SB Nation - Dallas Stars

Not All Doom & Gloom for Dallas Stars

Brandon Worley — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:45:40 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

The past couple of weeks have been hard for the Dallas Stars and their fans. We've seen some insanely debilitating losses and break downs during games like we've never encountered before on a game-to-game basis. This has caused an outcry of differing emotions from fans, including a near-unanimous mentality that the Stars desperately need to make a trade, any trade, in the near future to get back to the winning way's we've enjoyed.

On last night's podcast, Mike Heika reminded us that Rome was not built in a day and Stars fans should not expect instant success from Joe Nieuwendyk as he builds this team in his image. Today on his blog, Heika went into more detail:

While Bob Gainey had a lot of money at times thanks to the new ownership of Tom Hicks, he also made some really slick trades to get the ball rolling, and I think those need to serve as a model for Nieuwendyk. Gainey spun his wheels and even made some frustrating moves (Ulf Dahlen to San Jose for Doug Zmolek and Mike Lalor, Mark Tinordi to Washington for Kevin Hatcher, Neal Broten to New Jersey for Corey Millen) before he started on a streak of finding the pieces. He picked up Guy Carbonneau as a desparation move simply because Bob Bassen blew his knee out. He used Hicks' money and a darn fine prospect named Jarome Iginla to get Nieuwendyk. He took on a young defenseman named Darryl Sydor who the Los Angeles Kings had tired of watching make mistakes (it cost him Shane Churla and Zmolek). And then he pulled the trade of the decade when he sent Kevin Hatcher to Pittsburgh for Sergei Zubov.

Nobody saw the potential for how big that deal could be (maybe not even Gainey), but he was smart enough to listen to his scouts and make that deal work. And having been there, nobody knew about it and it came out of nowhere. That's what a good GM does, he finds the deal that nobody else is thinking about.

....

I know that's a lot of history, but my point in all of this is that it took Gainey from Oct. 1995 to June of 1998 to put his team together _ and he had been a part of the organization since 1990 and GM of the team since 1992. We want to think he put that team together in a couple of months, but it took a long time.

Nieuwendyk deserves that patience.

I'm certain that Stars fans will come to understand this "rebuilding" process that Nieuwendyk is going through. Yet at the same time, fans are still looking for progress and something positive to hand their hat on; a team that produces nothing by negativity is destined to fall into the abyss of failing sports franchises.

Good thing the Stars aren't one of those teams.

The Dallas Stars are still in good position in the standings.
It must seem that with all of these issues and and all of the inconsistencies and overtime and shootout losses, the Dallas Stars must be mired in the basement of the Western Conference and are facing a near impossible climb to try and get right back into the playoff hunt. In reality, the Stars are still in 8th place in conference and are just six points behind 4th place Los Angeles. If the Stars can manage to stay even as they work through this rough patch and continue to at least salvage some points from the bad games, the team will be in perfect position when things start to operate much smoother.

There is a talented group of prospects playing great hockey down in Austin.
I know this doesn't directly affect the Stars at this moment, but the fact that their AHL affiliate is not only succeeding but dominating in their first season is reason enough to feel good about the future of the team. Not only are the Stars building a stable of talented players in the AHL, but they're playing them in the same system the Stars are employing in the NHL. This allows for a smooth transition for call ups and also get's the young prospects used to the system, one in which the players are flourishing.

Two words: James Neal
The young forward burst onto the scene last season when his high-energy and goal scoring ability made him put him in the running for the Calder Trophy, but this he's season he's taken it to a completely different level. He's shown the ability to not only score from any spot on the ice (and even when he's not really trying) but he's developed a knack for creating chances for his linemates as well. This was something we didn't see last season, and the way his game is evolving has all Stars fans excited for the long-term potential he shows.

Two more words: Brad Richards
He's tailed off a bit from the torrid pace he was on (granted, he's played in 2-4 less game than others around him) but Richards is still top ten in the NHL in overall scoring. He is now playing like the offensive genius we all knew he could be, while taking on a valuable leadership position in the locker room. He's serious about the game of hockey and he's dead serious about the Dallas Stars. No one wants this team to succeed more than Richards.

The young defensemen.
No, I'm not talking about Trevor Daley and Matt Niskanen. I'm talking about the emergence of Nicklas Grossman and Mark Fistric as solid defensemen who look to be improving almost daily. Grossman is finally starting to learn how to use his size to his advantage and Fistric shows that the time he spent in the AHL last season has taught him some valuable lessons about how to play hockey in the NHL. Both players look to be on the verge of really starting to touch on the potential they showed a few seasons ago and Stars fans should be excited about the solidarity the team will have for years to come with these two on the blue line.

Joe Nieuwendyk
I know a lot of fans are frustrated by his lack of action so far this season, but he's already shown the ability to make significant moves while hampered by strict financial guidelines. The Alex Auld trade was a near work of genius, filling a gaping hole on the team while sacrificing a mid-round draft pick. Stars fans need to have faith that Nieuwendyk has the ability and drive to build this team into another champion and the good news is the pieces are already there: A dominant number one center, a talented (if raw) young defense, a stable of speedy and talented forwards....all that's missing is a long-term solution in net.

No pressure, Joe.

Defending Big D LIVE with Mike Heika Available For Download

Brandon Worley — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:11:51 -0000

We'd like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Mike for taking the time last night to talk to us. We discussed the inconsistency from game to game, the financial issues of the Dallas Stars, the issues with the young defensemen and spent a long time discussing the overall structure of this current team.

Personally, I walked away from the show with a bit of a new outlook on the team. The Stars are not the same team that they were five, even two years ago and we cannot expect them to be. They are 30 games into a new coaching and general manager regime and while it's ugly right now, Joe Nieuwendyk deserves some time to rebuild the Stars into what his vision for a successful hockey team would be. The Stars are young, and it's going to take some moves before things come together in the new direction he wants to go. We'd all like for the Stars to be successful in the here and now, but perhaps we all need to be a bit more patient.

Even Bob Gainey didn't build a champion in a month. Thanks Mike, for reminding us of that.

In case you missed it, you can find the archived show here at our Defending Big D LIVE homepage. You can also find all of our past episodes there as well.

Our show is also available on iTunes, and you find our download page here:

For those of you that download last night's show, there is an extra 15 minutes of conversation with Mike about the future of the Dallas Stars that was not aired during the live broadcast.

Stargazing: Stars Lose to Ducks in OT, 4-3

Brad G — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:37:19 -0000

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

[A quick note before we dive into this lovely Wednesday morning subject matter: Don't forget about Defending Big D Live tonight at 7:00pm CST. We'll have special guest Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News to talk all things Stars. You can find the show here.]

Only one team in the Western Conference has lost more games than the Dallas Stars: That would be the Ducks. The same Ducks who were the recipients of a Stars no-show in the third period last night. The same Ducks that hadn't won a game in their last five tries. Only one team in the conference has lost more games than the Dallas Stars, and that's the team that beat them in a three goal comeback last night. That is hard to swallow.

Dallas has now lost 17 of their 30 games played. It's a good thing the NHL cares about when you lose the game, because, as a fan, I have to be honest with you: I really don't. They've played 30, they've lost 17. They were out shot 42-22 last night, a 20 shot differential. You shouldn't expect to win many games when you're out shot that badly.

The Stars now lead the league in overtime losses with nine. It's easy to look at that stat and say "they need to get better in overtime and the shootout." Last night's game really doesn't apply to that ideology though, does it? The overtime period was a carry-over from a third period that saw the ice tilt so far in the Ducks favor that the outcome felt like an inevitability shortly after they scored their second goal. To the Stars credit, however, they did not take a penalty in the third period or OT. Somehow.

Dallas once again kept Perry off the score sheet, and limited Getzlaf to an assist. When these teams meet for a third time in December on the 31st, I'll take that, and challenge young Dan Sexton to beat the Stars again.

After the jump, we'll spend more time on this game for some reason...

I'd like to borrow Mike Heika's words from the third period last night, and head anyone who points their finger at the goaltender off at the proverbial pass:

The kid Sexton gets his second goal of his three-game career and ties it with 1:02 left.

It was a bad goal, but it's hard to blame Turco, who was the only reason Anaheim didn't score six that period.

So very true.

There's a certain irony to this whole Dan Sexton thing:

It was easily the most uplifting moment of the season for the Ducks (11-13-6), who snapped a five-game losing streak. And it was provided by the smallest player on the ice playing in just his third NHL game.

Recalled last week from the minor leagues to somehow take the place of the franchise face Teemu Selanne, Sexton punched in a pass from Bobby Ryan at the 6:08 mark of the third and feverishly pumped his fist as he cut the Stars' lead to 3-2.

"I'd say it was probably the coolest feeling," Sexton said. "Take my previous coolest feeling and multiply it by 10 if not more. That's what it was."

The Stars injured Selanne, and for their trouble they get this kid taking his place and scoring his first two NHL goals. The Hockey gods are not smiling on the Stars right now.

Because I like comedy, here's what Art had to say here at Defending Big D last night...

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.

Anaheim Calling after the win...

Ducks Win!!!! Feels like forever since I've said that. The Ducks had an amazing comeback victory over the Stars. J.S. Giguere made some great save to keep the Ducks close after they had fallen down 3-0. Joffrey Lupul got the scoring going with a breakaway goal when the Stars forgot to pick him up when his penalty expired. After that rookie Dan Sexton strapped the team to his back and scored two goals in the third period. The trade winds might be blowing in Anaheim soon, but a winning streak might calm them. Three goals is the largest deficit the Ducks have ever overcome for a victory. Hopefully, that type of epic comeback, as well as three goals from the second line, will be enough to get the team permanently moving in the right direction, instead of just teasing the fans with moments of brilliance.

Must be nice.

Quotage on the road is always hard to come by...

Marc Crawford[NHL.com]:

"Anytime you have a three-goal lead and you don't bring it home … you have to want the puck, you have to want to make plays," Stars coach Marc Crawford said. "You've got to be supportive of one another. We made a couple of mistakes in the third period that were non-supportive mistakes.

"In the third period, you knew they were going to come and make a push. That's the way they play. Our forwards were so supportive, but we got away from that at crucial moments. Those few mistakes we made ended up the difference-makers."

Brenden Morrow[NHL.com]:

"Trying to sit back and hope for wins in the third is never a good recipe for success," Dallas captain Brenden Morrow said after the Stars lost for the ninth time in 12 games that have gone past regulation. "We're pretty frustrated with the way we finished in some games here and there in the first third of the season."

Brenden Morrow [Morning News]:

"That can't happen, it just can't happen," said captain Brenden Morrow. "We've got to go out and win games and not be afraid to lose. There is a big difference."

"We're giving them life," Morrow said. "They've had a rough start, and we should have sensed that, but a game like that just gives them momentum."

Mark Stepneski...

Call it what you want. Sitting back. Playing safe. Playing not to lose. What ever it was, it wasn’t good and it didn’t work. It was the second straight game where the Stars should have wrapped up two points in regulation, but had to settle for one by losing a game in OT or a shootout.

But all that stuff aside, it still comes down to execution and making plays. As the game got down to crunch time, Anaheim made plays and the Stars didn’t.

I thought the game really started to turn late in the second when the Stars had those two power play chances basically back-to-back with a 3-0 lead, got nothing out of them and Joffrey Lupul scored coming out of the penalty box on the breakaway after the second one. That made it 3-1 and gave the Ducks some life and momentum going into the third. All they needed was another one to really turn the game around. They got the Dan Sexton goal off the turnover and it’s game on and it just continued to be all Anaheim. Sexton scores late on a goal I am sure Marty Turco would like to have back to tie the game. And then they the Ducks get a three-on-one in overtime and Saku Koivu scores off his own rebound.

A disappointing end to the first game of a big road trip. It will be interesting to see how they respond Friday in San Jose.

Hopefully they'll be able to focus their energies and not come out overly frustrated in San Jose. Personally, I'm more interested in the Los Angeles game. If there's one game on this trip the Stars need to win, it's that one. Taking points from LA and Phoenix is a critical part of the Stars task ahead.

Andrew's Stars Page also reports that Ivan Vishnevskiy has been sent back to the Texas Stars.

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

Browse more photos »

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.

Ducks Gameday -- Happy Blogniversary!

Earl Sleek — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:21:48 -0000

Dallas Stars (13-8-8, t-7th in west) at Anaheim Ducks (10-13-6, 15th in west), 7 pm
Anaheim Calling and Defending Big D more game-relevant perspectives.

Well, with the Ducks still winless in December I figured today was a good opportunity to do something distractionary. Plus it's a big date on the blog calendar -- exactly one year ago today, us misfits at Battle of California packed up our bags and left the old blogspot home to relocate our silliness to SB Nation.

Thank goodness I didn't make this cartoon about regular season dominance.

It's been a pretty crazy 2009 for the ol' BoC, and while this isn't really the blog's true birthday (that's in May, mom), it's nice to do something besides bitch and moan about the Ducks' current failings. It certainly helps that the past year was highlighted by the first ever playoff meeting between BoC squads, of course, which was huge -- added plenty of fuel to the divisional fire and gave me a permanent Twitter background, too.

This past year has had plenty of drama from all sides, though -- fake intra-BoC trades (Pronger to the Kings, Marleau to the Kings), actual blockbuster trades (Heatley to the Sharks, Smyth to the Kings, Pronger to the Flyers), emerging young stars (Doughty, B. Ryan), a wealth of superstars (Kopitar, Getzlaf/Perry, Thornton), and even the ill-fated Presidents' Trophy, which is still quite an achievement. It's been a blogger madhouse, that's for sure -- there's been optimism, pessimism, prognostication, superstition, bets made, bets paid, and even squirrels!

Plus it's been a good year for State Rapes, too -- victims include Chicago, Columbus & St. Louis, Edmonton, St. Louis (again) & Boston, plus even the surreal California-on-California -- what a busy year for porno-cartography!

What's in store for Year Two? Already the BoC drama gods are stirring again -- the Sharks have annual questions that can't be answered before April but are killing the regular season, the Kings are learning to deal with the newness of on-ice success and overall relevance, and the Ducks are coming to terms with the comedy of repeated suckitude. Over the next year we've got Olympics coming, a stretch-run and playoffs for two of the teams, and then a Ducks-heavy entry draft conveniently hosted in L.A. Exciting times.

Overall, I have to say that I'm very pleased with the year at SB Nation -- BoC is still a square peg in a network of round holes, but that's fine by me -- I'm glad we've been able to keep up the nonsense and randomness in the new digs, even when aligned with much more "legitimate" blogs. Plenty of thanks to Rudy, Mike, the rest of the occasional writers, the tolerant SBN folk, and of course the awesome commenters and readers -- you guys are aces!

Here's to a great Year Two. Feel free to share your overall thoughts or favorite moments about BoC-at-SB-Nation in the comments. Then pour a drink later and join the game comments when the Stars ~~beat up~~ play the Ducks.

Prediction: Shockingly, all three BoC teams offer plenty of intriguing storylines over the next year as well. Stay tuned!

Go Ducks.

Poll

One year in, how do you feel about BoC moving to SB Nation?

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.

The Madness Hits Music City: Canucks-Predators Preview

Sean Zandberg — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:00:16 -0000

Canucks (16-13-0) vs Predators (16-11-2)

GAME TIME: 5:00 PST

TV: Sportsnet

THE OPPOSITION: On The Forecheck

Update: 11:45 PST: If the Canucks beat the Preds in regulation and the Stars beat the Ducks tonight, Dallas will hold 7th spot and the Canucks will be in 8th in the West. The ~~Coyotes~~ Predators would fall out of a playoff spot. Just adding a little more fuel to the fire.

Update: 9:38 PST: Preds coach Barry "Melon" Trotz would have benched nearly his whole team last game if it was possible. After his team's 5-3 loss to the Wild he is threatening lineup changes. (The City Paper via Dirk Hoag @ On The Forecheck)

Update 9:24 PST: Martin Erat is heating up. He has 2 goals and 4 points in his last 3 games, and has 4 goals and 6 assists in his last 11 games against the Canucks.(Sportsnet Preview)

****************************

The Canucks really didn't want two days off before playing in Nashville.

"It’s almost maddening now that we have this little break before we go play," Ryan Johnson told the Province. "If we had our choice we’d have been playing [Sunday] night to get back and be able to erase this [loss to the Hurricanes]." Well you won't have to worry about that for a while, Ryan. The Canucks play every second night until the 22nd. No more Canucks hockey starvation until XmasTurkey Dinner.

Now, the Canucks have to beat the Predators to make their 4 game road trip a "respectful" 3-1 record. A win over Nashville (who are in 7th spot) in regulation will finally vault them into the top 8 of the Western Conference. Has that even happened yet this season? I can't even remember.

So how are those Predators doing lately?

6-3-1 in their last 10. They have lost 3 of their last 5

and 4 of their last 6. Prior to the 3-1 loss to the Blues 6 games ago, the Preds had won 7 in a row. They won 9 of 13 games in November after winning only 6 of 13 in October. Their last game was a 5-3 loss, where the wheels fell off early. They had 4 consecutive power plays in the first period but were outshot 10-7 and outscored 2-1. The Wild blew it wide open in the 2nd, scoring 3 consecutive goals, out-shooting Nashville 18-9, and never looked back.

Nashville ranks 28th in the NHL in goals per game average. If you look at their team stats you can see why that is. That being said, it appears players beyond the top 6 can strike occasionally as well.

With low-scoring issues, the Preds have to limit the goals against, obviously. They rank 11th in the League in that category.

More intriguing Preds stats: they rank 26th in the NHL for power play efficiency, about the same as the Canucks on the PK (23rd), and about the same as Vancouver in shots for and against average per game. Vancouver ranks higher than Nashville in all these stats but still sits 11th in the West! Scratch my back with a f*cking hacksaw! What gives?

Oh, irony, fate, and no overtime losses! Just think: the Stars, who are 2 points of the Canucks and hold the 8th spot in the West, have 8 overtime/shootout losses. The Avalanche, who are 6 points ahead of the Canucks and hold 5th spot in the West, have 6 of them. Vancouver has to win more games and get the close games that they are losing into overtime more often. They are now officially the only team in the NHL who has ZERO OTL points.

So much madness abounds. Who would have thought that they Canucks would go 4-for-5 on the power play in 1 game after Daniel Sedin returned to the lineup and then 0-for-19 in the 6 other games? There may be a reason or two for that. Here's a big one.

You'll see most of the Predators sporting mustaches tonight. They have made a pledge to grow out their 'staches until December 15th in order to honor of global awareness for testicular and prostate cancer.

Around The Pacific: Kings, Coyotes & Stars Holding Steady

Brandon Worley — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:25:01 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

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Since we last updated on the race in the Pacific Division, the San Jose have been able to maintain their lead in the Western Conference while expanding their lead in the division to six points. Los Angeles, Phoenix and Dallas have tightened up together, with just three points separating the three teams. Anaheim, while they did enjoy a brief good spell, have dropped back to the bottom of the conference standing and are eight points behind Dallas.

Dallas has been able to barely hold on in the standings, but are just three points ahead of 11th place Columbus. With seven of the next nine games against Western Conference teams deep in the positioning race, the Stars have an opportunity to either make a big move or significantly fall behind.

A detailed look at the division after the jump.

Pacific Standings

	GP	W	L	OTL	PT
San Jose	31	19	7	5	43
Los Angeles	30	17	10	3	37
Phoenix	29	17	11	1	35
Dallas	29	13	8	8	34
Anaheim	29	10	13	6	26

(updated 12.7.2009 at 9:14 AM EST)

Despite all of the frustrations, the Stars are still just three points behind L.A. and nine back of San Jose. That's either completely amazing or extremely disturbing.

San Jose Sharks; 1st in the Pacific Division, 1st in the West

The Sharks are coming off two straight losses, including a shootout loss to St. Louis on Thursday. Here is what Fear The Fin had to say about the loss:

I would be remiss not to touch upon the travesty that was St. Louis-- the fact that a shorthanded goal was given up with six seconds remaining has probably been beaten to death in the game thread, but the truth is I didn't even bother to browse being in a pretty foul mood and all. My biggest issue during the last two minutes wasn't even the shorty, but the fact that the Sharks gave up a two on one roughly forty seconds beforehand. It was a great outlet pass sure, and you have to give credit to the Blues for busting their ass all game, but San Jose has to be aware the forwards are going to be creeping into the neutral zone well before they would usually. After that gets defused with an excellent save by Nabokov, the play heads the other way. And who gets off for a line change as the puck gets dumped into the offensive zone? Two players, Dan Boyle and Rob Blake. Joe Thornton gets a pass here as he was the requisite forechecker on the play (along with beating out the icing call), but Heatley and Marleau need to make a quick change so they don't get caught with tired legs in the defensive zone. Whether it was an honest mistake, competitive instinct, or a case of seeing that empty net opportunity to pad the stats a bit doesn't matter. That shift change needs to get done.

And now we move on.

Sharks Schedule

Next 5 Games

Los Angeles	Wed 12/09	9:30 PM CST
Dallas	Fri 12/11	9:00 PM CST
@ Phoenix	Sat 12/12	7:00 PM CST
Anaheim	Thu 12/17	9:30 PM CST
@ Dallas	Mon 12/21	7:30 PM CST

Last 5 Games

Calgary	Sat 12/05	L 1 - 2
St. Louis	Thu 12/03	SO - L 2 - 3
Ottawa	Tue 12/01	W 5 - 2
@ Vancouver	Sun 11/29	W 4 - 2
@ Edmonton	Fri 11/27	SO - W 5 - 4

San Jose Sharks Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jody Shelley	other-excused	11/10/2009
Brad Staubitz	other-excused	11/16/2009

Leading Scorer:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Joe Thornton	31	7	33	40	5	6	2	0	1	0	62	11.3

Los Angeles Kings; 2nd in the Pacific Division, 5th in the West:

The Kings are 4-1-1 in their past six games, with three straight wins over Chicago, Anaheim and Ottawa. Connie was impressed:

A great stat from the night was that Michal Handzus and Anze Kopitar both rocked it in the faceoff circle with 81% and 80%, respectively. Also, Wayne Simmonds has continued to impress everyone watching. Tonight he drew a penalty shot where he faked out Mike Elliott and slide the puck between his legs getting the lead back for the Kings. I'm so pleased with his entire game and development so far this season. Go Simmer!

The most surprising part of the game was the goal by Randy Jones in the first minute of the game. In the past that would be the kind of thing the Kings wouldn't be able to do. I seem to recall a game against the Detroit Red Wings two seasons ago where the puck dropped and I could feel it in my bones that the Kings would utterly fail. As predicted, Henrik Zetterberg scored about 51 seconds into the game. Someone can check that number, but I don't think I'm too far off since that memory is seared into my memory bank.

Kings Schedule

Next 5 Games

Calgary	Mon 12/07	9:30 PM CST
@ San Jose	Wed 12/09	9:30 PM CST
Phoenix	Thu 12/10	9:30 PM CST
Dallas	Sat 12/12	9:30 PM CST
@ Vancouver	Mon 12/14	9:00 PM CST

Last 5 Games

St. Louis	Sat 12/05	SO - L 4 - 5
Ottawa	Thu 12/03	W 6 - 3
@ Anaheim	Tue 12/01	W 4 - 3
Chicago	Sat 11/28	SO - W 2 - 1
@ Vancouver	Thu 11/26	L 1 - 4

Los Angeles Kings Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rob Scuderi	other-excused	12/07/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Brandon Segal	other-excused	12/07/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Andrei Loktionov	shoulder	11/26/2009
Ryan Smyth	other-excused	11/18/2009

Leading Scorer:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Anze Kopitar	30	14	21	35	3	8	4	0	0	0	92	15.2

Phoenix Coyotes; 3rd in the Pacific Division, 6th in the West:

The Coyotes have won four straight now (and take on the Wild tonight), and Five For Howling has these thoughts:

Play for, you know, 40 minutes at least...
In the post game presser, Coach Dave Tippett even said that the Coyotes weren't putting in a whole lot of effort after they got the first couple of goals. More times than not the effort that they gave on Saturday won't be capable of winning them the game. If it wasn't for the outstanding play in goal and some lucky breaks the Coyotes could have lost that game rather easily. As Tippett said, we'll take the two points, but we can play better and we have to play better.

Give Bryz Some Room, Then Don't Hang Him Out to Dry
The Coyotes got the early lead on Saturday giving goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov some room to breathe and not have to hold the entirety of the team on his shoulders, at least for a little while. Except then the team just decided to go into prevent style play and Ilya was getting a lot more pressure than a shot here and there. When the Coyotes get the lead they need to keep playing as though they don't have it because when they back off the gas bad things quickly happen.

Coyotes Schedule

Next 5 Games

@ Los Angeles	Thu 12/10	9:30 PM CST
San Jose	Sat 12/12	7:00 PM CST
@ Detroit	Mon 12/14	6:30 PM CST
@ Toronto	Wed 12/16	6:30 PM CST
@ Columbus	Thu 12/17	6:00 PM CST

Last 5 Games

Minnesota	Mon 12/07	8:00 PM CST
Ottawa	Sat 12/05	W 3 - 2
Calgary	Thu 12/03	W 2 - 1
@ Anaheim	Sun 11/29	OT - W 3 - 2
Dallas	Fri 11/27	W 5 - 2

Phoenix Coyotes Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Peter Mueller	other-excused	12/07/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kurt Sauer	other-excused	10/07/2009

Lead Scorer:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Shane Doan	29	7	11	18	-8	15	4	0	1	0	84	8.3

Anaheim Ducks; 5th in the Pacific Division, 15th in the West:

The Ducks have lost two straight and are back at the bottom of the Western Conference. Anaheim Calling is not happy:

This is Anaheim Calling to the hockey world.

The Ducks continue to find impressive ways to lose. Wisniewski is apparently continuing to play with the flu and making mistakes rather than admitting he can't play-- thanks for being tough Wiz. The offense from the top line is picking up again with an upright Joffrey Lupul, but secondary scoring is non-existent. And now, it also seems the power play is drying up. But that's all the bad stuff. While it might be more prudent for Anaheim fans to start thinking of the 2010 draft rather than the 2010 playoffs, can you tell me if there's a bright spot on the Ducks roster right now that can have Ducks fans tricking themselves into believing a playoff run might be in our future?

Ducks Schedule

Next 5 Games

Dallas	Tue 12/08	9:00 PM CST
@ Detroit	Fri 12/11	6:30 PM CST
@ Columbus	Sat 12/12	6:00 PM CST
@ Vancouver	Wed 12/16	9:00 PM CST
@ San Jose	Thu 12/17	9:30 PM CST

Last 5 Games

Ottawa	Sun 12/06	SO - L 3 - 4
@ Minnesota	Fri 12/04	SO - L 4 - 5
@ Dallas	Thu 12/03	L 1 - 3
Los Angeles	Tue 12/01	L 3 - 4
Phoenix	Sun 11/29	OT - L 2 - 3

Anaheim Ducks Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryan Whitney	other-illness	12/07/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Teemu Selanne	hand	12/04/2009
Ryan Carter	foot	11/12/2009
Kyle Calder	eye	11/29/2009

Leading Scorer:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Corey Perry	29	15	21	36	5	32	2	1	0	0	106	14.2

Off the Post - December 7th

Conico do Mayo Miracle — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:37:44 -0000

1941 - Never forget. And don't forget what happened on Dec. 8th, 1980, while you're at it.
[NEW UPDATE] - Manny Malhotra will be signing autographs for free at the Sharks Store, Tuesday Dec. 15th, from 4:30 - 6pm. Be sure to slip a few greenbacks in the change jar - homeboy's only pulling in 6 figures.
[UPDATE] - McGinn and Vesce get reassigned... place yer bets on whether or not they'll be back by Wednesday.
TCY examines Patrick Marleau's potential price tag after this season, while Ivano27 investigates what Igor Larionov (and his hottie daughter) has been up to lately.
Devin Setoguchi answers questions from the masses, including the perrenial "Whose kitchen are you raiding this season?"
Dany Heatley, Dan Boyle, and Patrick Marleau (plus a 4th Shark TBD) will be signing autographs for a cool $169 per 2 persons @ Dave & Buster's, on January 31st. Reservations required.
A look at former Sharks defenseman Christian Ehrhoff as an Olympic hopeful.
Is Peter Laviolette the right replacement for John Stevens in Philadelphia?
The city of Edmonton begins preparations for the end of Rexall Place.
Size does matter for Gary Bettman - and he likes 'em small and boisterous.
For those that missed the Habs' 100th anniversary celebration, please consult Habs Eyes on the Prize (recommended).
Die by the Blade believes Andrej Sekera is the Sabres' Dan Boyle.
Signs your teammate is trying to kill you (big chuckle on the first one, huge groan on the last one).
Kris Versteeg gets an eyeful.

Scott Reynolds at Copper & Blue has been producing tweaked Bible verses for game day, and his latest for the Oilers victory over the Stars is a gem.
Speaking of the Stars (whom we play on Friday), Defending Big D examines the current state of the Dallas fanbase.
Buddha at Hockey Wilderness, on "He Who Shall No Longer Be Mentioned" (and no, it's not Gaborik).
With Cam Ward returning, the Canes have a goaltending decision to make.
Behind the Net debunks the argument that goalies need to see action in order to stop shots.
St. Louis Game Time has utterly corrupted Bart Simpson.
Hockey bigamy, as Vince Vaughn (a Blackhawks / J.R. fan) invades the Phoenix locker room.
On the off chance you haven't seen it in detail, Miikka Kiprusoff's save on Scott Nichol is (tragic? heart-breaking? nauseating?) destined for highlight reels for years to come.

Dallas Stars Recall Ivan Vishnevskiy; Place Karlis Skrastins on IR

Brandon Worley — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:02:27 -0000

More photos » by JACK DEMPSEY - AP

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The Dallas Stars have announced that defenseman Karlis Skrastins has been placed on injured reserve, while defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy has been recalled from the Texas Stars.

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.

The long-term plan was supposed to be to allow Vishnevskiy time in Austin to learn the intricacies of being the number one defenseman, and he's had the chance this season to play next to veteran Brad Lukowich. The Texas Stars have one of the top defenses in the AHL, and Vishsnevskiy has been solid while growing into an offensive threat on the blue line. This doesn't feel to be the right time to boost him up to the NHL, right in the middle of the season.

If the Stars made this move, it should be for good. Vishnevskiy is not a player I'd prefer to see yo-yo'ed between the AHL and NHL, especially if the Stars are expecting him to develop into a major force for them in the near future. And yet, there is a chance I completely understand the reasoning behind this move.

Earlier today, Mike Heika posed the question of whether the Stars are just going through growing pains on defense and should be patient with their young players. There are certainly a number of issues with the Stars right now, yet these defensemen have the potential to develop into something special. Heika brings up Chicago as an example of a team that struggled early, yet now has one of the most coveted defenses in the NHL. What's frustrating is that this is now the third season we've seen a combination of Grossman, Niskanen, Daley and Fistric and yet the same shortcomings still present themselves. I am willing to be patient however, especially since the young players are now in a new system, yet how long the team is patient is the big question.

The Stars could see Vishnevskiy as a boost to the team. He's a high-energy, exciting player to watch and he showed last season that if given the chance he has the ability to open up the offense and create chances. He has a booming shot, is a great puck handler with good vision and he's improving on his play on his own end. He hasn't exactly lit it up in the AHL this season (4 goals, 6 assists, plus-1 in 27 games), yet it's his potential and energy that could help this team more than his actual production.

What remains to be seen is how long the Stars stick with Vishnevskiy and how many minutes Crawford let's him play. If he's up in the NHL, he should not be babied and needs the chance to show what he can do both on the power play and on even strength. Skrastins could return next week and the Stars send Vishnevskiy back down, yet if they are making this move this early the Stars should at least see what he can do if given significant time on ice.

UPDATE: Heika says that Skrastins could possibly come back to play Friday and that his injury is not expected to be long term. If so, that makes the recall of Vishnevskiy essentially pointless and nullifies the reasons I stated above that this move could work. So, refer to my statement that the plan for Vishnevskiy does not call for him to come up to the NHL for just a game at a time.

Full press release after the jump.

Frisco, Tex. - The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has placed defenseman Karlis Skrastins on injured reserve, retroactive to Dec. 3. The Stars have also recalled defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy from the Texas Stars - Dallas' primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Skrastins, 35, suffered a laceration on his right index finger on Dec. 3 against Anaheim. He has skated in 28 games for the Stars in 2009-10, collecting five assists and eight penalty minutes. The Riga, Latvia native, ranks 10th in the NHL in blocked shots with 63. Skrastins has played in 707 career NHL games, recording 115 points (27g, 88a). The 6-1, 208-pound defenseman signed a two-year contract with Dallas on July 2, 2009.

Vishnevskiy, 21, has played in 27 games for Texas collecting four goals and six assists for 10 points this season. He appeared in three games for Dallas in 2008-09, recording two assists. The Barnaul, Russia native, spent most of last season with Peoria Rivermen of the AHL, where he played in 67 games, tallying 19 points (6g, 13a). Vishnevskiy was drafted in the first round (27th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by Dallas.

The Dallas Stars will travel to Anaheim today to play the Ducks on Tuesday night (9:00 pm CT, TV: FOX Sports Southwest, Radio: Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket).