SB Nation - Karlis Skrastins

Gameday Preview: Dallas Stars @ San Jose Sharks (9:00pm CST)

Art_M — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:00:20 -0000

Next Game

Dallas Stars (13-8-9, 8th in West)
@ San Jose Sharks (19-7-6, 1st in West)

Friday, Dec 11, 2009, 9:00 PM CST
HP Pavilion

TV: KDFI
Radio: KTCK 1310 The Ticket

Opponent's Blogs: Fear The Fin / Battle Of California

Complete Coverage >

The Dallas Stars look to shake off some of the struggles they've had lately in finishing games by continuing on the five game road swing with a stop in San Jose tonight to face the Western conference leading Sharks who are also on a bit of a demoralizing skid of their own having lost their last three games - all at home. Tonight's game against Dallas is San Jose's last chance to salvage what has been an unusually bad five game home stand for a team that before the stretch had only lost one game in regulation in the Shark Tank out of their first ten.

The Stars can at least draw some inspiration for tonight from the last time these two teams met up back on November 12th when Dallas rallied in the third period from a two goal deficit to draw even, force a shootout and then actually win it with an unlikely goal from Stephane Robidas.

Over the last few games for both teams it's been proven that no lead is truly safe no matter who you are. The Stars issues have been well documented here the past week, but last Friday San Jose had the St. Louis Blues come back very late in the third period to tie up a game and then win it in a shootout. Saturday they managed to get a 1-0 lead in the second period before giving back two goals to the Calgary Flames in a regulation loss. And then two days ago against the Los Angeles Kings the Sharks needed to claw back from two goals down with over half the game gone to force overtime, only to see a win taken away from them a little over a minute in.

So yes it's a late start tonight, but it's a Friday night and really you can just sleep in tomorrow. Given the unpredictable nature of these two teams lately, this game could be a last shot wins situation!

Follow the jump for a closer look at both teams and the medical reports...

The Dallas Stars:

So now that we've had a few days since the Ducks debacle to calm down and back off the ledge a little bit, we've come to realize that maybe things aren't quite as bad in Big D hockey wise as we think. We as fans have to realize that the young players on this roster are going to make mistakes, but it's not only something we should endure with in hopes that they have bright futures ahead of them, but that the Stars are not the first team to go through growing pains like this.

Isn't that right Mike Heika?

Strangely enough, NHL teams wait out kids every year. They have done it in Pittsburgh and Chicago and LA, and are seeing results. They have done it in Florida and Atlanta and Columbus, and you wonder if they will ever see results. It's a gamble, but it goes on all of the time in this league. It just hasn't happened in Dallas a lot.

Karlis Skrastins will be back tonight after missing a game with a lacerated finger and will be back paired with Trevor Daley. Bryan Sutherby practiced on the fourth line, but coach Crawford has stated he'll still be a game time decision. Outside of that don't expect too many lineup changes in San Jose. Marty Turco is expected to get the start. [Link to Heika's Thursday practice report]

Oh, and in case you needed a "real" hockey authority to truly explain what's been wrong with the Dallas Stars, you're in luck because Barry 'The Mullet' Melrose is here to break it down for you in video form complete with moving pictures n stuff! Ya know, with such a keen grasp of the obvious like that, it's hard to imagine how that guy isn't coaching again in the... ohhhh wait... right.

The San Jose Sharks:

Meanwhile in the Bay Area, the Sharks home woes as of late can be most likely pinned on their poor special teams - especially the team's dreadful powerplay which has not onlt gone 1 for 17 over the last four games, but in the last three games has given up four short handed goals!

While the players themselves may downplay a lack of confidence in the defensive abilities of the power play unit, coach Todd McLellan thinks that could easily be one of the main issues:

We're still going out there with the mentality that we can score goals," Patrick Marleau said. "Obviously knowing that we've given up some goals just means you come back a little bit harder."

But McLellan said there can be a connection."The correlation is called confidence," McLellan said. "I think your confidence gets rattled a little bit when you get scored on."knowing that we've given up some goals just means you come back a little bit harder."

Meanwhile, Sharks play-by-play guy Randy Hahn called his 1,000th NHL game on Saturday night and recalled his favorite and least favorite memories in that span of time. As you can imagine, a somewhat recent game that ranks as one of the best ever for Stars fans isn't as high up on Hahn's list:

"Game 6 in overtime, triple overtime, quadruple overtime — how many was it? — in Dallas," said Hahn of the 4OT loss to the Stars that ended San Jose's Stanley Cup dream in 2008. "To see it end that way, everybody spilling their guts out on the ice and still coming up empty, that one was a really bitter one to swallow."

Key Injuries:

Dallas: Brian Sutherby (C) - Game time decision due to groin injury

San Jose: Brad Staubitz (RW) - Out due to facial laceration, Jody Shelley (LW) - Out due to general soreness

Gameday Preview: Dallas Stars @ Anaheim Ducks (9:00pm CST)

Brad G — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:37:57 -0000

Next Game

Dallas Stars
@ Anaheim Ducks

Tuesday, Dec 8, 2009, 9:00 PM CST
Honda Center

Local TV:FSSW

Radio: Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket

Complete Coverage >

Tonight the Dallas Stars travel to Anaheim to face the ~~Mighty~~ Ducks, and start their longest road trip of the season. It's a five game stretch that will see the Stars go fourteen days between home games, and includes games on both the West and East coasts. This morning the Stars find themselves in 8th place with 34 points, only 4 away from the 12th place Edmonton Oilers, and 5 points away from the third place Blackhawks. This critical stretch against quality opponents is yet another opportunity for the Stars to come together and find the consistent play they've been looking for, or else fall to the wrong side of eighth place in the conference. Knowing the Stars this season, they'll somehow find a way to go 2-2-1 on this trip and end up right back where they started. Which wouldn't be all bad.

These teams met just five days ago in Dallas. The Stars were held off the score sheet through two periods, and a bit of a goaltending duel (or a contest of offensive ineptitude) had carried into the late stages of the game when Dallas finally broke through with two of the more embarrassingly fluky goals you'll ever see. Brenden Morrow added an empty netter and the Ducks lost the game in regulation, as well as Teemu Selanne. Since that meeting Thursday, the clubs have combined to lose three shootout games over the weekend: Dallas to Edmonton, and Anaheim to Minnesota and Ottawa.

Follow the jump for a look at both teams and the injury situation...

The Stars:

The big news for Dallas tonight will likely be the season debut of young defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy, according to the Dallas Morning News. Dallas recalled Vishnevskiy from the Texas Stars and placed defenseman Karlis Skrastins on IR with a lacerated finger.

Our own Brandon Worley opined on the subject:

When news first came that Skrastins was out indefinitely with a cut finger on his hand, it was just about inevitable that he would have to go to injured reserve at some point. The cut is on the hand that grips the top of his stick and it's going to take at least a week for it to heal to a point where he can play comfortably. What I hoped would happen is that the Stars would recall Maxime Fortunus or Garrett Stafford when this happened, in order to provide some intelligent and physical relief on defense while Skrastins was out. Neither are flashy guys, but both are solid defensemen who won't make many mistakes.

And Mike Heika agreed:

I personally would have called up Maxime Fortunus and played him beside Fistric, but I think they like what Vishnevskiy has done so far this year with the Texas Stars. It's probably only for one game and Skrastins will come back Friday against San Jose, so we'll see how this works.

It appears as though Woywitka will be the odd man out tonight, but Marc Crawford has surprised us before.

While trying to keep Perry and Getlzaf away from Marty Turco with an increasingly young and inexperienced group of blue-liners, the Stars will also continue attempting to right the ship on offense. Two goals against the Ducks on Thursday (and an empty netter) and two goals against Edmonton on Saturday gives Dallas only two goals scored in an eye popping 12 of their last 16 games. James Neal will likely be reunited with Richards and Eriksson tonight to further the cause.

Marty Turco will be in net. [link]

The Ducks:

Anaheim, in spite of having one of the scarier offensive pairs in the league in Perry and Getzlaf, have lost five straight and will be looking to get off the slide with a win tonight. Ducks forward Joffrey Lupul returned from injury after the Dallas game, tallying three goals already in two games.

It's tough to figure out which goaltender is starting for Randy Carlyle these days. The OC Register explains...

The fact is Giguere and Hiller have been alternating starts the last four games since Hiller got the nod against the Kings after a start Giguere made against Phoenix in which he played well but lost in a shootout to Phoenix.

Neither goalie has won since and it’s left Giguere wondering what would have happened had Carlyle stuck with him during a run where he went 3-0-1 with a 1.71 goals-against average.

"If you keep going, good things could happen," Giguere acknowledged. "Sometimes a judgment call is more appropriate than that. I think at this point, Jonas and I have got to just take it one day at a time, not worry too much about the next game and just worry when you’re called upon and try to give the team a chance."

Carlyle’s basic approach has been to foster competition between the two would-be No. 1 goaltenders. But could it be having a reverse effect where it’s more you lose you’re out that win and you’re in.

"I’d be lying if I’d say it’s not in the back of our minds," Giguere said. "My mind anyway, I don’t about Jonas. You go into the third, it’s a tie game or whatever and you think about if you want to keep playing, you absolutely need to win. You can’t give up that next goal.

The pattern suggests Hiller tonight, which is a real shame, because I think we all enjoyed Giguere's third period performance on Thursday immensely.

Injuries:

Anaheim: Teemu Selanne (hurt by a Karlis Skrastins slap shot. Broken hand)

Dallas: Karlis Skrastins (hurt later the same game. Lacerated finger)

Have a prediction? Make it in the comments.

Gameday Preview: Edmonton Oilers @ Dallas Stars (1:00p CST)

Brandon Worley — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:33:22 -0000

Next Game

Edmonton Oilers (11-13-4, 14th in West)
@ Dallas Stars (13-8-7, 9th in West)

Saturday, Dec 5, 2009, 1:05 PM CST
American Airlines Center

TV: FSSW
Radio: KTCK 1310 The Ticket

Opponent's Blog: The Copper & Blue

Complete Coverage >

On Thursday night the Dallas Stars played two of the most frustrating periods of hockey I have ever witnessed. They showed determination, chemistry with the new line combinations (after a while), and didn't let an early deficit deter them much. Yet every bounce went the wrong way, shots were just inches off, and J.S. Giguere was just too good. Someone mentioned that it always seems as if the Stars have a habit of making struggling goaltenders look like Vezina candidates, and last game was no exception. It was a continuing trend of a lack of offensive firepower, despite showing an ability to put large numbers of shot on net.

Yet the hard work paid off with some fluky goals and the Stars showed that sometimes resolve and determination can actually have good results for a change. It was a good win for the Stars and not just in the conference standings; this was a win that helps to stem that tide of frustration that builds and prevents the players from pressing. The trick, once again, is to continue to build upon the win and carry over the hard work to the next game.

Today they get another opportunity at a winning streak.

Some important injury news and a look at the Oilers after the jump.

The Dallas Stars:

The big news for today's game is Karlis Skrastins being forced to sit out with a lacerated finger. Skrastins had his hand skated over against the Ducks when he made a great diving play to break up a scoring chance, and his finger was severely cut through his glove.

I didn't see the replay but I knew something wasn't right there," said Skrastins, who needed 14 stitches to repair the cut. "It was a little bit scary. You think it's maybe even deeper."

But there was no damage to the ligaments, tendons or bone. Skrastins was injured when he went to make a diving poke check on Evgeny Artyukhin in the third period and the Anaheim forward's skate went over Skrastins' hand.

"I feel lucky," Skrastins said. "Artyukhin is a big guy."

With Skrastins out, Jeff Woywitka (yeah!) will step in today against the Oilers. Expect the Stars to call up Maxime Fortunus again if Skrastins is out much longer, or perhaps Dan Jancevski.

In case you hadn't noticed, today's game will start at 1:00 p.m. It's the first day game of the season for the Stars, which should be interesting for a team that has struggled with their game-to-game routine

Marty Turco used to be so concerned about day games that he would get up extra early and then take a nap just to duplicate his game-day routine.

"Then I saw Mike Keane wake up, drink a cup of coffee and go out and play, and I startedto think that maybe I need to just not make too big a deal out of this," Turco said.

"Afternoon games are always a challenge, because you are throwing off your preparation somewhat," Crawford said. "It's just awareness that you've got to do certain things early in the game and try to get everybody involved and try to do things that allow you to have some energy. What do you get energized by? Well, short shifts, early shots, early hits, those things are all things you get a little momentum from."

From the "out of left field" category, comes this article that makes the case for Marty Turco to make Team Canada's Olympic team.

His puck handling skills are the best among all Canadian goalies and for a tough Canadian squad that is going to force teams to dump it in (because face it, are they going to dangle around Chris Pronger?) the talents of Turco will be frustrating to the other team.

And on top of that, he’s having a renaissance season with the Stars right now. He is leading the charge (along with James Neal and Brendan Morrow, of course) back into the Western Conference playoff picture.

All this talk about Marty Brodeur… Roberto Luongo… Steve Mason… Marc-Andre Fleury… where’s the love for Marty Turco?

Marty Turco will get another chance today to continue his campaign for the Olympics, as he will be in net against the Oilers.

Marc Crawford said during yesterday's practice that he will keep the lines the same from last game, while perhaps inserting Brian Sutherby or Krys Barch on the fourth line. So after a solid and balanced effort from all of the lines, we'll get a chance to see if they can carry that over and perhaps build some continuing chemistry. The Stars have fought with consistency all season long and part of that has been a constant juggling among the lines in an effort to find the best combination that works in Crawford's system.

The Edmonton Oilers:

The Stars last faced the Oilers way back on October 6, when they lost 5-4 in a shootout. Edmonton has since struggled with injuries and consistency and were 1-3-1 in their previous five games before winning 4-1 in Detroit on Thursday night. From The Copper & Blue:

ctually, "check" was the operative word tonight as the Oil put in a real solid team effort. Other keywords were "skate" and "pass", and even expressions like "hit" and "shoot" and "stopthedamnpuckalready" put in regular appearances. Although they were helped by a couple of ridiculously soft goals, the Oilers won this game on merit. Bizarre.

What changed? On the individual level, Ryan Stone and Robert Nilsson returned from lengthy injuries to play on a solid line centred (!) by Zack Stortini. Patrick O'Sullivan actually found the net, and then found it again 3 minutes later. Tom Gilbert came out of purgatory to be paired with Sheldon Souray and played a solid game. Jeff "Top Shelf" Deslauriers bounced back from allowing 7 goals in his last 30 minutes of action to play an acceptable, if occasionally chaotic, game between the pipes. The team skated hard and checked hard and broke out of their own end with some authority and came within a team-wide brain cramp in the dying second of the first of posting the shutout.

The Stars and the Oilers are dead even at goals per game (2.93), yet the Oilers have struggled with goaltending and defense. Edmonton is near the bottom of the NHL in both shots allowed per game and goals allowed (3.11); what's interesting to keep an eye on is the fact that while the Oilers do have problems putting a high number of shots on net, they have one of the top shooting percentages in the NHL. Edmontons scores on 10.6% of their shots , good four 6th (the Stars are 17th at 9.1%).

What should be interesting to pay attention to is the fact that both teams are horrible in the faceoff circle, with the Stars holding a slight advantage over the Oilers (47.0% to 46.8%).

Looking at both teams, the Oilers and Stars have followed along near the same paths. The difference has been in net, as the Oilers have not had the same level of play by their goaltender as the Stars have had.

Key Injuries:

Edmonton: G Nikolai Khabibulin (back), RW Ales Hemsky (shoulder), RW Fernando Pisani (colitis), D Denis Grebeshkov (knee) and C Marc Pouliot (sports hernia) are out.

Dallas: D Karlis Skrastins (finger) is out.

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.

Gameday Preview: Dallas Stars @ Phoenix Coyotes (8:05p EST)

Brandon Worley — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:38:24 -0000

Next Game

Dallas Stars (11-6-7, 7th in West)
@ Phoenix Coyotes (13-11-1, 9th in West)

Friday, Nov 27, 2009, 8:05 PM CST
Jobing.com Arena

TV: FSSW+
Radio: KTCK 1310 The Ticket

Opponent's Blog: Five For Howling

Complete Coverage >

Hopefully everyone had a safe and fun holiday yesterday, but now it's back to business. The Dallas Stars will attempt to fight off their tryptophan coma tonight as they take on the Phoenix Coyotes tonight in Glendale, Arizona.

The Stars are coming off of a four-game homestand, their first of the season, and went 2-1-1 in those games. Dallas was finally able to get into a pseudo-rhythm on home ice after an up and down start to the season. While you'd certainly hope for a better finish than the shootout loss to the Blues, at least you can be thankful the Stars did enough to pull a point out of the game. Every single game is incredibly important this early in the season, as just eight points separate 2nd in the West and 11th. The Stars gained a point on Wednesday, but have dropped two spots to 7th.

More importantly, the Stars have a chance to gain some ground in the race for the division title. While it seemed early on that San Jose will just run away with the Pacific, a win tonight will put the Stars five points back with a game in hand; it's still extremely early to be focusing on a division win but with such a surprisingly competitive division every point becomes important.

But that's big picture. Right now the Stars just need to focus on each game, one at a time. We've seen the team start to form some consistency over the past week and despite the loss two nights ago, you still had to be encouraged by the energy the Stars showed throughout (and yes, that is an important factor).

After the jump, a look at the Coyotes since we last saw them and some updates on the Dallas Stars; it's a Super Preview!!

The Dallas Stars:

After being recalled for just one game in case Karlis Skrastins couldn't play against the Blues, defenseman Maxime Fortunus was sent back to the Texas Stars. If the Stars have any more injury issues on defense, I'm hoping that Fortunus gets another chance to make his NHL debut. He is an extremely intelligent and solid defenseman and is a key part of the reason that Texas has done so well this season. He's an AHL veteran and was great in last season's playoffs and I think that if given a shot he could make a good impression in the NHL.

Fabian Brunnstrom made his debut Wednesday with Texas in his first game since his shoulder injury, going pointless and minus-1 in the 2-1 Stars shootout victory over Milwaukee (Warren Peters and Ivan Vishnevskiy scored in the shootout for the win). With him down in Austin and Brian Sutherby still on injured reserve (although he could come off today, I believe), expect to see the same lines as Wednesday night:

Neal - Richards - Eriksson
Ott - Ribeiro - Lehtinen
Morrow - Modano - Benn
Petersen - Wandell - Barch

We'll find out later today if Nicklas Grossman can play. If not, we'll get another great dose of Jeff Woywitka.

After the loss to the Blues, Marc Crawford mentioned that the lack of execution and defensive breakdowns was attributed to fatigue after playing four games in six nights. Hopefully they got some rest over the short holiday because the travel to Phoenix tonight, go back home to take on Tampa Bay tomorrow night and then travel once more to Detroit on Monday. Expect this for the rest of the season; fatigue is going to be an issue for every team and it's an excuse I'm tired of hearing.

No word as of yet as to who the starter will be tonight, although I would go with a rested Alex Auld against the Coyotes and play Turco tomorrow night against Tampa Bay. Marc Crawford is wily, however, and there's telling what their 'plan' may be for this weekend. His last hunch worked out however when he started Auld against the Red Wings, so I'll defer to him.

Here are some news and notes on the Stars from the last few days:

Andrew's Dallas Stars Page has a look at some special teams stats:

Statistically speaking, you can look at the Dallas Stars' special teams in more than one way. In the standard statistical view the power play is middle of the pack and the penalty kill is the in the bottom of third of the league. In another way of looking at the numbers, the power play is top ten and the penalty kill is middle of the pack.

Take the power play, for example. Through Wednesday's games it ranked 17th in the league at 17.4 percent in the usual way of looking at power play performance stats. Look at it a different way - power play goals per game - and it ranked seventh in the league at 0.92 per game.

The penalty kill ranked 23rd in the league at 77.9 percent through Wednesday, but if you look at power play goals allowed per game it was at 16th in the league at 0.79 per game.

The Dallas Morning News has a good story on Brad Richards, who is 4th in the NHL in overall scoring.

There are several reasons for the surge. Richards has found chemistry with young wingers James Neal and Loui Eriksson; he has taken over as the quarterback of the power play (a role Sergei Zubov held for better than a decade); and he simply is better than he has been in recent seasons.

Richards said he was disappointed with last season's injury-plagued campaign, and the Stars' inability to make the playoffs. He went to his summer home in Tampa, Fla. and worked out relentlessly, concentrating on leg work and skating, but also on finding the hunger in his game again.

"It obviously helped physically, but I think it helped mentally, too," he said.

Andrew's also has the audio from Brendan Morrow's appearance on BaD radio from Wednesday. What I found interesting was what he had to say about his fight with Tim Gleason.

The Phoenix Coyotes:

Since beating the Stars at home on November 14, the Coyotes have gone 2-3-1 and slid further down in the standings, including two straight losses on the road against Calgary and Edmonton. Five For Howling has an excellent preview up for the game, so I'm going to defer to them for the Coyotes point of view:

Attack the Goalie
Whether we get a big helping of Thanksgiving Turco or more of the same Auld Lang Syne, we need to make sure that the Stars' netminder earns his pay. Marty Turco in particular has proven to be less than bulletproof at Jobing.com Arena - he likes to play Superman, but the Coyotes in general and Shane Doan in particular seem to know where to find Kryptonite. The key against Turco is to have enough patience with the puck until he overcommits. Against Auld, who plays a less "flamboyant" style, the Coyotes simply have to dodge the "show up your old team" ethic that nipped them against Calgary. Tall Bald Auld is less aggressive in the crease than Turco, but he's also more porous - and as long as the refs and video review guys are paying attention the Coyotes can slip a few past him.

Clog the Slot and Crease
By now, we've all realized that there aren't any spectacularly-gifted offensive talents on the Coyotes' squad. And if we hadn't on Wednesday, TSN did a great job of reminding us about it. Over. And over. And over again. So since we apparently lack the creativity and precision it takes to snipe goals in from afar on a consistent basis, it would behoove the Desert Dogs to increase the close-in pressure between the circles and in front of the net. The Coyotes signed Taylor Pyatt for his big body and ability to create chances at the crease - his slow skating speed has looked out of place among the other faster forwards in the lineup when the team has dumped-and-chased. Parking guys like Pyatt, Paul Bissonnette, and Martin Hanzal in front of the goalie might smack of hunting for garbage goals... but let's be honest, right now any goal is a good goal for the offensively-challenged Coyotes.

There is much, much more so be sure to check it out.

Key Injuries:

Dallas: D Nicklas Grossman (groin) is questionable. C Brian Sutherby (groin) and RW Fabian Brunnstrom (shoulder) are out.

Phoenix: D Kurt Sauer (upper body) is out.

Gameday Preview: St. Louis Blues @ Dallas Stars (7:05p)

Brandon Worley — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:10:34 -0000

Next Game

St. Louis Blues (8-9-4. 13th in West)
@ Dallas Stars (11-6-6, 5th in West)

Wednesday, Nov 25, 2009, 7:05 PM CST
American Airlines Center

TV: VERSUS
Radio: KTCK 1310 The Ticket

Opponent's Blog: St. Louis Game Time

Complete Coverage >

Note:The last time these two teams met there was some emotional debating between DBD readers and those from St. Louis Game Time, mostly stemming from the Steve Ott hit and suspension. Expect there to be a high level of vitriol directed towards Ott and the Stars tonight as well. If you are inclined to travel over to SLGT, be warned that you are on their territory and they play by a different set of rules; represent DBD with intelligence and respect, no matter what you might read on their site. Remember, that is their home and they are free to present whatever feelings they desire. The same goes for visiting Blues fans; anyone is welcome here at Defending Big D, but you must follow OUR community guidelines. I will not tolerate anything less. End Note.

Don't look now, but the Dallas Stars are on a bit of a roll. They are 4-2-0 in their last six and have now beaten Detroit, San Jose and New Jersey are in the past few weeks. There is a lot to like about this team and it's been refreshing to finally see the Stars begin to realize the potential we knew they had going into the season. Marty Turco is top ten in the NHL in both goals-against average (2.26) and save percentage (.919), and had been perhaps the only reason the Stars have been able to survive their inconsistent performances of the past month.

It's way too early in the season for any substantial predictions, but Brad Richards has to be mentioned as a player deserving MVP consideration. He is sixth in the NHL in overall scoring (28 points) and fourth in assists (21), and is on pace to get nearly 100 points this season. At one point early in the year Brad, Brandon, Art and I had a mini debate planned about the most important and indispensable players on the Stars. At this point, there's no question that Brad Richards is integral to this team's success. He has become the player we traded for in 2008, is an unquestioned leader on this team and is downright spectacular on a nightly basis. He's not flashy but as Brad says, "He has a part in nearly every single Dallas Stars goal." If this continues, Richards could have one of the most remarkable seasons in Dallas Stars history.

Also, please remember that the game tonight is on VERSUS. Razor will be on the television broadcast, while friend of Defending Big D Brent Severyn will join Ralph on the radio broadcast on The Ticket.

After the jump, a look at the visiting Blues and we try to determine just what the lines will look like now that James Neal has returned.

The Dallas Stars:

There was a lot of questioning how the Stars would respond offensively with James Neal out of the lineup, but his suspension may have been a blessing in disguise. The absence of Neal forced Marc Crawford to shake the lines up a bit and as it turned out the Stars have found perhaps their most balanced lineup of the season. The question now becomes how will the lines shake out now that Neal has returned and since so many players were off for yesterday's practice, we don't have much of a idea at this point. Expect a better picture after today's skate.

In the meantime, here are my guesses:

Neal - Richards - Eriksson
Ott - Ribeiro - Lehtinen
Morrow - Modano - Benn
Barch - Wandell - Petersen

Also, remember that the Stars have done a bit of shuffling on the roster to make room for injuries to Nicklas Grossman and Karlis Skrastins:

Fabian Brunnstrom to AHL (conditioning)
Warren Peters to AHL
Brian Sutherby to IR
Maxime Fortunus recalled to NHL

If Skrastins is unable to play tonight then Fortunus will be a solid fill in for one night, although the Stars will certainly miss his shot-blocking and penalty killing prowess. Skrastins hasn't been flashy, but if he's out for any length of time Stars fans will certainly realize just how important he's been to this Dallas Stars team.

Andrew's Stars Page has some quotes from Neal on his return:

"You can't slow up your game because you're worried about stuff like that. You've got to keep playing," said Neal. "I've done it my whole life. Never in my life have I got suspended from a game for a hit like that. I didn't mean to hit him from behind."

"There was no malicious intent there. He was just a little reckless. He's served his time and you move on," said Crawford. "He's got to continue to play hard and he will."

The St. Louis Blues:

The Blues find themselves in similar position as last season; struggling early and low in the standings. They pulled out a miracle run in the second half of the season to get into the playoffs and will be looking to do so again. So far this season they've struggled mightily to score and have the worst power play in the NHL.

Hildymac from SLGT has these thoughts:

Frankly, I really need to figure out a way to pick a topic that I can do point-counterpoint on better, because this one I'm totally biased in one way, and that is 110% against the dump and chase. That is the system of desperation. You use that system, and the opposing team smells blood in the water, regardless of if they're the Sharks or not. You get the puck, you're not sure what to do, so you dump it all the way down the ice, hoping you get there before the other team. Yeah, that's useful... if you're on a LINE CHANGE. If your team isn't built for speed, and aside from Perron and Kariya, we're really not, you're not going to get there first. Sorry. What this system tells the other team is that you don't have the patience to let players get into position, or you don't have any idea what to do once they do manage to get something established. This is the system of bottom-feeding teams who have coaches that are just trying to get guys to do something, anything, resembling playing hockey. This is not us. Allow me to repeat that for anyone who thinks that this works for teams: no.

Obviously, keep an eye on how the Blues respond to Steve Ott. He was suspended for his hit on Colaiacovo, but I'm sure the team is still pissed for his run at B.J. Crombeen as well. If the Stars go up by a few, this could turn into an ugly game. I'm hopeful it won't and generally, when you expect a bunch of fireworks from either side, you end up with a team and normal game.

Key Injuries:

Dallas: D Karlis Skrastins (upper body) and D Nicklas Grossman (groin) are questionable. C Brian Sutherby (groin) and RW Fabian Brunnstrom (shoulder) are out.

St. Louis: LW D.J. King (hand) is out.

Dallas Stars Roster Changes; Fortunus Called up, Brunnstrom & Peters to AHL

Brandon Worley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:41:58 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

Maxime Fortunus (right) has been recalled from the AHL.

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The Dallas Stars have made a series of roster moves today as they work to adjust to some injuries on defense, as well as try to get some returning players healthy and get some playing time in the process.

To start with: Nicklas Grossman did not play yesterday with a ~~"lower body injury"~~ groin injury and is listed as day-to-day, although it's looking like he will not be available tomorrow night against the Blues. Additionally, Karlis Skrastins was hurt last night blocking a puck and while it seems that he should be ready to go, the Stars need to be ready in case of they are a defenseman short at game time.

So Maxime Fortunus has been recalled from the Texas Stars. Fortunas is an AHL veteran who plays a very intelligent game and has a big shot. I actually wrote up a scouting report on Fortunus last season, which can be found here.

To make room for Fortunas, Warren Peters was assigned back to the Texas Stars.

Fabian Brunnstrom has been activated off IR, but the Dallas Stars are sending him to the AHL for a 'conditioning assignment'. To me, this is a great way to get Brunnstrom some confidence back as he comes off of injury. Since Brunnstrom has to stay on the NHL roster to go down to the AHL for a rehab stint, Brian Sutherby has been placed on Injured Reserve to make room.

With James Neal returning from suspension and Fortunus up with the NHL team, the Stars now have 12 healthy forwards and six healthy defensemen, with the possibility that Skrastins plays tomorrow night and Fortunus is a healthy scratch.

Hope that wasn't as confusing to you as it was for me to write. It all makes sense, however.

Press release after the jump:

Frisco, Tex. - The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has placed center Brian Sutherby on injured reserve, retroactive to November 12. Stars left wing Fabian Brunnstrom has been activated from injured reserve and has been sent to the Texas Stars, Dallas' primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL), for a conditioning assignment. Dallas center Warren Peters has been assigned to Texas Stars. Defenseman Maxime Fortunus has been recalled on emergency conditions from the Texas Stars.

Sutherby, 27, has missed the last five games with a groin injury he suffered Nov. 12 at San Jose. He has skated in 17 games for the Stars this season, collecting five points (4g, 1a) and a +6 rating. The Edmonton, Alberta, native has appeared in 380 career NHL games, scoring 38 goals and 44 assists. Sutherby was acquired by Dallas last season in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 14, 2008.

Brunnstrom, 24, had been placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 7, when he suffered a shoulder injury. He has tallied seven points (1g, 6a) in 17 games so far in 2009-10. The 6-2, 212-pound left wing has skated in 72 career NHL games, registering 18 goals and 18 assists. Brunnstrom played in the Swedish Elite League in 2007-08 for Farjestads BK Karlstad, collecting 37 points (9g, 28a) in 54 games. He was signed a free agent by the Stars on May 8, 2008.

Peters, 27, was recalled Nov. 19 from the Texas Stars. He played in two games for Dallas and scored his second career NHL goal against New Jersey on Saturday, Nov. 21. He has played in 16 games for the Texas Stars this season, notching seven goals and four assists for 11 points. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native has appeared in 365 career AHL games, collecting 65 goals and 53 assists for 118 points. Peters was signed as a free agent by Dallas on July 6, 2009.

Fortunus, 26, has played in 22 games this season for the Texas Stars recording three goals and two assists and 10 PIM. He collected seven goals and 12 assists in 58 games last season with Manitoba of the AHL. The La Prairie, Quebec native has appeared in 318 career AHL games, registering 80 points (23g, 57a). Fortunus was signed as a free agent by Dallas on July 3, 2008.

The Dallas Stars will host the St. Louis Blues Wednesday at American Airlines Center (7:00 pm, TV: Versus, Radio: Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket). Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6:50 pm to see the entire ceremony honoring Brett Hull and his recent induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Game 21 Preview: New Jersey Devils @ Dallas Stars - 11/21/2009

John Fischer — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:00:47 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Zach Parise came up with two goals against Nashville on Thursday. Can he continue to produce in Dallas? (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

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The Time: 8 PM EST

The Broadcasting Info: MSG+2 for the TV, 660 AM WFAN for the radio

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (14-5-1) @ the Dallas Stars (9-6-6)

The Last Devils Game: The Devils went to Nashville and played a generally even game. Though, the Devils didn't get the win, they were bested in the shootout and lost 3-2. The Devils are now winless in two and lost Dainius Zubrus to injury in the game. My recap of the game also discussed the differences in the game among the overall even play by both sides.

The Last Dallas Game: After a big win over Detroit, the Dallas Stars provided another example of the team's inconsistency this season by falling flat on their faces against Columbus. It was all Blue Jackets all game long, and the Stars fell 4-1. Brandon Worley of Defending Big D expressed his frustration in his recap.

The Goal: Dominate play from the wings. Without Dainius Zubrus, the centers on the team are Travis Zajac, Dean McAmmond, Tim Sestito, and Rod Pelley. As Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya have been out, the minutes have been eaten up by Andy Greene, Mike Mottau, Bryce Salvador, and Colin White and fatigue is starting to show a little more. This leaves the Devils with two areas that they aren't significantly hit with injury - goaltending and wings. So far, most of them have had good seasons so far, led by Zach Parise, of course. For the Devils to do well tonight, I think they'll have to step up big in making and finishing plays, as well as puck possession - if only so Dallas doesn't key on attacking the center over and over.

Read on for a hastily put together preview, a guess at the lineup, and questions about Dallas answered by Brandon Bibb of Defending Big D. If you'd like to read the Dallas' take on tonight's game, Brad G of Defending Big D has a preview up already.

The Devils are certainly mixing things up from tonight. After the Zubrus injury was reported - a hairline fracture to his right knee, out for 4-6 weeks - Gulitti reported that the Devils wouldn't call anyone up. Which is fine, the Devils are on the road and they have enough players to fill out a lineup, most notably four centers are still available. Yesterday, it was reported by Gulitti that Jacques Lemaire said that Yann Danis would get the start. That would be the only major change. I think Lemaire wants to spell Brodeur before next week where the Devils have 3 games in 4 days, which is understandable.

So it's really surprising to read that Lemaire is benching Rod Pelley for tonight's game. Per Gulitti's post, Pelley is understandably not happy about this. I mean, he's been given limited minutes with limited linemates, the center he beat out in training camp has been called up and has played more than he has, and as one of the four centers left on the active roster, he sits just after Zubrus is lost to injury.

"It’s frustrating," Pelley said after skating hard at the end of the morning skate. "It’s really frustrating, anger too."

Lemaire did not announce that Pelley was not playing, but might have provided a hint about his feelings about Pelley in his glowing praise of Tim Sestito.

"Timmy has showed me good stuff," Lemaire said. "He’s not the guy that’s going to take the puck and beat people and make great plays and all of that. But he’s so intense. He’s tough to beat because he hits the man all the time and he plays a good solid game. So, that’s why my confidence towards is a little higher than maybe another guy."

I'm confused by this as well. If Lemaire wants to dress 7 defensemen and spread the minutes around that way, fine. But why not sit Andrew Peters who really hasn't done much of anything? There, the Devils would have 4 centers still and only a winger needs to be double-shifted. Instead, either Zajac is going to get a lot of time tonight or the Devils are going to play most of 60 minutes with a shortened bench. I'm sure the Dallas Stars are looking forward to dominating the faceoff dot tonight.

Matthew Corrente will make his NHL debut tonight and will likely rotate with Tyler Eckford as the "extra" defender. So the Devils' lineup will look something like this:

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Jamie Langenbrunner
Patrik Elias - Dean McAmmond - Niclas Bergfors
Brian Rolston - Tim Sestito - David Clarkson
Matt Halischuk - Andrew Peters

Andy Greene - Bryce Salvador
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Mark Fraser - Tyler Eckford
Matthew Corrente

Yann Danis
Martin Brodeur

The Stars aren't at completely full strength either. Their top scorer, James Neal, has been suspended for two games by the NHL for a hit that has caused a head injury. Brandon Worley has a round up of a reaction to the suspension at Defending Big D. No matter how you feel about the injury, he's not playing tonight. They are also without Fabian Bunnstrom and Brian Sutherby, as noted in Brad's preview for Dallas.

Speaking of, thanks to Brandon Worley, Brandon Bibb of Defending Big D answered some questions I had about the Stars. Mind you, I tend to send these questions over in advance - since then, some numbers changed and, of course, James Neal has been suspended. Nevertheless, here's a little insight into the Stars by Brandon Bibb.

Question #1. The tagline for Defending Big D is "Needs more James Neal." Neal is currently leading the Stars with 11 goals and 11 assists - in his sophmore season. Very impressive if only for not hitting the sophmore slump so far this season. What about Neal's game has made him so productive?

BB: Well, playing on a line with Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson doesn't hurt. But there's quite a bit that James is doing on his end to contribute greatly to his fast start. He's got a quick wrist shot, plays a physical game, and reminds me a lot of how Brenden Morrow played when he first entered the league in 2000. Unfortunately, I don't know if Devils' fans will get to see him play Saturday night since he has a teleconference with Colin Campbell over the checking from behind hit on Derek Dorsett of the Blue Jackets. [JF Note: As we know now, he won't be playing tonight - Neal has been suspended for 2 games]

Question #2. The Dallas Stars have an ignomious team stat - the Stars have a .100 winning percentage when they trail after the first period - the second worst percentage in the league. What's going on? Is this coincidence, or does not leading after one really get into the team's heads?

BB: I think it's more coincidence with four shootout and OT losses factoring negatively into that stat. Opening night, they rallied from down 2-0 against Nashville before losing in the shootout. On October 22nd, they fell behind 2-0 after one in LA and 4-1 after two before scoring three third period goals to send that game into OT. Then they fell behind 3-0 to Florida before rallying to tie that game at 5-5 in the third before, once again, losing in the shootout. They did overcome a 2-0 deficit to San Jose last Thursday to send that game into a shootout where they actually won, accounting for their only shootout win of the year.

I think the bigger concern for the Stars has been their lack of consistency. We're seven weeks into the season and the Stars have yet to string together two consecutive wins.

Question #3. Let's talk goaltenders. Marty Turco has enjoyed a splendid start to the season with a 2.24 GAA and save percentage of .920 (again, not including what happened against Columbus). He's a very talented goaltender, but do you think he'll continue to play this well later on in this season?

BB: I think he will primarily for two reasons:

Last season, the Stars got behind the eight-ball from the get go, had a number of injuries to key players, such as Brenden Morrow and Brad Richards. And they had a backup goaltender in Tobias Stephan that Dave Tippett had zero confidence in. As such, they rode Turco until he ran out of gas last season. For the year, Turco appeared in 74 out of 82 games.

So getting a backup netminder was high on Joe Nieuwendyk's to-do list for the offseason. Fortunately, they were able to get Alex Auld for a second rounder from Ottawa after Jonas Gustavsson spurned them and Marc Crawford implemented a system where for every 7 games Turco would see action, Auld would see three, putting him on pace to get about 25 games in net this season. He's already started as many games last season (7) as Stephan and Matt Climie, their young goaltender down at the Stars' AHL affiliate in Cedar Park, started all of last season. That strategy should keep Turco fresh, especially after the Olympic break.

Second, Turco's got a ton of pride and he's in a contract year. Even with the increased workload last season, Turco knows he can do better than the 2.81 GAA and .898 save percentage he posted last season.

Question #4. How about that Dallas defense? Are you generally pleased with the blueline, led by Stephane Robidas and Trevor Daley (at least in average time on ice, they're leaders)?

BB: I think there's certainly room for improvement. Especially in the case of Trevor Daley whose offensive skillset seems like a match made in heaven for the kind of system Marc Crawford coaches. He's struggled out of the gate scoring only a goal and an assist.

I can't speak for Brandon W, Art, or Brad, but I've been pleasantly surprised by Stephane Robidas' play this year. Last year, he did an admirable job in filling in for all the injured players, but still struggled I think on the power play and the penalty kill. I don't know if the coaching staff has altered his shot on the power or not, but it seems more lethal this year than it was last year, when he was either missing the net or having it blocked. This year, he's already posted 10 points and scored the lone shootout goal against San Jose to give Dallas their only win in the shootout this season.

Matt Niskanen's also another guy that I think the Stars coaching staff is looking to contribute more, which he has done a bit as of late scoring a goal Wednesday night on a screened Jimmy Howard while also picking up an assist Saturday night against Phoenix. Karlis Skrastins and Jeff Woywitka have also filled in quite nicely for the Stars as free agent acquisitions and Mark Fistric has shown his versatility as a player in filling in as a fourth line forward when called upon in a couple of emergency situations this year.

Question #5. Lastly, do you have a prediction for tonight's game?

BB: Well, if the Stars follow their recent trend, they'll pick up a win tonight. That having been said, I can't see New Jersey dropping a third road game in a row. And with it appearing likely that James Neal will miss this game due to suspension [JF Note: Suspension announced after response] and the Stars recent offensive struggles, I'd be hard pressed to think they'll score more than a few goals tonight. I'll go with New Jersey in a 3-2 win.

Big thanks to Brandon Bibb for offering insight into Dallas' team play, their goaltending, and their defense. As Brandon explained, while the numbers may say the key is to lead after the first period - that's not necessarily the case. The Devils will have to keep working to keep the lead after the first period, should they have one. Inconsistent teams like Dallas are dangerous in a way because one has no idea whether they're going to play to their full potential or whether they'll fall apart. Yes, that's the very definition of inconsistency and quite obvious, but it's still difficult to prepare for in advance of a game. Especially, with Lemaire scratching one of his four healthy centers and going with 7 defensemen - 3 from Lowell last season - for the first time this season.

If the Devils can manage a win, then it would be a big lift for the team and further establish that this team is still a contender in spite of the injuries. Apologies for the late preview, but Steve will have his GameThread up later. Please leave your comments about tonight's game in advance of that here.

Stargazing: Dallas Stars Get Important Point, Still a Long Way To Go

Brandon Worley — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:00:29 -0000

More photos » by John Lazar - AP

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Stargazing is a daily assortment of Dallas Stars and Texas Stars news, and whatever other random ramblings are bouncing around inside our heads. Note: These posts are not intended to be in-depth analysis articles, but rather a gathering of news from around the internet on the Dallas Stars.

Living on the East Coast, I made the tough decision to not watch the third period of last night's game. It was nearly midnight, the team was playing poorly (once again) and the Stars were down by three goals in a game in which they were being grossly outplayed. I honestly felt that this morning I would open up Defending Big D and see a game recap that had the Stars losing 5-1.

I should have known better. After all, this game was played at the Staples Center.

While I can't accurately speak to their level of play in the third period, I will say that looking at the boxscore and seeing that the Stars managed just seven shots in a period in which they needed to come out firing is a bit discouraging. I know they scored three goals and kept the Kings off the scoreboard at the same time, but this offense is designed to generate pressure on the net from all areas. That's just not happening on a consistent basis.

We'll have more on this iteration of the Dallas Stars and what we've seen so far this season tomorrow morning. I will say that after ten games, I still don't know what to think of the Stars and it seems they're still fighting to find their identity as a team. Another big test tomorrow, as the Stars take on the St. Louis Blues on the road, at 7:00 p.m. Central.

Today on Stargazing: Mike Heika and Mark Stepneski share their thoughts, Stars goaltender prospect Tyler Beskorowany dons an interesting look for last night's game, and is Jamie Benn a Calder Trophy candidate already? We'll also have news on a very special guest for next week's podcast, Defending Big D LIVE.

Former Dallas Star and current KTCK 1310 The Ticket radio analyst Brent Severyn will join us next week on Defending Big LIVE, airing next Thursday at 8 p.m. Central. Be sure to tune in.

Mike Heika shares his observations from last night, saying that it's tough to figure out this team on a night to night basis.

What's the old saying about experience teaching us that ``the more your know, the less you know.''

I feel that way about the Stars right now. They certainly have some talent. They certainly have some holes in their game. And they certainly are unpredictable. After having perfect gap control and a wonderful breakout from their backend against Anaheim on Wednesday, the Stars on Thursday were awful to start the game against the Kings. After shutting down the likes of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu against the Ducks on Wednesday, the Stars were helpless to even slow Anze Kopitar of the Kings on Thursday.

I'll agree the comeback was a bit iffy because of the Kings goaltending, but it was a nice message for this young team to not give up. The next time the Stars are down, players like Jamie Benn and Mark Fistric are going to believe they can help provide a comeback because of the energy they felt after that third period.

And the bottom line is this team is in the middle of seven games in 11 days with some fairly key injuries, and it has 12 of a possible 20 points (.600) through the first 10 games of the season. Phoenix is obviously for real and is leading the division, but Dallas is in a decent place right now. It knows it can be better. It knows what areas need to be improved. It even appears to have the ability to address those areas at times.

That's the important thing to remember: the Stars are in the midst of a very busy schedule. But this is something they're going to have get used to, since the entire schedule this season is packed because of the hiatus for the Winter Olympics.

Mark Stepneski has some thoughts as well:

There's not a lot to analyze in this one. The Stars were sluggish to start and finished strong. It was a reversal of Wednesday night in Anaheim.

As Marc Crawford pointed out after the game, they were playing their sixth game in nine nights. People may not like to hear it, but scheduling often is a big factor in how teams play. All teams go through it and have to deal with it, and it all evens out the in end. And the teams that do a better job of it over the long haul of the season are the ones that do better in the standings. Teams have to find a way to win, or sometimes find a way to get a point when faced with scheduling issues. The Stars did that in Los Angeles, although it was far from a Picasso out there.

James Neal had another strong game for the Stars. He scored on two great shots and that one Jame Benn scored on to make it 4-2 was quite a shot as well. That Benn goal was really big. It rattled Quick and got the momentum moving the Stars' way.

Brad Richards got back in the lineup and picked up a couple of assists.

Overall, I see it as a good point. It seemed like they were going to get zip on this night and they found a way to get something. Every point is important. Let's face it 4-2-4 is better than 4-3-3.

Mark Crawford knows last night wasn't the best game for his team, but he's willing to concede they're fighting fatigue right now.

"I cut our guys a little bit of slack. That's six games in nine nights for us," said Stars head coach Marc Crawford. "You have that in this league and you're going to have some sloppy points. You wish you didn't have them, but you are going to have them. We had them tonight and I just loved the way we battled back. That’s a big point for us and it’s unfortunate that we didn’t get it all the way. But I think that we learned something tonight as well - if we stick to the habits that are going to allow us to be successful, then I think that will carry us a long way.

"It's not very often that game ten of the season is a real good game. We talked to our guys tonight and we could have ended in first place in the division, and that's what we wanted to do. We didn't have the kind of jump we hand the other night we had in Anaheim to start the game, but I was pleased with the way we came back."

Player quotes from last night:

"We were giving too much time and space to [Anze Kopitar]. He's a good player, so you can't give him too much time and we have to be hard on him. Every time we have a chance, we have to take the hit." - Karlis Skrastins.

"It was a good game, right, then the good old Kings came out in the third with a three-goal lead and starting sitting back, waiting for them to come. We cant play like that. It feels great. It almost didn't feel great - the way the game ended - but we got the two points and that's the most important thing" - Anze Kopitar

"You never want to put yourself in a hole like we did, but it showed the character that we have to battle back. It shows the character that we have to battle back like that and when you come back like that, any little bounce in OT is going to win it and, unfortunately, they came down early and got one on us. It’s a tough loss, but it was a character comeback for us.

[On Loui Eriksson] "He’s so skilled, so deceptive with the puck and the stuff he does, it was good to have Brad back," Neal said of his usual center on the second line along with Eriksson. "He started that (tying) play. We got some chemistry going. We had that chemistry going the first two games and it kind of died off. It was a good boost to get Richie back and hopefully we’re on our way now." - James Neal

Brad Richards returned to the lineup last night, getting two assists. He's still not fully healthy yet, and I questioned whether he would make it through the game. But he gutted it out, and led the team in shots with three (although I'm pretty sure he got all his shots off on one play).

"I thought Richie was pretty good," Crawford said. "I'm sure somewhere between the first and second period, he was probably wondering about his decision to come back, but he gutted it out, and I think our team gutted it out. That's what we needed, we needed everybody contributing."

Jamie Benn has progressed from being "a pretty good kid, for a player who's never played above the WHL before", to becoming one of the top rookies in the NHL and is already being thought of as a contender for the Calder Trophy. Last season, the Stars' James Neal was in the running all year and finished 2nd in the league in rookie scoring.

This season, the landscape for the Calder is a bit cluttered, according to Puck Daddy:

But it's the players between Tavares and Hedman on this chart that have made the race immediately compelling. Evander Kane has likely played his way onto the Atlanta Thrashers for the season, and hulking defenseman Tyler Myers did the same for the Buffalo Sabres. Jason Demers has been a sleeper for the San Jose Sharks, playing with Kent Huskins at even strength and manning a power-play point with Dan Boyle on the first unit. Jamie Bennhas found a home with Dallas Stars standouts Brenden Morrow and Mike Ribeiro.

Currently, Benn is 2nd in total scoring among rookies and is fourth in plus/minus (+4).

What's great is that Benn wasn't even mentioned in the preseason projections for the Calder.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the Dallas Stars game this season has been the inconsistencies with the defensemen; troubles in front of the net, an inability to cleanly move the puck in transition. The Stars know this is a problem, and their young blueliners are working hard on improving:

"There are crucial areas of the ice, and you just can't make mistakes there," said Trevor Daley, who is a veteran on defense at age 26. "As long as we make good plays at the right time, I really do think our team has the skill to turn little plays into big plays."

Crawford said the combination of good young defensemen with the puck-handling of goalie Marty Turco gives the team the potential to be very good at moving the puck out of the back end.

"To make a great breakout, there's two parts," Crawford said. "You've got to go back and get it and have your head on a swivel and see what your options are. And then the forwards have to help by making themselves available. And I thought both of those things happened so well for us [Wednesday], especially in the first two periods.

Andrew's Dallas Stars Page has the audio of Razor's appearance this morning on 1310 The Ticket.

Finally, some great stuff from Canada. The Kingston Frontenacs hosted Don Cherry Military Night last night, and donned some interesting jerseys for the game. For those that don't know, Don Cherry is known as a very outspoken hockey analyst whose trademark is to wear extremely over the top and ugly suits for television appearances.

Tyler Beskorowany, the goaltender for Kingston and Stars prospect, is pictured below in the Frontenacs' interesting garb.

Hat tip to Andrew's Dallas Stars Page for the link.