SB Nation - Brad Richards

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

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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

Stars defeats Red Wings 4-3

joehass — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:30:47 -0000

More photos » by Tim Sharp - AP

Krystofer Barch and Brad May renew acquaintances for their sixth battle.

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On an afternoon in which the Detroit Red Wings had a 33-21 advantage in shots and a 63-33 attempts advantage on the road against the Dallas Stars, it would seem likely that they would get two points out of it.

But a series of bad defensive plays, odd bounces, and a mediocre performance by Jimmy Howard negated a pair of three-point performances by Todd Bertuzzi and Pavel Datsyuk gave the Stars the 4-3 victory Saturday afternoon.

Karlis Skrastins had two goals for the Stars, including the game-winner 1:16 into the third period.

The game featured the sixth battle in the epic struggle between Brad May and Krystofer Barch. Both sides got in strong punches, but the battle finished effectively as a draw. Afterwards May was seen laughing with Barch between the penalty boxes.

In the first period, Bertuzzi was driving towards the Dallas net and took a shot on Marty Turco. Turco was able to put a stick on it, but in the process of trying to push the puck out of the crease, misplayed it. As it popped into the air, Tomas Holmstrom took a swing at the puck to a wide open net, and connected to get his 13th goal of the year.

In the second, Mike Ribeiro took the puck after a dump into the corner to the left of Howard. Four Red Wings tracked towards him, which left Skrastins wide open to the right of Howard. Skrastins didn't miss for his first goal of the season, making it 1-1.

Richards skated in direct along the boards. He passed it to James Neal in front of the net. The puck went off the toe of his skate, then deflected off Bertuzzi's stick and past a moving Howard to make it 2-1 Stars.

Three minutes later, Bertuzzi came in across the blue line and the puck went lightly off Datsuyk and past a completely stunned Turco. It was Datsuyk's eighth.

Sixty-six seconds later, Skrastin's shot from 55 feet away was stick saved by Howard. But Howard lost track of the puck as it went into the air and landed on Neal's stick. He didn't even pause, putting it past a surprised Howard for his second of the afternoon to jump the Stars back out in front.

With 60 seconds left, Datsuyk skated around the back of the Stars net, draped in Skrastins. He pushed the pust towards Bertuzzi, who slapped it in past Turco for his 10th of the season and third point of the night. It was 3-3 going into the third period.

But only 76 seconds into the third, Brad Richards sends a backhand to Skrastins, who put it along the far post against an out-of-position Howard. It was the second of the game and his third point of the afternoon to get the winner.

The Wings head to Chicago Sunday to take on the Blackhawks at Madison Avenue.

Player of the game: Pavel Datsuyk. In addition to the goal and two assists, Datsuyk was completely in the zone, with crisp, heads-up passing and smart playmaking.

Skrastins The Sniper? Dallas Stars Outgun Red Wings 4-3

Art_M — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:20:47 -0000

More photos » by Tim Sharp - AP

The three certainties in life: death, taxes and Kris Barch / Brad May fighting whenever they play against each other. (AP Photo/Tim Sharp)

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So to start off, lets go over the list of guys who the Dallas Stars should be leaning on for offense this season and see how they did today! Brad Richards? Two assists. Mike Modano? No points but did have 8 shots on goal which led all players on either team. Loui Eriksson? Two assists in the game as well. James Neal? Two goals and an assist. Karlis Skrastins?

Woah... Wait... Who?! Karlis Skrastins? With two goals - one of them being the game winner that he scored very early in the third period - and an assist today? Uhhh... Ok, sure!

Karlis Skrastins having a three point game - a career high for him of course - seemed about as likely as seeing the Dallas Stars putting a solid sixty minutes worth of hockey against the Detroit Red Wings who came into the game having won four in a row and five of their last six, but yet both the solid sixty minutes of play and the Skrastins offensive outburst happened and your Dallas Stars won their first game in regulation time since December 3rd.

Huge win this afternoon for your Dallas Stars as they beat the Red Wings 4-3. We here at DBD have talked the last few days about how this next stretch of games over the next two weeks or so for the Stars will be a big test, so starting it off with a win over one of the club's main rivals is a great start. Also things suddenly don't seem quite as bad for the team standings wise when you consider that the Stars have earned 10 out of a possible 16 points so far this month.

But as is fitting in a season where fans on almost a nightly basis are never sure of what exactly they'll see from the Dallas Stars, today's game saw offense from maybe the most unlikely source possible: A stay-at-home defenseman who is know more for blocking shots than taking them!

Now granted the Red Wings are beat up and a hurting bunch right now with eight of their regulars out with various injuries, but they are still the Red Wings, they still had Pavel Datsyuk and Todd Bertuzzi in their lineup - the only two players who the Stars just couldn't seem to contain - and lest we forget the job goalie Jimmy Howard did against the Stars in their last meeting.

The Stars were full value for their win today. It wasn't a perfect win but it was maybe the best we've seen this team play over the last few weeks. The biggest thing - and as you might be able to tell, I can't say it enough - is that it was a complete game. There were no five minute lapses where the roof caved in on the team, or periods where 18 of 20 minutes were spent in the Stars zone, and maybe most importantly when the Stars did have a one goal lead late in the third period they didn't go into a cheesecloth-like prevent defense and allow the opposition to fire at will on Marty Turco until they got a goal to tie it.

Do I even dare suggest that the third period today almost kinda sorta looked like the Dallas Stars of old where they'd get a one goal lead and then "lock it down" defensively for a win? Ok, maybe they are still a ways away from that kind of play and heck, coach Marc Crawford may not even want the Stars to win that way... But in the third period the Stars stuck to playing strong fundamental hockey that both offensive and defensive players played all game and ended up with a W.

Playing strong fundamental hockey... Where have we heard that before? Lets hope they can keep it up against the Sharks!

Defending Big D Three Stars:

1: Karlis Skrastins (DAL) - Oh yeah, on top of his three point night he also had 2 blocked shots. A career game for him!

2: Pavel Datsyuk (DET) - Three point night and the Stars couldn't prevent him from setting up goals even when three guys surounded him.

3: James Neal (DAL) - Six hits to go along with his three point game and as an added bonus, neither of his two goals came off his visor!

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

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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.

Dallas Stars Blogger Roundtable; Thoughts On The Season So Far, Part II

Brandon Worley — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:29:51 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Could Mike Ribeiro's name start to come up in trade discussions?

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In Part II of our blogger roundtable, things started to get interesting as we got into some of the more sensitive subjects surrounding the Dallas Stars. We talked about our actual realistic expectations for the team, some of the leadership issues we might be starting to see, and then got into some of the dreaded trade talk scenarios. You can find Part I of our discussion here.

As a reminder, joining us last night were Cole Jones (TheOther6Seconds.com), Myra Lackey (Laughs2Loud.com), Brandon Bibb and none other than Bob Sturm of 1310 The Ticket fame and resident blogger at DallasStars.com.

Quick note: This was a fairly loose discussion with minimal structure. It a chat among serious Dallas Stars bloggers and we let the conversation go where it might. This is a slightly abridged transcript of the chat.

Brandon B. - Mike Heika pointed out that Tom Hicks would tend to get a better return on the money he put into the Stars because of the economics of the NHL. He had an easier time keeping up with the Red Wings than he did trying to keep up with the Red Sox and Yankees in baseball. So there's that

Cole J. - I think a lot of fans expected the salary cap in hockey to hamper our spending... but I know I personally didn't expect us to be so far below the cap so quickly.

Brandon W. - We're not going to see any big changes soon (supposedly), and the Stars still need to win now. Do we have faith the coaching staff can maximize the performance of this current team?

Cole J. - I think the bigger question isn't if the coaches can maximize it, but what this team's ceiling is... what IS our max? How good can we be?

Brandon B. - Well like I said earlier, the Stars are in a position in the standings where most of us could reasonably expect them to be with a lowered payroll, young roster, and new coaching staff coming in.

Cole J. - After last season, I'll take the 8th seed as a victory. A summer without playoffs hurts.

Brandon B. - As long as the club can stay relatively healthy, I do think you'll start seeing the coaching change pay some dividends as the season goes along.

Myra L. - I think we were handling the season's ups and downs alright until those last two games. Something about the way they came unglued was more troubling than previous losses. Was it a coaching problem? I think you can't say it didn't have something to do with it.

Brandon W. - I definitely think the Stars have the ability to at least hold on to the 8th seed, and this team desperately needs a playoff berth. Mark Stepneski had a great article today detailing that despite all of the issues this team has had, they've still been able to keep pace with the rest of the teams around them.

Cole J. - What worries me the most is that we've been able to keep pace by racking up on "loser points."

Brandon B. - And what the loser point give, the loser point can taketh away.

Cole J. - As someone who hates the entire loser point system, it really takes the wind out of your sails.

Myra L. - Those stats breaking down into 5 and 10 game blocks were pretty amazing. I had felt like they were slipping much more than the stats indicated.

Brandon B. - And lest we forget, this team is -4 in head to head point differential with Phoenix, -2 against Minnesota, and -2 against Edmonton. That could come back to bite them at the end of the year if they don't start making up some of that lost ground later in the season.

Cole J. - I think what's so disconcerting is that while we have been consistently inconsistent, it feels like it's getting worse, because we all expected it to get better.

Brandon W. - Well, I think we're all in agreement that the Stars are at least treading water. What's nerve wracking is how quickly things can go in either direction, good or bad from here moving forward.

Cole J. - Definitely.

Brandon W. - I know it all feels negative right now, but I want to try and talk about the positives about this team. I wrote about it early today but I'd like to hear your thoughts on the most uplifting part of this current Stars team, not named Brad Richards.

Brandon B. - I'm trying to keep a 30,000 foot view of it all by telling myself that no matter what happens this year, next year will be better.

Myra L. - What are our expectations for the end of the season? Do we really think they can work miracles with a new GM and coaching staff and a very young team? I'm usually Ms. Positivity but I'm a realist as well.

Cole J. - I'm usually a "negative nancy" so to speak, so I'm pretty par for the course so far. lol.

Cole J. - I think Neal's start to the season, and Benn's ability to hang with the top lines straight out of junior have got to be big pluses. They're both young and have many years ahead of them. Benn's going to have his ups and downs, but there's no question he's going to be a good one.

Myra L. - I have a positive for you, which you already discussed in today's post, but MARK FISTRIC. The advances he has made in every aspect of his game are tremendous.

Cole J. - And Tommy Wandell. I can't say enough good things about him.

Brandon B. - I do think you have to be encouraged with the fact that a kid like Jamie Benn, who was a later round draft pick, was able to basically barge his way onto this team by virtue of his play in training camp and the early part of the season. The Stars drafting issues in the 90's and early part of the decade have been well chronicled. So it's nice to see that there's one part of the organization that's improved over the last 3 to 4 years.

Cole J. - Ohhh. I agree there, too. In my last few game recaps, I've been singing the praises of "The Fist" as well. I really like how he's stepped up his physical play.

Brandon B. - And I second what Cole said about Tom Wandell. His speed and offensively ability seem to be a natural match for a Marc Crawford coached team.

Myra L. - Tommy has been a huge surprise. I cannot get over this maturity and composure on the ice. Now if he could just learn not to get plastered into the boards at least twice a game, that would be good. But he seems to be able to shake even really big hits.

Brandon B. - That's not to say I expect him to one day get into the top 6 forward group. But there will always be a spot on the team for him as long as Crawford's here.

Cole J. - I think Ralph and Razor mentioned it recently, but when Modano finally hangs them up, Wandell is just a perfect fit on that third line.

Brandon W. - I don't have anything to quantify this, but I knew that Benn was going to be on this team to start the season. I watched every game he played in during the WHL playoffs and it was apparent that he is such a special, special player. I'm not surprised at all by what he's done this season and in fact I'm a bit surprised he hasn't produced more.

Cole J. - What's impressed me the most about Benn is how smooth he is for a bigger guy. There are times that he receives passes that he has no business contorting around to snag, but he does it all in stride.
Brandon W. - What's surprising is how strong he is on the backcheck and in the defensive zone. Usually a player like that embraces his offense first, but Benn has focused heavily on his defensive coverage and it's shown. That allows him time to grow on offense; if only he'd shoot the damn puck more.

Myra L. - It's interesting that all our positives are the new kids.

Cole J. - Took me a while to get used to seeing Benn in a Stars jersey though. Every time I saw that #14, I thought "Holy crap. When did Stu get giant?!"

Brandon W. - The only regular forward with less shots than Benn right now is Wandell.

Brandon B. - Well, again, I think that speaks to how far the quality of scouting and drafting has come. Which means I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that's Les Jackson's baby.

Brandon W. - Exactly, and frankly I'm ecstatic he's back in that position. I know that technically he was 'demoted', but the Stars need him to be focused on what he excels at.

Cole J. - Les Jackson doesn't get enough credit, I'm afraid.

Brandon W. - Last night in the podcast we talked extensively about the actual leadership structure of the team. What are your takes on what we're seeing right now from the coaches and the players?

Cole J. - I think leadership structure might be the wrong term, considering I think everyone but Auldy has worn a letter at some point... but overall, I think Morrow has shown solid leadership. Like I said earlier, when he's having one of his "loud shifts" things are going good. I think with Morrow though, he's more of an on-ice leader than an off-ice leader... and no matter what he says, it's obvious he's still feeling after effects from his knee surgery, which might be hampering his role as super-captain kamikazee.

Myra L. - I do think we are going to need to see Crawford get more tough with them. Morrow is starting to get back into leadership form on the ice, so that should help. How serious can they take Brad though. Everytime they interview him, all I can think is, EYEORE! And that he is gorgeous, but I doubt that is a distraction for the team.

Myra L. - Sorry, I can only stay serious for so long.

Brandon W. - Lol.

Cole J. - I'm in total agreement with everything you said about Crawford... you only lost me at the "Richy's Dreamy" part.

Brandon B. - Well, it does appear that, for the time being, Marc Crawford has been content with letting the players lead without really putting his own stamp on this team. It's clear that Morrow and Richards are the leaders on the ice. And it's also clear that they are the classic 'lead by example' players. When I think of Morrow, I think of the quote Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babock had after the 2008 Western Conference Finals when he said that guys like Morrow are 'what you want leading your team.' He's certainly not a vocal leader as his weekly show on BaD Radio proves. He just goes out and leads by his play on the ice. Richards falls into that category as well, I think. And on Richards, I think he started to take on more of a leadership role when Morrow went out last season with his injury.

Brandon B. - But like Cole said, he doesn't have the goatee that Cole has. So he doesn't have that working in his favor unfortunately...or maybe not...I dunno...I've never been one to admire hockey players for their looks.

Cole J. - Do you think that one of the leaders on the team needs to be vocal though? When your top 2 leaders lead by example, do you need a vocal leader in there to hammer it home?

Brandon W. - Heika touched on that last night...

Cole J. - great minds think alike

Brandon W. - Hockey is not so much a sport where the players get up and yell around the locker room...it's all about leading out on the ice.

Myra L. - With an older team probably not. But with the youngers guys, they may need a little more direction. But I'm more familiar with football and basketball in that respect. And vocal doesn't have to be yelling.

Brandon B. - Well, Hatcher was a 'lead by example' guy. But he had the backup of more vocal guys like Mike Keane, Carbo, and Screwy. I think there's room for a vocal leader and I do wonder if come trade deadline time (and assuming the Stars are still firmly in the hunt for the playoffs), Nieuwy's first big move will be to acquire such a voice for the dressing room.

Brandon W. - Now here's a loaded questions as we start to wrap things up: As we get into the final few months before the trade deadline (and there is still a ton of hockey to be played), which players on this team have the most trade value that you'd be willing to give up in order to secure that big-name player we all believe this team needs?

Myra L. - I hate to say it but Ribeiro is my first choice.

Brandon W. - Intriguing choice, Myra.

Brandon B. - Turco first and foremost since he's in a contract year. But the Stars are hamstrung by the fact they don't really have any other goaltenders in their system to take over for him. So unless it's for another goaltender, he's not going to get traded. And like Heika intimated last night, there are people in the organization that think he's got another long playoff run in him. So he's out.

Cole J. - I touched on it earlier, and I think that Niskanen, Vishnevskiy, and Larsen are starting to get redundant... and I think Nisky has to be the one to go from that group. He probably won't bring a huge return, but he could definitely be included in any deal. Obviously, if we're struggling near the deadline, I could easily see Turco shopped around.

Myra L. - I just don't see him as a good fit for this system. Which translates as he has been driving me crazy with his puttering around style of play. Let me puts around here until everyone knows exactly what I'm going to do. ARGH.

Cole J. - I also think if push came to shove, we might see Fabian shipped out. He's still got loads of potential, but you have to wonder how patient we're going to be with the emergence of Benn.

Brandon B. - And I have to disagree with Myra from the standpoint that Ribs' contract, both in money and length, almost makes him untradeable. I like to think the only reason the Stars got Richards at the deadline two years ago was because he was a Conn Smythe winner in 2004. Ribeiro has shown no tendencies to reach that level and you'd be committed to him through 2013.

Myra L. - Yes, but how much can you really get for a Nisky or Brunnstrom? And like you said, there is not an obvious alternative for Turco.

Cole J. - I think we're a place now that out most tradeable assets are the ones that we'd have to be blown away to part with.

Bob S. - Wow. I think that is a very slippery slope. The only guys on the team that make any money are the ones you don't want to part with. And guys who make no money cannot bring back anybody ready to dominate. Honestly, and I know this is a very controversial thing to say, but Ott is the guy who gets you the most while not destroying your talent base. Trouble is, he is soooo vital to this team's pulse.

Myra L. - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Brandon B. - Well, they've been extremely patient with Brunnstrom this season. I'd be a little shocked if they got rid of him THIS season. Offseason is another story.

Bob S. - I don't believe Ribeiro and Richards should be touched at all. You must have 2 centers that stress your opponents.

Myra L. - Dangit, I knew someone was going to say Otter.

Bob S. - Morrow is Morrow, and Turco will not be traded for anything but goalie. Robidas makes money, but you already to thin there. Who else is surplus who makes money?

Myra L. - Does Ribs still stress your opponents? He stresses me but for very different reasons. And I knew I should looked at contract lengths.

Bob S. - He has 30 more points than anyone on the team since the Richards trade.

Cole J. - The Other 6 Seconds is willing to trade future considerations for one of Defending Big D's Brandons.

Bob S. - Surely that suggests he is doing something right.

Brandon W. - I just don't see the Stars trading Ribeiro.

Bob S. - Further, Ribs name is mud around many NHL ports

Cole J. - Neither do I. He seems to finally have found his home. If only we can get him to try something special in the shootout again.

Brandon W. - An early season mini-funk while adjusting to a new system does not mean a trade is necessary or warranted.

Cole J. - He's at his best when he's being crafty... and he's just been too straight forward this year.

Myra L. - So you are saying I should stop my wishful thinking? Bummer.

Bob S. - I don't have a beef with the guy. He plays hard, and he produces. And his contract is very pedestrian for that stat sheet.

Brandon W. - Ok guys, I want to sort of wrap things up here. I'd like to get your final thoughts on the Stars as of now at this point in the season and what you think we'll see from this team moving forward.

Cole J. - I think we've been fairly mediocre so far... but that we should see moderate improvements as the year goes along. We'll see which top team we play in the first round of the playoffs, and then try to make a run of it. Stranger things have happened.

Bob S. - They are neither good nor bad. Neither fish nor fowl. They are a team that could go either way. Trouble is that there has not been a whopper of an injury yet, so we must wonder what happens then. I think this team should be in the playoffs, but not by much. On the road against a power in the 1st round suggests 1-and-done. But, if someone would open the checkbook and you can get a $5m defenseman in here from a team that is cashing out, they could be taken more seriously.

Myra L. - As we have said, they are a young team in transition. We are going to continue to see breakdowns/meltdowns but I think Crawford will begin to take hold of the steering wheel and Morrow is coming into form. I see them barely making the first round, but I don't see them getting past that.

Brandon B. - Probably more of the same, I'm afraid. But financially, the picture might be cleared up a bit here in a week when we find out who the new owner of the Rangers will be and how much they'll be paying for the club. It just depends on when that sale gets finalized. On the ice, I think it'll be more of the same. As long as the club stays healthy, they should check in somewhere around the magic number of 93 points, which is where I think a team in the West is going to need to be at to make the playoffs. But if they sustain an injury to a front line offensive player like Richards or Morrow, all bets are off.

Team Canada Watch: Centre

Chemmy — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:20:26 -0000

Maybe the deepest position for Team Canada, what five cent(re/er)s do you take to Vancouver this year? Invitees include guys like Vincent Lecavalier and Eric Staal who haven't impressed this season but ignore players like Steven Stamkos (30pts in 30GP).

In my mind there are two stone cold locks to play Center on Team Canada: Joe Thornton and Sidney Crosby. That leaves us two full time spots and an alternate.

So who are the big candidates left?

Ryan Getzlaf

#15 / Center / Anaheim Ducks

Height: 6-4

Weight: 221

Born: May 10, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Ryan Getzlaf	6	30	36	4	29

3rd in scoring amongst Canadian NHL centers, Getzlaf also has the benefit of playing with Corey Perry. Bringing along good winger-center combos should increase Canada's chances of scoring more than ten goals a game which is why I'm going to leave Patrick Marleau off this list. Capable of playing both center and wing he's feasted on the power play with Heatley and Thornton. I'd bring all three because they're comfortable with each other.

Brad Richards

#91 / Center / Dallas Stars

Height: 6-0

Weight: 192

Born: May 02, 1980

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Brad Richards	9	26	35	1	2

I haven't heard anything about Brad Richards this year but he's playing dominant hockey right now. A slick passer without an Olympian winger, I think B. Richards should be able to be plugged in with almost anybody (Iginla?) and make it work.

Mike Richards

#18 / Center / Philadelphia Flyers

Height: 5-11

Weight: 195

Born: Feb 11, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Mike Richards	13	12	25	5	38

Despite claims he was having a bad season, Mike Richards' numbers look solid to me. M. Richards' is a good two way player and comes bundled with Jeff Carter (also a Center I'd move to wing) which gives Canada an amazing penalty killing duo up front. Philly leads the league in shorthanded goals perenially for a reason.

Steven Stamkos

#91 / Center / Tampa Bay Lightning

Height: 6-1

Weight: 196

Born: Feb 07, 1990

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Steven Stamkos	17	13	30	-2	16

Stamkos wasn't invited to camp. Huge numbers though; sixth in the NHL in goals, 4th in power play goals. Probably gets left home this year but if he keeps developing he'll be a lock to play in Sochi barring an NHL ban.

Paul Stastny

#26 / Center / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 6-0

Weight: 205

Born: Dec 27, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Paul Stastny	8	24	32	6	20

Paul Stastny wasn't invited to Team Canada's camp either, but along with Stamkos represents a much stronger candidate than either Eric Staal or Vincent Lecavalier. Stastny's performance this year has helped Colorado get past the loss of Burnaby Joe and is a large reason Avalanche fans forgot the word "rebuild" in a hurry. Edit: Stastny was born in Quebec and is listed as a Canadian by NHL.com, but apparently plays for Team USA in the Olympics. Good for Kessel I suppose. I'll make it up to you with two more options:

Marc Savard

#91 / Center / Boston Bruins

Height: 5-10

Weight: 191

Born: Jul 17, 1977

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Marc Savard	8	6	14	1	8

No invite for Savard, he's firing on all cylinders after missing a bunch of time to start the year. It seems Hockey Canada isn't enamored with Savard and his injuries this year make him even more of a long shot.

Patrice Bergeron

#37 / Center / Boston Bruins

Height: 6-2

Weight: 194

Born: Jul 24, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Patrice Bergeron	8	16	24	2	10

Now that his fragile head hasn't been smashed in years Patrice Bergeron is quietly putting up some solid numbers.

So which five guys do I bring? Thornton, Crosby, M. Richards, Getzlaf and B. Richards is my fill in guy. How about you, who are you bringing and why?

Ducks Win 4-3 in Yet Another Stars Overtime Loss

Art_M — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:32:35 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

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Oh you sneaky Dallas Stars... I'm on to you now! I finally figured out what your modus operandi is for this season!

You see I have it on good authority that a grade six kid in Plano last year did a school report on the possibility of an NHL team going an entire season playing nothing but overtime games and if they could make the playoffs with 82 overtime and shootout losses. The kid then forwarded his report (it got a B-minus by the way) to Marc Crawford before the start of training camp, and Crow being the ever inquisitive mind, figured "Why the hell not? I have three years on my contract, I can waste one."

Of course you Dallas Stars have kind of messed it up with the odd win in overtime and even once in a while *gasp* an odd regulation win... But you've pretty much stayed true to form and you keep losing in overtime and shootouts.

I'm on to you Stars. Oh boy, I am so on to you guys and while I tip my hat for such dedication to a cause, if you don't mind I do have a bit of advice concerning your 'plan' as you all move forward:

STOP IT!! For the love of Baby Hockey Jesus please stop this madness!!

The Stars had a 3-0 lead for nearly two full periods... and they blew it! It was like they tried to out-pathetic themselves from the Edmonton game.

"Hey... you guys think tanking a 2-0 lead was bad? Wait til ya see what we got planned for tonight!"

(The gory details after the jump...)

They had a great first period again which has been pretty much par for the course the last couple of weeks... Got goals from Brad Richards and Mike Modano... Both were beautiful plays. Richards was great out there and James Neal who was returned to the Richards line was playing well also. The defense was making nice crisp passes out of their zone. Steve Ott was banging and flying out there and even though he got stopped on yet another breakaway we Stars fans kinda laughed it off.

"Oh those Stars, always failing on breakaways and penalty shots... Ha ha..."

The Stars ended the first period up 2-0 and looking better than they had in weeks. Even their good efforts against Detroit and Edmonton couldn't match how well this first period went for Dallas. Not to mention the Ducks - who were going through a December that ranked only slightly better than Tiger Woods' December - were playing so bad that you could have sworn they reverted back to their mighty purple and teal, lets let Guy Hebert try to win this by himself days.

And then the second period hap... No... Wait... Actually the second period wasn't that bad either! At least it didn't start that bad.

Sure the Ducks came with more pressure and sure the Stars seemed to lose a step and were playing on their heels a bit more, but it wasn't that bad a period. Brad Richards added a second goal on the night to make it 3-0 after some more nice work by Neal and Loui Eriksson. And hell, if not for a couple of strong plays made by the Ducks defense, Dallas could have added a fourth or fifth goal. Near the end of that period though the Ducks started getting too much of an advantage in terms of puck possession and shots on goal. The Stars young defense - made younger by the playing of Ivan Vishnevskiy tonight - were really starting to struggle in terms of getting the puck out and the rest of the team seemed to go into snooze mode.

A snooze that you thought they should have broken out of the moment Joffrey Lupul got out of the penalty box with no Star keeping him in check and picked up a breakout pass from Ryan Getzlaf and then proceeded to drill Marty Turco into his own net with a five-hole shot that Marty did stop with his pads, but sadly slid in behind the goal line anyway under those pads along with the rest of Turco.

(We can argue all day if Turco was actually 'pushed' into that net by Lupul's stick and I'd buy the argument he was, but at that point Marty was backing up pretty quickly himself so I'm pretty sure his own momentum carried him in, push or no push.)

But still, Stars up 3-1 after two... That's not so bad. The Stars can make adjustments and come out better in the third. Only, they didn't. It got worse. Much worse.

If you were one of those fans that couldn't bother to stay up so late for the game, kudos to you for having the forsight to avoid such a train wreck that was the Stars defending a lead in the third period.

They again played not to lose. (Remember what I said about that last time kids?) Ducks played like they had nothing to lose. The Stars defense couldn't hold on to the puck in their own zone. They refused to hustle for loose pucks instead allowing Anaheim to pick up scraps in exchange for not being the guy that may be out of position. The Stars forwards weren't any better as they either stood high in the zone and hope a puck floated to them or hopelessly chased Ducks around the ice.

Honestly, I've seen dogs chase down their tails better than the Stars did pucks in that third period.

And when the Stars did manage to get the puck once in a while, it was a case of getting the puck past center, dumping it in and then having one forward kinda go after it, but not really with any gusto.

Turco was the only reason the Stars made it to overtime.. And yet somehow with the third Ducks goal, a Dan Sexton wrister from an odd angle a shot that Turco should have easily stopped, Turco was the reason it went into overtime. Not that Turco was to blame for the entire game, in fact anyone who does blame Turco for this loss clearly just didn't watch the game. The simple truth is, when your team is outshot 14-2 in the third period and 21-4 when you put together the third and overtime periods, you don't deserve a win. Turco can not be expected to stand on his head and stop the Ducks shooting gallery from getting anything past him.

(A quick little footnote here: Dan Sexton was awesome in that third period for Anaheim. He at least had the right idea. Fire pucks from every angle possible. Nine shots in a game? Wow!)

The Stars did get a point... Hard to get worked up or feel good about it though. This is a game they shouldn't have lost. Personally. that third period was some of the worst hockey I've seen from the Stars in the last twenty years of me being a dedicated follower of this franchise.

Unless you're really hoping to find out if a team can keep losing in overtime like the Stars do and still make the playoffs, as a fan this game tonight from about the second period onward should leave you feeling at least a little ill. We can only hope it does the same for the Stars themselves and lights a fire in them.

Defending Big D 3 Stars of the game

1st Star: Dan Sexton (ANA) - Two goals - first two of his NHL career, nine shots... He was all over the place and giving the Stars fits.

2nd Star: Bobby Ryan (ANA) - Had a nice, kinda quiet game... Two assists, six shots, +2... Wasn't flashy but was very solid.

3rd Star: Brad Richards (DAL) - Two goals early and was one of the few that bothered to shoot the puck on goal in the second and third periods.

Stars Lose Yet Again in Shootout Against Oilers

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

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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.

Luck Finally Finds the Dallas Stars in 3-1 Win Over Ducks

Brandon Worley — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:10:05 -0000

More photos » by Mike Fuentes - AP

That was more like it.

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This was easily the oddest game the Stars have played in all season long.

Until James Neal's wayward shot in the third period somehow found it's way past J.S. Giguere, the Stars were engaged in one of their more frustrating games in recent memory. The revamped line combinations needed about 20 minutes or so to get going, but once Brad Richards and company found their rhythm the only thing between them and at least a two goal lead was some great goaltending a whole lot of bad luck. The Stars moved the puck well, excuted perfectly in transition and peppered Giguere with 18 shots in the second period. Yet the rebounds constantly escaped the Stars' reach, shooters double clutched on wide open shots and several would-be tap ins became inexplicable whiffs.

After putting 30 shots on net through the first two periods, the Dallas Stars needed just two to get a lead in the third.

James Neal's goal early in the third broke the seal, when his blind toss at the net bounced off Giguere, off a passing Wisniewski and into the net. It was an extremely ironic score for a team that had gone with out a goal for over four straight periods despite a high number of shots. Just over a minute later, Steve Ott threw the puck in front from the low corner and that somehow found it's way through Giguere as well. In the space of 71 seconds, the Dallas Stars had erased a week of frustration with two of the flukiest goals you'll ever see.

The Stars held on late in the third as the Ducks pressed before Brenden Morrow's empty net goal put the game away. It was an odd way to win a game in which the Stars' dominated, but at this point they'll take it any way they can get it.

Highlights, stats and more thoughts on the game after the jump...

On Wednesday night's podcast, we talked about the impact the shake up of the lines might have on Steve Ott and James Neal. Specifically, we were of the opinion that Ott's physicality and ability to create to pressure off of the forecheck was an element that had been missing from the Dallas Stars lately and even on the top line. Neal's confidence looked deflated after his suspension and he was invisible on the ice despite playing next to Brad Richards. Tonight, both Ott and Neal had their best games in weeks and I'd say that even if they had not scored two of the luckiest goals they'll ever have in their careers.
Overall the Stars once again had balance between from the top line down to the fourth, after five games of frustration with Crawford trying desperately to find the chemistry his team briefly showed against New Jersey. Depending on what happens against Edmonton this could be a combination of what we see moving forward. Even if they stumble on Saturday, I'd still like to see Crawford try and stick with this combination to at least establish a rhythm. The Stars were far from perfect against the Ducks, but after a slow start they showed a cohesiveness and determination we have not seen on a consistent basis.
He played just under ten minutes and didn't show up on the stat sheet at all, but Fabian Brunnstrom looked much, much better on the ice than he had before his shoulder injury. Razor mentioned it during the broadcast as well, but Brunnstrom was confident and physical with the puck and made several good plays on defense. The fourth line overall executed their job perfectly; don't make any mistakes on defense and maintain as much pressure as possible on offense.
The Stars had 30 shots on goal through two periods and no goals. This is a continuing trend, but tonight it was just horrifically frustrating to witness. We've written this week about the Stars' goal-scoring woes the past month, but it's not for lack of effort. Yet despite the Stars statistically peppering the opposing net nearly every game, it doesn't feel as if they're maximizing their offensive potential and it's showing on the scoreboard. The biggest issue is not with the amount of shots or even shot selection (although that's not perfect, either), but the inability of the Stars to cash in on the rebounds they're working so hard to produce. Whether it's a bouncing puck, poor positioning or just not beating a backchecking forward to a loose puck the Stars are failing time and again to get to the second chance shots.
Now that Jamie Benn and Mike Ribeiro look to be actually willing to shoot the puck again, perhaps the problems stated above won't be as big of an issue.
Finally, completing just the odd night from all angles was Marty Turco. After being knocked silly in just first minute and then looking incredibly sluggish on the Koivu goal, Turco rebounded to have a great, great game. He controlled his rebounds, found the puck through traffic and moved well around his crease. After a couple of games in a row of sub-par performances in net, apparently all Turco needed was good elbow to the head to get refocused.

Notes, courtesy of the Dallas Stars:

• With tonight's win, the Stars' have registered at least one point in each of their last five games at home (4-0-1), and in nine of their last 10 games (6-1-3).
• James Neal scored his team leading 12th goal of the season.
• Steve Ott scored his third goal of the season.
• Loui Eriksson earned two assists - his seventh multi-point game of the season. He also has points in two of the last three games (0 goals, 3 assists).
• Brenden Morrow's goal gives him a five-game goal streak - a new career-high (was 4 games, twice). He also has points in six consecutive games (5 goals, 1 assist).
• Mike Ribeiro's assist gives him points in three of the last four games (1 goal, 2 assists).
• Marty Turco turned aside 26-of-27 shots on goal for his ninth win of the season.
• Tonight marks the Stars' first win of the season when trailing after the first period (1-4-3).
• THREE STARS OF THE GAME: 1) Marty Turco, 2) Steve Ott, 3) James Neal.

DBD's Three Stars of the Game:

Jamie Benn, Dallas: After a couple of weeks of disappearing a bit, Benn had a big game with six shots, four big hits and a team-high three takeaways.

Steve Ott, Dallas: This is what the Stars need from Ott every game: big hits, strong physical presence with an offensive edge and an attitude that had been lacking on the team.

Marty Turco, Dallas: A bad goal early but he rebounded admirably to stop 26 straight, including nine in the third period.