goalie Jeff Deslauriers but Jamie Benn was right in front of the net untouched to bang in a rebound that pretty much landed square on his stick for the 1-0 lead. Also of note, Brenden Morrow extended his points streak to seven games with a point on that play with an assist.

Less than four minutes later James Neal made it 2-0 after a nice pass from his landlord Brad Richards and suddenly it looked like the Stars were going to have a very good Saturday afternoon.

Then the second period happened. Again.

Maybe what we're seeing here is a weakness of a Crawford coach team... Opposing team's make adjustments and the Stars fail to make adjustments or respond to the change in game's pace. Even worse today, the Stars let their typical sub-par play in the second period carry over to the third period where they seemed to play not to lose as opposed to playing to win.

Funny thing about playing not to lose... I've rarely seen a hockey team that plays like that actually not lose. More often than not playing not to lose will end up in a loss. It's like putting on a prevent defense in football with eight minutes left in the game when you're only up by six.

After outshooting the Oilers 18-10 in the first, the Stars were outshot 26-17 in the rest of the game. That's not to say that the Stars didn't have any chances to score after the first, but it is an indication of how much the Oilers stepped up their game compared to Dallas.

With no real sustained pressure from the Stars, the Oilers crawled back into the game. First with a goal from Lubomir Visnovsky that looked like it could have bounced off two players but upon further review didn't hit anyone and for as strange as it sounds, the lack of a deflection may have thrown Marty Turco off as he played the shot expecting a bounce or two.

The Oilers kept chipping away at the Stars defense (which for the most part was ok in the game) and Turco (who was outstanding) and with about three minutes left in the game finally got the game tied at two after a Ladislav Smid point shot went off Stephane Robidas' leg and past a surprised Turco who clearly wasn't playing for a deflection at that time.

That isn't a typo by the way... Laddy Smid... A member and president of the "I haven't scored since 2007" club not only had a goal but he also had an assist on the first Oilers goal. Maybe we shouldn't be stunned that the Stars did end up losing because honestly any team that allows Smid to have a two point night deserves not only a loss but also for Southwest Airlines to actually charge them to carry their bags on the next flight.

Cue overtime where the theme of the Stars not doing much offensively continued and Marty kept the Oilers at bay with some solid stops in the extra frame.

In the shootout it seemed to be more of the same that you've seen from the Stars... And not in a good way.

Richards comes in with speed and takes a wrist shot... only to be stopped.

Neal (who was by far the best Star on the ice today despite what I am about to say) is maybe taking after his mentor a little too much as he pretty much tried the same thing as Richards did and missed the net.

Loui Eriksson thankfully broke up the shooting party with a nice forehand / backhand deke to tie to extend the shootout... which ended two rounds later when Morrow clanged a shot off the post while the Oilers Shawn Horcoff fired a puck five hole on Turco that barely squeaked through his pads to win the game.

Yet another frustrating result to what after the first was a frustrating game for Stars fans... And I am sure for players and coaches alike. The Stars offense is as cold as the snow that has been in falling around Texas the last few days and special teams wise the powerplay is pretty much non-existent right now to go along with the anemic offense. At the very least the penalty kill efforts for the Stars have been quite good, but this team's defense isn't quite good enough to win these 2-1 games constantly which is what has been asked off them far too many times this past month.

Again there are positives to take way from this game. Neal is starting to return to his crashing, shooting form. Mark Fistric maybe had his best game of the season defensively. Jamie Benn is firing at will now and still crashing the net. Turco was great and the reason the game even got to an overtime and a shootout

Most of all, even though I know Stars fans are very sick of the one point losses and the shootout failures, at the very least the Stars are gaining points with these losses and not being left in the dust by not collecting loser points.

Defending Big D 3 Stars of the game

1st Star: Jeff Deslauriers (EDM) - Gave his team a chance to get back into the game with some great saves in the first that continued for the entire game.

2nd Star: Marty Turco (DAL) - Did everything possible to try and win a tight 2-1 game. His work in the third especially helped the Stars get to overtime.

3rd Star: James Neal (DAL) - By far the best player on the ice for either team. A goal and seven shots on net plus a handful of hits.

Oilers vs. Stars, 12/5/09 - Studley Wonderbomb vs. Real Deal

Derek Zona — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:57:05 -0000

via sportslogos.net

SBNation's Oilers vs Stars game page

Defending Big D

Dallas, home of the self-admitted fair-weather fans.

Dallas desperately needs Blue-Line offense. Edmonton should rebuild. Souray to Dallas?

Matt Niskanen is having difficulties. Perhaps the young blueliner could use a change of scenery, like Edmonton.

Tom Hicks' financial situation continues to hamper the Stars.

The Dallas Stars Ice Girls page. Raise your hand if rather than Khabibulin, you'd like to have Meagan in goal.

Watch for Brendon Morrow and Ethan Moreau to take penalties, but not draw them.

We'll always have Devo. Perhaps Robert Nilsson can corkscrew a Stars defender tonight as an homage to Dvorak.

Always remember the real Stars.

Dallas Stars Injuries

No Injuries.

Poll

Minnesota North Stars or Dallas Stars?

Minnesota North Stars

24 votes

Dallas Stars

5 votes

29 votes | Poll has closed

Stargazing: Wings Dominate Stars, 4-1

Brad G — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:35:35 -0000

Stargazing is a daily assortment of Dallas Stars and Texas Stars news, and whatever other random ramblings are bouncing around inside our heads.

"We found a way to lose the game and not even compete in it."

-Steve Ott, NHL.com

We could leave it at that and say no more. Or instead, we could say "Oh well, it's just one game" and move on to the next one. We could say that there were some unlucky bounces, and that asking the team to win both games in Detroit this season is unreasonable. Certainly, we could say all of these things, but we've watched enough games this year to know that last night was about so much more. I like Steve Ott's assessment, however. He makes a very concise point.

The Stars played 14 games in October, recording a 6-3-5 record and a points percentage of .607. In November, they played 13 games, recording a 6-5-2 record with a points percentage of .538. After earning points in their first seven road games, they earned points in only two of the next seven. They ended the month having lost three out of four games and sit in eighth place in the conference, with the teams right behind them having games in hand. They are, in short, "hanging around." But only just.

The Western Conference has floundered in mediocrity and parity these first two months, but it cannot be expected to continue forever. Teams are going to get their proverbial "stuff" together and put forth some quality stretches. The Stars have bought themselves some time with their 31 points, but the time to "sink or swim" is fast approaching.

Luckily, the team plays only three times in the next ten days. Razor mentioned last night that Marc Crawford has only conducted only two practices in the last 14 days. Perhaps some quality practices are just what they need.

Mike Heika points out that the Stars seem to win lately only when the power play clicks:

"It is frustrating, it's very frustrating" said captain Brenden Morrow. "You prepare yourself and you go out and play hard, but they found a way to make more plays. We both had opportunities, but they took advantage of their's."

Just as the Stars had taken advantage of their's Saturday when they scored three power play goals.

On Monday, though, Dallas went 0-for-4 with the man advantage, including almost two minutes of power play to start the second period with the score tied, 1-1

After the jump, more quotes and reaction to the night at The Joe...

Mr. Heika also wonders if Mike Modano just played his last game at Joe Louis Arena...?

The all-time leader in pretty much every offensive category for the Stars franchise, Modano has played more than 50 NHL games in his hometown arena. He skated here hundreds more times before that when he was a member of Little Caesars' storied youth hockey program.

So at 39, with his contract up at the end of the season, and this being the second of two trips to Detroit, could this have been the last twirl for him at The Joe? He said he thought about that possibility all day Monday.

"I think it's too early to tell you," said Modano, who grew up in nearby Livonia. "There's still a lot of time left in this season."

He's going to start answering that question more and more as the year wears on.

The Detroit Free Press brings you someone I really don't like: Todd Bertuzzi:

"I thought overall it was a really good game," Todd Bertuzzi said. "When we were being pressured we kept our composure and played well defensively. Offensively, we scored when we need to."

Drew Miller's goal late in the first period broke a stretch of 156:30 the Wings had gone at home without scoring, and it marked the first time in five games the Wings got the first goal. After Brenden Morrow tied the game, Darren Helm and Dan Cleary made it 3-1, and Bertuzzi overturned a Dallas attack as the third period began by scoring his fourth goal of the season.

"It helps us offensively when we get that first goal," Nicklas Lidstrom said. "Even though they tied it up, we were still able to come out with a good effort, and I thought we took the game over in the second period."

More quotes from Stars coaches and player-men:

Marc Crawford:

"You have to recognize when you have a chance to really grab a hold of the game, and I thought they did a better job of that than us tonight," Stars coach Marc Crawford said.

"Marty has been around long enough that he knows he didn't have his best stuff," Crawford said. "And I feel confident he will respond to that."

Brenden Morrow:

"The thing we can do is work hard and stay focused, and that's what we need to do," Morrow said. "We just have to keep grinding away and keep doing things the way we're supposed to do the, the way we're coached to do. If we do that, I think we'll see more consistency."

Marty Turco:

"You can say I'm struggling, because the pucks are going in the net," Turco said. "But you have to trust what you're doing and continue to do the right things, and things will turn around."

Richard Durrett says they've got to stick with Marty:

Stars goaltender Marty Turco didn't have a good game Monday in Detroit. It wasn't his fault that Detroit was able to score its first goal by throwing a puck at the net and having it go off defenseman Trevor Daley's chest. But beyond that one, Turco just didn't seem to be on his game at all.

He didn't appear to anticipate a wraparound attempt by Ville Leino in the first period and luckily for Turco, the puck didn't go in. But several of the goals that did get past Turco were certainly ones he'd like to have back. He just seemed slow the whole night. We all know Turco hasn't been comfortable playing Detroit at Joe Louis Arena (1-9-2).

As we discussed on the blog last night, Turco has allowed three or more goals in six of his last seven starts. So he's just in a bit of a funk right now. Don't let that fool into thinking the goaltending job should go to backup Alex Auld.

I tend to agree, and I'm really glad that Leino try didn't go in. What "epic-fail" YouTube fodder that would have been.

Alright. I don't want to talk about that any more. We'll revisit the subject of the Wings in 18 days, when they're even healthier. For now, set your sites on the Ducks, who play the Stars three times in December. The Ducks are on a 4-0-2 run, and are charging hard. They will try to use the Stars to continue to their climb up the standings this month. When people call Thursday's game one that the Stars "should" win, I say, "really?"

Also, please remember that we'll back with a new podcast tomorrow night: Defending Big D Live at 7:00pm CST

Dallas Stars' Inconsistency Follows Them to Motown With 4-1 Loss

Art_M — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:00:30 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Drew Miller (20) celebrates a first period goal while Marty Turco and Trevor Daley stand dumbfounded that the Wings would dare shoot pucks on goal. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Browse more photos »

So since the Stars won on Saturday I'll give you three guesses on how the Stars did tonight, but you'll only need one guess of course...

Frustration, thy name is Dallas Stars hockey.

I don't get it. I just don't understand it. How can a team with this kind of talent be so inconsistent?

The first period of this game the Stars looked solid, were going into the first intermission tied 1-1 and in most stat categories were even if not better than the Red Wings. Yeah sure the Stars gave up a flaky first goal again that bounced of Daley's chest and past a frozen Turco - a quick aside: why was Daley on top of the Stars crease and facing his own net like he was? - but overall they carried most of the play in the first. They got a late, late goal in the period to get the Wings doubting themselves.

And then the second period happened. Again!

Darren Helm scored five minutes in to make it 2-1, Dallas didn't get any kind of sustained pressure inside the Red Wings zone until they got just past the ten minute mark of the period and just when you thought Dallas might be ok, Dan Cleary scores at the twelve minute mark and from then on Detroit put on the clamps and Dallas for the rest of the game didn't really seem overly interested in trying to pry them off.

Take James Neal for example: Sixteen minutes ice time, no shots, one missed shot, one hit. Those are not James Neal-like numbers and that type of lethargic play seemed to be a bit contagious.

Oh sure, the Stars still played and even out shot the Wings in the third period, but none of those shots or chances were overly dangerous. Part of that you can chalk up to Wings goalie Jimmy Howard who outstanding all game and part of it you can chalk up to plain 'ol bad bounces and bad luck. I don't want to accuse this team of having no heart or desire to win games because I know that's not true - even in this game. There were moments where the Stars would have had glorious chances to score a goal and get back into the game if not for a missed shot or a timely poke check. At the same time though, you have to work harder for those chances. There is a famous saying that goes "Luck is the residue of hard work" so that being the case, the Stars simply need to work harder it would seem.

Meanwhile the team defense again was out of place multiple times in the game which led to three different goals being deflected in past Marty Turco and while Matt Niskanen did show some slight signs of improvement, Karlis Skrastins and Nik Grossman had off nights. Then again Turco as well looked like he was having an off night and at times moved about as rapidly as a snail when Detroit was throwing pucks on net. But we can't really blame him for the bad night because as I just mentioned, the defense in front of him really wasn't helping much. Thankfully Stephane Robidas kept up his hot, hot play with five hits and yet another point - an assist off a Brenden Morrow tip-in for the Stars lone goal in the game. Even special teams for Dallas was a mixed bag with the penalty kill going a perfect 4 for 4, but the power play looking anything but with an oh for four night.

*looks over last few paragraphs*

See what I mean here? Part of me wants to just blast the Stars for not playing to full potential and part of me wants to forgive the guys for just running into dumb luck and bad breaks and at least focus on the few positives that seem to spring up from every loss they've had this season as a beacons of hope that this isn't last season all over again.

I assume the solution to the Stars problems with inconsistency lay somewhere in the middle of all that. Putting in a full sixty minutes, not allowing themselves to let the bad breaks dictate their play and working hard enough to create puck luck in front of the opposing net.

On Saturday I listed off twelve Dallas Stars as either potential 2010 Olympians or at the very least were getting (or in Niskanen's case, had been getting) a look from their respective countries. The fine gentlemen over at Second City Hockey where they cover the first place in the west Blackhawks? They only mentioned nine players! Now it's not that I think Dallas is that much more talented than Chicago, but I do think it's an indication that these Dallas Stars do have a fair amount of talent on their roster.

This Dallas Stars season so far reminds me of that famous scene in the movie The Matrix where the Oracle breaks news to Neo by saying: "You have the gift, but it looks like you're waiting for something..."

We're still waiting.

Dallas Stars 2010 Olympic Hockey Preview

Art_M — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:00:14 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

It's very possible that come February these two could be on opposing teams and it's also very possible that it's Modano - not Morrow - wearing a C for his team.

Browse more photos »

The Olympic games in Vancouver are 75 days away but most national teams for the much anticipated hockey tournament will be announcing their rosters around the January 1st mark and with that in mind, all the various hockey blogs of SBNation are taking a look at their own rosters and previewing who should be making plans for a trip to Vancouver to those who maybe can expect a couple of weeks off in February.

Today is our turn as we take a look at the Dallas Stars lineup.

Pack Your Bags!

Loui Eriksson (Sweden) - It could be in a third or even in a second line role depending on how the likes of Kristian Huselius and Daniel Sedin play the next month or so, but make no mistake that Loui - who is on pace for another 30 goal season this year - will be joining the defending gold medalists from Turin, Italy.

Karlis Skrastins (Latvia) - This is kind of a no-brainier considering how thin Latvia is in all positions. Still, as we've seen so far this season Karlis is a very steady defenseman who also doubles as a puck magnet when opposing players take shots. He's going to be on the team's top pairing, so unfortunately for Stars fans, we can expect him to have a few more bruises on his body after Vancouver.

We look at more players after the jump...

Nearly A Lock...

Brenden Morrow (Canada) - Before his knee injury last season and coming off his magnificent playoff run on 08, pretty much every hockey expert had Morrow as a lock to make Team Canada's checking line. Now coming off that injury not everyone is so sure and his recent goal-less drought has also had some people question his status. Still, Morrow is a prototypical Canadian player... hard nosed, gritty and still skilled enough to score goals. Unless he goes through another long goal-less stretch, he should be wearing a red maple leaf come Olympic time.

A Safe Bet...

Mike Modano (USA) - Sure the injury and his age are working against him, but since he's made his return he's played like a man on a mission with three goals and four assists in 11 games. It also helps that both US GM Brian Burke and head coach Ron Wilson are fans of Mike and have both suggested his leadership would be a welcome addition to the team. With that in mind, don't be shocked if Mike not only makes the team, but is the one wearing the captain's C when they hit the ice.

Jere Lehtinen (Finland) - It was hard to say if Jere should have been here or in the "Work To Do" section we'll feature in a moment... Jere not being a part of Team Finland almost seems crazy, but he's been injury prone the last couple of seasons and since his return this season he hasn't put up any numbers of note and is actually a -2 as I write this. Still, Finland on wing isn't as deep as other teams and his leadership and dedication to Finnish hockey should land him a roster spot.

In A Battle...

Stephane Robidas (Canada) - If he was from any other country (save for Sweden as we'll talk about in a moment...) he'd probably be a lock, but sadly he's from Canada where the country could ice three teams for the tournament and all three would contend for gold. His offensive numbers both five on five and on the powerplay and his hard nosed play (pardon the pun) have justified Hockey Canada's choice to have him as part of the September orientation camp, but with so much big name talent in front of him, Robi will have to play near flawless hockey from here until the end of the year to get a shot at making the team.

Nicklas Grossman (Sweden) - Grossman faces the same problem Robidas does, Sweden is pretty deep on defense and while Grossman has had a solid year defensively, the lack of any kind of offensive numbers may hurt his chances overall. If Sweden though is interested in having a defensive corps of large stay-at-home defenders that can hit , Grossman may just get the call.

You Have Work To Do!

Marty Turco (Canada) - The Carolina Hurricanes Cam Ward may have been a lock for Team Canada before his injury and Steve Mason of the Blue Jackets also had some early buzz going for him, but he's struggled so far this year. Turco has been a loyal Team Canada soldier for years and his puck playing ability does make Team Canada management salivate at the idea of constant breakout passes. Problem is Martin Brodeur is a near lock as starter and unless they really stumble, Roberto Luongo and Marc-Andre Fleury are pretty much penned in as his backups, so Turco needs to continue to improve and stay as far away from games like he just had against Phoenix last night.

Moving On Up!

Brad Richards (Canada) - Five years ago coming off a Conn Smythe Trophy winning playoff, Richards would have been a lock to make any kind of Team Canada, but as you may be well aware his stock has dropped considerably. This season though his play making ability has caught the eye of more than a few Canadians and while Canada is very, very deep at center, if Brad keeps up his MVP like play for the Stars, he will make it very hard for Team Canada officials to look away.

James Neal (Canada) - If Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dustin Penner of the Edmonton Oilers are causing many Canadians to take a second look, then you can throw James Neal into that group as well as his offensive numbers are comparable to the two not to mention Neal brings a physical side that Stamkos lacks and speed that Penner lacks. Maybe in four years if NHLers are part of the 2014 games, The Real Deal is a lock for Team Canada, but for now it's a long shot.

Tom Wandell (Sweden) - Speaking of long shots, that brings us to Tommy who is a very long shot to make Tre Kronor. Still, Wandell has shown a slight nose for the net and more importantly has shown he can play a solid two-way game and has been on the ice many times for Marc Crawford in critical situations at the end of the game where the Stars lead by one and need a defensive stop. Sweden has too much depth at forward for Wandell to crack the lineup, but he's still managed to catch some eyes this season.

Headed On Down...

Matt Niskanen (USA) - Last year coming off a solid second season, Matt was part of the US National team for the 2009 World Championships and was pretty good for them in the nine games he played with the team and many thought he had a solid chance at making the Olympics. Since then though he wasn't invited to the US orientation camp and this season has been a rough one for the young Nisky. Team USA will probably decide to pass on a player who is starting to look more and more like a defensive liability this year.

Beat Down in the Desert; Stars Blown Out, 5-2

Brandon Bibb — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:58:33 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Browse more photos »

I'll keep this short and say for those of you who had Dish Network tonight or had some other commitment that prevented you from watching tonight's game, consider yourself lucky.

Because this one was a complete wreck tonight. No, not like back your car into a hydrant and your neighbor's tree right out of the driveway ugly. At least the Stars waited until the second period to let this one get out of hand.

But tonight's game is still a strong contender with the Columbus game from last week for Worst Game of the Year.

Like Ralph said, this one was a manageable 1-0 lead going into the second. But it became 4-0 by the close of the period primarily thanks to horrible defending that constantly left Marty Turco out to dry and left him faultless in my book.

He was probably faultless to a large degree in Marc Crawford's book as the Stars' coach invoked a mercy pulling and got Turco out of there after the 4th goal.

If there is a player tonight who deserves the lion's share of the blame, it's Matt Niskanen, whose matador defending helped set up Lauri Korpikoski's first career NHL goal to open the flood gates in the second. And for good measure, Nisky was a part of that mess of defenders who allowed Adrian Aucoin to step in from the ladies' tees and make it 4-0 just moments after Korpikoski scored his second of the game to make it 3-0.

Sure, give them some marks for not quitting in the third after Zbynek Michalek's marker made it 5-0. But those goals from Brenden Morrow and Mike Ribeiro will simply go down as garbage time goals that nobody will remember from this game.

The only saving grace is that the game was over so early that the Stars, in theory, didn't use up a lot of their energy reserves and will be fresher come tomorrow night. Which if that's the case...GREAT!!!

Because last I checked, the Coyotes don't have a Vincent Lecavalier or a Steven Stamkos on their roster.

We'll have more tomorrow, of course, from our stable of contributors.

DBD's Three Stars:

1. Lauri Korpikoski (PHX) - Funny name. Serious game. At least from the flying Finn tonight with his first two career goals.

2. Scottie Upshal (PHX)- I know why the Flyers made the trade to get him last spring. Still think it was a mistake to let this talented forward go.

3. Matthew Lombardi (PHX) - Some people carved up a Thanksgiving turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Lombardi celebrated this holiday weekend by carving up the Stars' defense with his passing prowess.