The hockey season, at long last, is sadly down to it's final four-to-seven games. Some are eager to move on and get to the draft and free agency. Some realize that with a CBA stand-off staring hockey fans in the face, this might be a series to relish and enjoy as much as possible, not knowing when we'll see more. Will Dustin Brown be allowed to touch the Cup? Is there any way in the world Zach Parise really leaves now? (No.) The Devils have been impressive, but how will they match up against an absolute machine in L.A.?

One thing is for sure: The Kings are heavy favorites, and we don't deviate from that much here. Tell us your predictions in the comments...

(6) New Jersey Devils vs (8) Los Angeles Kings

Brandon: Trying to decide between who I want to win and who I think is going to win is a tough proposition. The Kings have absolutely steamrolled their way to the Cup Finals and look to be near-unstoppable after the trade for Jeff Carter took their team to a whole new level. The Kings outmatch the Devils in nearly every way: defensively, offensively and especially in goal. I really like the emotion and drive we've seen from the Devils this postseason but I think the Kings are going to be too much. Kings in 6.

Josh: The Kings have been an unstoppable machine since they picked up Jeff Carter. They have too much fire power for NJ. Kings in 5.

Huw: The Kings appears to be on an unstoppable roll through the playoffs having only lost two(!) games so far. The Kings are clicking and it will take a beyond perfect Devils team to beat them. The Devils will give them some trouble though and double the Kings loss total. Kings in 6

After the jump, someone picks the Devils!

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Good Morning, Dallas Stars fans. Erin is moving this week and as such it falls to me to edify and entertain today where interesting hockey links are concerned. We start with a quote our friend Mark got down in Cedar Park at the end of the Texas Stars' season from one Mr. Jack Campbell that struck me as interesting.

You know his story well by now. Good American dude, led the U.S.A to glory at the World Junior Championships, taken very high by the Stars, but has been up and down since in Canadian Juniors with two teams. He's developed a bit of a reputation (or perhaps just speculation) as a "big game goalie", or that similarly he is "situationally motivated." His strong performance with a bad Texas team at the AHL level to end last season didn't help to dispel this notion.

"I'll leave it at this: I learned a lot and I've taken a lot from it, more from the mental side of it. I am ready to move on," Campbell said. [ESPN Dallas]

Anyone is going to naturally gear up for a big challenge when it presents itself and be, perhaps, a little more motivated than they'd be otherwise. It could also be that Canadian Junior hockey is somewhat unpredictable and Jack's teams weren't that great in front of him.

Either way, consistency and an "every day" approach will be key to his development into what everyone hopes will be an NHL goaltender. His talent and physical gifts are undeniable. "the mental side of it" is going to be his biggest enemy next season in an 80 game AHL schedule. Read the rest of Mark's entry and quotes from Jack here.

After the jump... Johnny Oduya re-ups with Chicago, Kings fans are trying to get you to root for them, Hockey's Future evaluates Jamie Oleksiak, and Mike Modano is a...really big Spurs fan? Huh?

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What kind of player is Steve Ott? What kind of player can he be? Fans of 29 other teams would no doubt have little trouble asnwering that question, but close observers of the Dallas Stars have experienced shifting opinions in recent years.

Steve Ott scored 116 goals in three seasons with the Windsor Spitfires on one end of the spectrum, and set a team record for the Hamilton Bulldogs during the lockout with 279 PIMs on the other. He's played every role in between in Dallas. Witness here how just five seasons ago he carried the label "enforcer/fighter" when injuring his ankle in October of 2006.

As his "star" has risen (please forgive me) in Dallas so too have his responsibilities and tangible contributions on the score-sheet. When Ott scored 37 points in the final 40 games of the 2008-2009 season after years of agitation and "irritainment" he would significantly change the way Stars fans look at his game.

"Which Ott will we get tonight?", fans would ask. Joe Nieuwendyk and his staff had need to test the ceiling for Ott's offensive talent last season in the wake of the mess left by Hicks Sports Group, and a season of mixed results on that front seems to have once and for all defined what his role should be.

Tom Gaglardi spent four days in Dallas earlier this month, and if the quotes he and Jim Lites gave are any indication, the front office came together as a group to solidify plans and a direction for this off-season. Lites spoke of Steve Ott on the Norm Hitzges show, and likely crafted his words with that unified sense of direction (and therefore the thoughts of Joe Nieuwendyk and Tom Gaglardi) behind them:

"We like the way our bottom six forwards look out of what we have and what we can put together. It might mean taking a player or two that played up in the top six down. Steve Ott, for instance, that kind of player, and better define his role."

Is Steve Ott's long evolution reaching the end of the road? Don't we know who he is now, what his potential is, what he's capable of, and where he's best used?

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"I'd like to stay here," Sheldon Souray told Dallas media six weeks ago at the conclusion of the season. "I think they have a real good thing going. I know they're going to make changes...If anyone thinks they're not making changes then we're all a little naive. Hopefully they see me as part of the solution moving forward."

Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi spoke at length with the Bob and Dan Show on Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket last week and when the subject of what to do with the unrestricted free agent came up the new boss indicated that the door is indeed still open for #44 to return to Glen Gulutzan's blue line.

"I know there were discussions late in the season with him, and I know that Joe is pretty clear on where Shelly would like to be and where he'd like to go, so add that to the list of big decisions that Joe has to make."

Souray indicated in April that the Stars had "tested the water" but clearly no decision has been reached. He added that he obviously has to look at what's out there if it gets to July 1st, but also stated "I really like it here. I don't want to leave." Emphasis on the really was his. Not mine.

"It's a tough call because I like what he does for our group" Gaglardi told Bob and Dan. "I think he gives our group a lot of courage. Having that guy back there...you can be a little feistier when you know that guy's in the lineup because you know he's going to have your back."

The question for Dallas is likely about term and dollars. At the right price (last year's for instance) he's a steal and a solid add whatever else is done in free agency.

What does a decision either way on Souray tell us about the Stars' plan for their defense, and is he a viable fall-back option if trying to land a big piece in a dry market fails? That and more Gaglardi quotes after the jump...

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Dallas Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk indicated to the media at the time of the Alex Goligoski contract extension in late January that Jamie Benn's negotiations would likely not take place until after the season, and many speculated that the Stars would logically wait even longer than that - until after the new CBA is signed sometime in the fall (cross your fingers) before getting a deal done.

Stars' owner Tom Gaglardi indicated the same during his appearance with Bob and Dan on The Ticket Tuesday afternoon.

"There's been discussion about that. I think that we want to have a better feeling of where the landscape is for those [kind of] guys," said Gaglardi in response when asked if negotiations were on-going.

"We roughly know where we're going to go with Jamie," continued Gaglardi. "He's a restricted free agent so there's no real hurry to deal with that and he's going to be a Dallas Star, there's no question we want him. He'll be fairly compensated."

Benn's RFA status and young age (lack of arbitration rights) make him a very controllable asset, giving Dallas time to wait and watch that new landscape form around the upcoming CBA negotiations. The current deal expires well after free agency, strangely, leaving teams in the dark on what the future salary cap and rules will be while they try to improve their teams with new contracts in July.

Dallas may or may not decide to enter the fray on July 1st and take a risk (it will take significant risk to get big free agents here) to improve their team that way, but with Jamie Benn they can afford the patient, well-informed approach lacking this July with UFA's.

More from Tom Gaglardi on the importance of Jamie Benn, what his deal might look like, and the importance of "second contract" negotiations after the jump...

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2012 NHL Playoffs: Conference Final Predictions: New York Rangers vs New Jersey Devils. Phoenix Coyotes vs Los Angeles Kings

Most of us picked Los Angeles, so we were right there, though no one had it in five games. Erin was the only one that picked Phoenix. She should definitely look into gambling large sums of money. Here we'll try to pick these two very unlikely Conference Final series containing one team that's "supposed" to be here and three teams that are a bit of a surprise.

(3) Phoenix Coyotes vs (8) Los Angeles Kings

Josh: Kings in 5. The Coyotes benefited from a bad goaltender in Chicago, and an over rated Predators squad. The Kings will take care of business.

Brandon: The Phoenix Coyotes are the feel-good story of the postseason so far, but they've overperformed so far in the playoffs. It's helped that the Coyotes faced two teams that were a bit overrated and overmatched, but the Kings will present a multitude of problems for Dave Tippett's squad. The Coyotes are allowing over 35 shots per game and the Kings are the highest-scoring team left in the playoffs. Kings in 6.

Taylor: Phoenix isn't as good as there last series made them seem. Their issue will be they can't score enough to keep up with Los Angeles' awakened offense. Kings in 5

Huw: Though the Coyotes beat the Predators in five games I don't see them being able to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. The Kings have one of the stingiest defenses and also have finally worked out how to score goals. Breezing past both the Canucks and the St Louis Blues is not small feat. Kings in 5.

Brad: This is my worst nightmare. I do not want to see either of these fanbases feel validated. To get here the Coyotes dealt with a couple of opponents who were falling apart at the seams at the right time. The Kings beat two good teams, have more talented forwards and the better goaltender. Give me Los Angeles in six.

Erin: The two hottest goalies of the playoffs face off in what is likely to be a low-scoring affair. While the Kings are the trendy pick right now and have finally figured out how to score goals, I think the longer layoff will hurt them more at the beginning of the series. The Coyotes play Tippett's "all in on defense" system and have frustrated an explosive offense already in the Chicago Blackhacks. I think they're on a bigger confidence bubble than LA. Phoenix in six.

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Dave Tippett, Mike Smith, and the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes continue their unlikely run to the Western Conference Finals this week when they square off with Jon Quick and the Los Angeles Kings, and with each step they take toward Lord Stanley's Cup in a weird post-season, certain groups of Stars fans grow more and more displeased.

The above is just a very small sampling taken from a wide Twitter-verse full of lamentation and regret where these two ex-Stars are concerned. It's only natural. Controllable assets moved deliberately that find success elsewhere usually engender some kind of spite, anger, or jealousy when held up against perceived sub-par replacements and/or trade return.

As much of a third of any NHL roster is often comprised of players and coaches who have spent significant time elsewhere. The Coyotes elicit a particularly sharp response this post-season, however, where Stars fans are concerned because their perceived strengths are coaching and goal-tending, and the two men spearheading those efforts both called Dallas home for a time in the mid-to-late 2000's.

The story of why Dave Tippett was relieved of his duties with the Dallas Stars is a more complicated one than many remember. That's often the case in sports, or in life. We're guilty of it here too sometimes, I am sure. The further away we get from a series of events the more we tend to over-simplify it as it gets smaller in the rear-view mirror. Revisionist history sets in, even.

We've talked about this before. We'll talk about it again. As the Coyotes enter their first Conference Final, let's explore that most popular of questions. "Why did the Stars fire Dave Tippett again?"

Continued after the jump...

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The entire young core of the Dallas Stars, as identified by Joe Nieuwendyk (Jamie Benn, Loui Eriksson, Alex Goligoski, Kari Lehtonen) continue to play on in the 2012 IIHF World Championships along with Richard Bachman, Tomas Vincour and Philip Larsen, and thankfully all remain healthy. Knock on wood.

Finland earned their second 1-0 shutout of the tournament yesterday but Kari Lehtonen sat and watched in favor of Petri Vehanen in net. With Finland looking like a strong bet to go far I'm sure we'll see Kari get some more action and it will be interesting to see how he performs in something akin to a high pressure situations.

Richard Bachman continues to sit in favor of Jimmy Howard for team USA - Who beat Canada 5-4 in overtime yesterday, thank you very much. Unfortunately you had to catch that one 7 hours tape delayed because NBC Sports needed to bring you hours and hours of pre-game coverage regarding short men riding horses around in a circle for two minutes.

Alex Goligoski was a +1 in that game and had no points. Tomas Vincour continues to sit for the Czech Republic. Jamie Benn was pointless in Canada's loss.

Loui Eriksson, however, had two assists in Sweden's 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic, both of which you can see here.

We continue our look back at the Dallas Stars' 2011-2012 season that was today with a shifty glance toward the other half of the special team's equation: The penalty kill. One of this team's biggest problems throughout was that they spent too much time in the box - So much so that there were only three teams in the league that surrendered more power play opportunities than they did (303).

For a team that just missed out on the playoffs again, this would all seem a rather sizeable problem and a good place to point the finger, and yet Paul Jerrard guided his killers to an 82.8% success rate on the year, ranking them in the top half of the league at number 13.

The penalty kill number was fueled by several huge runs. The Stars killed 43 of 45 in a 14 game segment stretching from games 57 to game 70, which coincided with their big push in late February into March. They also killed 34 of 36 in games 20-31, which wasn't a great time for the club but the PK helped keep them afloat. The Stars had a "top 10" kill into mid-March but allowed 10 PPGA in their last 12 games to round out the year at #13.

Still, it was a great improvement on their last three seasons (80.1%, 77.4%, 78.6%) and their best year since 2007-2008 when they recorded an 85.6%.

Call it taking lemons and making lemonade. The underlying problem of spending too much time in the box too often is still there, but they didn't let it become a liability that contributed greatly to the sinking of their season like the power play.

After the jump, a discussion of various strengths and weaknesses of the penalty kill, but first consider the following: The Stars' penalty kill, in games where they surrendered four or fewer chances against, was 88.7%. In games they surrendered five or more chances (25 times) they killed just 75.5%.

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Once again it's that time of year here on Defending Big D where we take a look at each player that suited up for 20 or more games this season (and are still with the team) - and take a look back at their season. What was good about it, what wasn't so good, and the lasting impression they left us as we go into summer.

Trevor Daley

#6 / Defenseman / Dallas Stars

Height: 5-11

Weight: 205

Born: Oct 09, 1983

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	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2011 - Trevor Daley	79	4	21	25	3	42	1	0	2		134

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Key Stat: 1,710:10 - As in the minutes played by Daley this year, which led all Dallas Stars in total ice time. Daley played 79 games this year to go along with 82, 77 , 75, 82, 74 and 81 in his career since becoming a full time NHL player. That's 550 of 574 possible regular season games (95.8%). The man is durable and has quietly become a major pillar of the Stars' defense over the last several years, playing in every situation.

The Good: Like a basketball team that badly needs someone to take the ball inside instead of just passing it around the 3-point line, the Stars sometimes need Trevor Daley, who is unafraid to skate the puck through the neutral zone and into the opposition's territory, facilitating offense in the process. He continues to learn how to pick his spots in this regard and as a result took a career high 134 shots on goal this season. He tallied just 25 points, however, which has been very typical of his last five seasons (24, 25, 22, 27, 25). Can he take the next step and push it to 35? Or at 28 years of age have we seen the furthest outreaches of his development? Either way, his skating continues to be a uniquely positive addition to the Stars game. Who his partner will be next season is an item of considerable intrigue.

The Bad: Trevor Daley's metrics were poor this season. Be it his CORSI and FENWICK numbers or his scoring chances, as recorded by us... They just weren't where we'd expect him to be. He's come a very long way over the course of the last 3-4 season, working his way up to what I would consider to be an absolute rock on this defensive unit, and yet his data makes me think twice about that opinion. This season he saw extended time with Nicklas Grossmann, Mark Fistric and Adam Pardy. All of the above had sub-par years and the situations into which they were thrown (zone starts, paired with the Ribeiro line constantly, etc) hampered the kind of season Daley could have had in more ideal conditions. Also throw in the fact that he too was part of the power play that wouldn't produce.

Bottom Line: Joe Nieuwendyk signed Trevor Daley to an extension last season that makes him the longest tenured projected Dallas Stars of the whole bunch, which is saying something. People talk about this team's core as Benn, Eriksson, Lehotnen and Goligoski. What about Daley? I would argue that he's earned a spot in that group as well, but the current mix of defensemen, regardless of their individual skill or potential, might be holding the group back as a whole. If the Stars are serious about making changes for the better and becoming a force in the West, is Daley someone we could see being moved to accommodate said adjustments? Just something to think about.

The Vote: Rate Daley on a scale of A to F (A being the best of course) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season.

Once again it's that time of year here on Defending Big D where we take a look at each player that suited up for 20 or more games this season (and are still with the team) - and take a look back at their season. What was good about it, what wasn't so good, and the lasting impression they left us as we go into summer.

Loui Eriksson

#21 / Left Wing / Dallas Stars

Height: 6-3

Weight: 193

Born: Jul 17, 1985

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	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2011 - Loui Eriksson	82	26	45	71	18	12	5	2	3		187	13.9

Key Stat: +18. That's the best mark of his career and he did it playing on different lines for various chunks of the season. That led the Stars this year and was #10 among all left-wingers in the National Hockey League. The key stat could just as easily be $4.25 million, as in his cap hit. Dallas will pay that, and only that, for his considerable services for the next four years as he enters his prime at just 26 years of age.

The Good: Ordinarily I'd dig into some advanced metrics here, tell you about his scoring chance numbers, or some other obscure thing that illustrates how good Loui Eriksson is and how essential his presence has become to this team, but allow me to venture far into the intangible on this occasion. Being around media in the press box who have watched a LOT more hockey than I have is a great way to see who those "in-the-know" truly admire. Loui Eriksson is at the top of that list. Watching him in person, his hard work both near and away from the puck inspire awe in the most experienced of hockey minds. He is truly becoming a "king of the little things", a la Jere Lehtinen (or as close as we're likely to see any time soon, anyway). His scoring is automatic. His efforts elsewhere make those around him better. That's the mark of an elite player.

The Bad: Finding something bad to say about Loui Eriksson is quite a chore, and one I'm not going to work very hard on at that. He fades from the score sheet for periods of time if you look at the game log, most noticeably at the end of the season. In the eight games leading up to Dallas' elimination Loui was held scoreless in seven of them, recording a -2 rating in that span. At a time when the Stars needed their best players to be their best players, so to speak, Eriksson was unable to contribute in tangible ways. He was also part of the power play that...we've talked about and talked about.

The Bottom Line: At 71, 73, and 71 points in his last three seasons, Loui Eriksson has really found his stride in this league, but the best part is that he could be even better if he played on, pardon the expression, "a good team". That's a problem for Joe Nieuwendyk to tackle this off-season, but Eriksson's fate could be tied up with Jamie Benn's in a way. The two have an undeniable chemistry that was broken via separation this season, owing to the need to use Benn to check teams' top lines and a need to replace Brenden Morrow on Ribeiro's left. With the appropriate talent added, either on Ribeiro's line or on Fiddler's to form a more competent, true checking line, Loui Eriksson could be unleashed along with Jamie Benn as the two possession-hounds reach new career highs. As it was this year, Loui Eriksson was stuck putting out fires on the Ribeiro line down the stretch and still put up 71.

The Vote: Rate Eriksson on a scale of A to F (A being the best of course) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season.

Once again it's that time of year here on Defending Big D where we take a look at each player that suited up for 25 or more games this season (and are still with the team) and take a look back at their season. What was good about it, what wasn't so good, and the lasting impression they left us as we go into summer.

Stephane Robidas

#3 / Defenseman / Dallas Stars

Height: 5-11

Weight: 190

Born: Mar 03, 1977

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	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2011 - Stephane Robidas	75	5	17	22	-5	48	2	0	1		75

Key Stat: 35. Or 1977. As in this elder statesman's age. He's getting a little long in the tooth, so to speak. Robidas has two years remaining on his deal at a $3.3 cap hit and will turn 36 years old before next season's playoffs arrive. He's a durable, relentless warrior that's anchored a defense short on talent for years and given his all - But the time will soon come when his minutes will need to be replaced. He co-led the team in ice time this season (22:45) with Alex Goligoski (22:46), but that won't be the case forever. Gulutzan and Nieuwendyk both spoke this year about Robidas needing to manage his body more carefully - Even practicing less.

The Good: Robidas' defensive numbers got better to match the Stars' new outlook under Glen Gulutzan. He recorded his best +/- number in three years (though it was still a -5) and brought his CORSI numbers up considerably from last season as well, all while continuing to play the team's toughest defensive minutes along side new partner Sheldon Souray for the most part. He had to carry the load after an abbreviated off-season due to hip surgery, and said he was playing catch-up for much of the year. Not only did he play through that, but he dealt with a foot injury through the better part of the season as well, but still managed to get 75 games in. His 48 PIMs were his lowest total since 2002-2003 when he recorded just 35 in a full season.

The Bad: Here's another big part of a bad power play, unfortunately. Robidas was second among defensemen in power play time on ice and notched just 9 points on the man advantage while getting just 22 shots on net in 194:19 overall PP time. He recorded just 75 shots on goal overall on the year- this after 106, 199 and 158 shots in his last three. He continues to take too many hits, as he has always done. This year he took, officially, 187 - 70 more than the next closest Star (Fiddler, 117). For the first time we can recall, fans actually turned on Robidas a little as the season wore on for defensive mistakes, even when the numbers didn't warrant it. Nevertheless, his ability to check the ever improving elite lines in the Western Conference could be diminishing with age.

The Bottom Line: As the Stars continue to re-make their defense on the fly with new free agent signings and prospects pushing from below in Dillon, Oleksiak, Nemeth, and so on, Robidas' minutes should continue to come down. He averaged 24:30 under Marc Crawford and saw that come down nearly two full minutes a game this season. That will help keep his body productive through the life of his contract. That being said, unless the Stars sign or trade for a "number one" type big-money guy (unlikely) Glen Gulutzan will continue to rely on Robidas to play the tough minutes next year.

The Vote: Rate Robidas below on a scale of A to F (A being the best of course) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season he was here. Vote after the jump.

2012 NHL Second Round Playoff Predictions: Eastern Conference. (1) New York Rangers vs (7) Washington Capitals. (5) Philadelphia Flyers vs (6) New Jersey Devils.

So the New York Rangers escape an embarrassing first round exit where the Boston Bruins did not, and Dale Hunters' new look Capitals will try to grind and goal-tend Tortorella's bunch to death now. Meanwhile the rats have been silenced (or poisoned, if you like) in Miami and the Devils are through to see if the Flyers can handle a series with a little normalcy and, you know... defense.

(1) New York Rangers vs (7) Washington Capitals

Brandon: This series bores me. I don't even know what to say, other than King Henrik was incredible in the first round while the rest of the Rangers were not. Rangers in 6.

Erin: The Rangers had much, much more trouble than they should have with the Ottawa Senators while the Captials benefited from big plays from depth players against the Boston Bruins. Henrik Lundqvist is playing much better than the oft-erratic Tim Thomas, though, so I've got to give the edge to the higher seed in this one. Rangers in six.

Taylor: New York struggled to find enough offense to get past the eighth seed in the East. Henrik Lundquist was (again) the best player for the Rangers. The Capitals, after sneaking into the playoffs when many had written them off completely, upset the defending Cup champs. Braden Holtby was spectacular and looks like an NHL vet even though this is his first taste of playoff hockey at this level. I can't imagine that the Rangers firepower won't win out in the end, no matter how good Holtby plays. Rangers in 5.

Brad: New York should be angry and they should smash things after watching the Sens push them to the brink. I'm not sure they have enough off-time to get ready for smashing, however. The Capitals are trying their hand at "pesky" and are leaning on a surprisingly hot goaltender. I like this one to go long, if Hotlby can keep it up. So... Rangers in 7 more.

Flyers/Devils after the jump. Tell us what you think will happen in the comments.

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NHL Second Round Predictions: Phoenix Coyotes vs Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues vs Los Angeles Kings

The Sharks, the Red Wings, the Canucks and the Blackhawks are all out. We all saw that coming, right? Combine it with the Bruins' premature exit last night and the Rangers possible farewell today, and we've got ourselves an anomalous year sure to be talked about for a while.

(1) St. Louis Blues vs (7) Los Angeles Kings

Brandon: This is going to be the series to watch if you, like me, love pure hockey: strategy, defense and goaltending. I know other series may get more intense and emotional, but this is going to be fun the rest of us to watch. Kings in 6.

Josh: Two evenly matched teams. Kings have more high end talent and the more trustworthy goalie. Kings in 7.

Erin: This series features the cream of the 2011-12 defense and goaltending crop even if Jaroslav Halak isn't ready to go for the Blues. The Kings won the season series handily, and they came through with more than enough offense against the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks. But St. Louis, to me, has the better overall crop along the blue-line and the much better coach. Give me St. Louis in six, if only because I think Quick is good enough to steal multiple games.

Taylor: Two defensively sound groups go up against one another, and both have solid goaltending. The question is who can score more - and I don't think you score too many on Jonathan Quick. Kings in 6.

Brad: Their February and March match-ups featured a pair of 1-0 wins, one by each team. Logic says it will be that low scoring again, but you have to like the newly revamped (paid for) Los Angeles lineup to score more than they did in the regular season. So begrudgingly, disgustingly, give me Kings in 6. Quick is on a mission, and Dustin Brown will continue to be rewarded for his behavior disgracing the title of captain in the NHL, putting L.A. on the PP.

The Rinne's vs the Smith's after the jump...

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Look no further than what's been unfolding on our television screens the last 14 days to see how important the power play is in the NHL.

The Sharks managed just two power play goals in their series, while St. Louis scored six in five games. The Blackhawks scored only a single man-advantage goal in 19 attempts over six games. The Florida Panthers have used a 7-of-23 performance on the power play to get themselves to an unlikely game seven Thursday night, and certainly the Bruins think they wouldn't be in their current predicament without a 2-for-20 effort on the job thus far.

You know what the Dallas Stars did with their man advantages this year. They tied a franchise record low for total power play goals scored (33) and percentage (13.5%). They had the worst power play in the league this season, another first for the franchise.

The more we look for glaring weaknesses to examine as the autopsy rolls on, the more our eyes are drawn back to it, again and again.

"It's the number one part we have to get better at," agrees Loui Eriksson. "We have to score more on the power play, that's the way we can win more games. We have to outwork them. We've been a little too sloppy sometimes. We need to put more pucks to the net, too. I think that's how you score goals. You have to get traffic in front and put pucks there. Then rebounds will come out and you will score more goals. That's something we need to do."

The question was put to several Stars' players and coaches in the locker room during March and April: "Is the answer, simply, that you just have to get more pucks to the net?"

They said the right things over and over again. They knew what the problem was. Yet they just couldn't get pucks to the goal.

Today we'll look at some pretty shocking numbers illustrating why the Stars power play reached historic lows - Deeper numbers than simply PP goals and percentage. Fair warning: It's not pretty...

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Once again it's that time of year here on Defending Big D where we take a look at each player that suited up for 20 or more games this season (and are still with the team) - and take a look back at their season. What was good about it, what wasn't so good, and the lasting impression they left us as we go into summer.

Mike Ribeiro

#63 / Center / Dallas Stars

Height: 6-0

Weight: 179

Born: Feb 10, 1980

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	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2011 - Mike Ribeiro	74	18	45	63	5	66	2	0	5		142

Key Stat: 15 power play points. It's going to be a long summer of lamenting the power play, among other things, and today is no different unfortunately. 84 players in the NHL had more power play points than Mike Ribeiro this season - And he's the unofficial quarterback of this unit. He scored just 2 power play goals and was the primary assist on only five others. It's a group effort, to be sure, but they needed a little more from him here in the absence of Brad Richards.

The Good: Ribeiro was a point a game player when it mattered the most, scoring 32 in his final 33 games. 63 points over all in 74 games is par for the course for the dynamic play maker and he responded well to Gulutzan's post All-Star game adjustments, leading the Stars offense more effectively the more offensive zone starts he was awarded. Keep in mind that he probably played the entire second half of the year on a partially torn MCL, and that the Stars' offense looked completely lost without him in the games leading up to the break in January.

The Bad: He was a +5 on the season. That doesn't sound so bad, but when you consider that the team's other top forwards were +18 (Loui Eriksson), +17 (Michael Ryder) and +15 (Jamie Benn) you begin to see the problem he has defensively. Glen Gulutzan was forced to keep his top line away from other team's top lines due to defensive inability, and Jamie Benn was forced to play the role of a checking line player far too often as a result. The scoring chance reports all seasons long showed that Ribeiro was consistently out-chanced at even strength, and his line was targeted on the road throughout by opposing coaches. He also recorded his worst year on the dot as a Star (by far) at 42.2%, down from 46.6% last season.

Bottom Line: There's no doubting how important Mike Ribeiro is to the Stars' offense, and at this stage of his career there's no doubting his defensive deficiencies the number spell out either. Entering the final year of his deal it will be interesting to see how the Stars deal with replacing him, or else extending him, with no viable replacement pivot anywhere in site that can produce the points he can. Is he to be praised for playing through injury and producing 63 points in 74 games, or is he part of an aging leadership core that's been a part of too many late season collapses?

Vote now: Rate Ribeiro on a scale of A to F (A being the best of course) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season.

Alex Goligoski

#33 / Defenseman / Dallas Stars

Height: 5-11

Weight: 180

Born: Jul 30, 1985

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
Alex Goligoski	71	9	21	30	0	16	2	0	1		140	6.4

Key Stat: 4-7-1 - Goligoski went down in the first period on November 11th in Pittsburgh with a broken hand. The Stars dropped that game and seven others while he was gone en route to a 4-7-1 record without him in the lineup. They produced less than two goals per game on average during his absence, including a massive 194:11 scoreless streak. He led the team in time on ice per game (22:46) and PP time on ice per game (3:09), and despite taking the third most hits on the team at 111, stayed very healthy outside of the one freak puck to his hand.

The Good: 299. That's Josh's count of how many even strength scoring chances Goligoski was on the ice for this season. That's more than any other Stars' player, even Jamie Benn at 272. If you missed it, he showed how Goligoski was the Stars' most valuable defenseman at length here as far as scoring chances go, along with zone start adjusted chances. Which is all a fancy way of saying that there are more good things happening for the Stars when Goligoski is on the ice than any other defenseman.

Golgoski also led the Stars defense in on-ice CORSI, which is a measure of how many more pucks are being directed at an opponents net while he's on the ice than pucks directed at the Stars' net. It's expressed as a "per 60 minutes played" stat. His was +9.06. The next closest Stars defenseman was Robidas at 2.14. It's not even close. Again, it's all a way of measuring how much the Stars have the puck. When Golgoski is on the ice, good things are happening for the Stars and the play is being driven forward, away from Kari Lehtonen.

The Bad: Expectations around here were sky high for Alex Goligoski based on what he was able to do offensively in limited time with Dallas last year after the trade (15 points in 23 games). With just 30 points in 71 games, his totals fell short of what many had hoped. His production was fueled by one excellent streak - 18 points in 24 games - in the middle of the year, but he tallied just 12 in the other 47 games. He had just one goal and two assists in down the stretch in March when the Stars floundered.

The Bottom Line: Alex Goligoski is the Stars' most valuable defenseman by far. The scoring chance numbers, the advanced metrics, his ice time, the trust the coaching staff has placed in him - all demonstrate that very clearly. If Joe Nieuwendyk is able to increase the talent level on this roster overall, Golgioski's abilities will manifest themselves into more tangible results on the score sheet next season. That being said, Glen Gulutzan must figure out how to utilize Golgoski's skill set more effectively to help the failed power play that he (Goligoski) was a big part of this season.

The Vote: Rate Goligoski below on a scale of A to F (A being the best of course) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season he was here. Vote after the jump.

The Dallas Stars will spend the summer looking at improving themselves. They'll look at the forward group, the defense, the coaching staff, the power play - They'll look at nearly everything to try to get this team over the hump and into the playoffs next year.

If there's one area on which they'll spend hardly any time at all, however, it's in goal. They shored that up during the season with the addition of rookie Richard Bachman, who looks poised to apply this season's lessons toward giving the Stars more from the backup position than they received from Andrew Raycroft, Alex Auld or Tobias Stephan in recent years.

"What didn't I learn?" quipped Bachman after being asked what he learned this season as the Stars cleaned out their lockers last week in Frisco, TX.

"I learned a lot this year. I came in, played a bunch right away, just tried to learn the NHL game - the speed, the shots, the preparation."

Learn it he did. Bachman posted an 8-5-1 record on the year with a .910 save percentage and a 2.77 goals against average, to go along with a single shutout. Most of the wins were recorded as Kari Lehtonen fought a groin injury in November and December.

"Then I switched my role to a backup role, which I was pretty unfamiliar with," said Bachman of Lehtonen's return. "And so just learning how to prepare and be ready to go at the drop of a hat was also one of the really big things I took from this year."

Bachman, pending a new contract and what figures to be a competitive training camp, will succeed Raycroft, who started this season 2-8-0 with Dallas and ended it watching Jack Campbell and Tyler Beskorowany play down the stretch in Cedar Park. The Stars' front office and fan-base alike hope that a full season of "The Biz" in net will be one of many improvements helping the team find the 5 or 6 additional points they so desperately crave.

After the jump - Much more on Bachman's year, and what do the Stars need from the backup position to make the playoffs next year?

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In defeating the Vancouver Canucks last night at Rogers Arena, the Los Angeles Kings earned their 42nd victory of the season, so to speak.

42 wins, curiously, is the same number the Dallas Stars had when the season ended last weekend, and it's the same number the Phoenix Coyotes had last weekend when they were crowned Pacific Division Champions. The Kings qualified for the post-season having lost more games than they won this year at a totals of 40-42.

Los Angeles collected the "loser point" in abundance this season at 15. Phoenix nearly equaled them at 13. The Dallas Stars lost just 5 games after regulation and went to overtime 10 fewer times than Los Angeles did overall.

The question I was asked down the stretch by many casual sports fans who pay attention to hockey only as the playoffs near was this: How can a team that has fewer wins be ahead of the Stars in the standings? How does that make any sense? For people that watch primarily football, basketball and baseball, this does not appeal to their sense of logic.

When considered all by itself, the fact that only 11 teams in the National Hockey League won more games than the Dallas Stars this year sounds pretty good. That sounds like a playoff team. That's also, of course, a woefully incomplete view of the landscape under the current point system.

Should a loss be considered just a loss, regardless of when it occurs? Did the current point system send the right teams to the playoffs? Would making every game worth three points have helped Dallas this season?

Discussion after the jump...

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It was a forgettable season for oft-injured Dallas Stars Captain Brenden Morrow. With just 26 points in 57 games, it was the lowest points per game pace of his NHL career, and it came at a bad time for a team that lacked scoring depth in the wake of Brad Richards' departure last summer.

"I'll wipe this one clean and start fresh next year," said Morrow Wednesday in Frisco.

With the exception of his torn ACL in 2008, the Stars have had the luxury of a very healthy Captain (82 games, 76 games, 82 games) in recent years, but Morrow missed 25 this season with neck, knee and back problems and was somewhat ineffective in the vast majority of the games he did play. He returned to skate in the final 14 down the stretch but wasn't quite himself yet.

"The back didn't seem to really be a problem," said Morrow of his return the last several weeks of the season. "It was more the disk and the neck that were bothersome. The good news is that every doctor I saw, 3 or 4 of them, all had the same opinion: The neck isn't going to be a problem. It just needs some rest, and [I'll] settle those disks down before I get started for another grind."

In other words, he will not need surgery, and the Stars will be able to factor him with certainty into their off-season plans.

Morrow has one year left on his contract at a $4.1 million cap hit and is optimistic that he can put these struggles behind him as he prepares for his 13th NHL season.

"I'm actually comfortable saying that how much better I felt the last two weeks of the season compared to what I was dealing with before...I don't think health is going to be an issue."

After the jump- The difficulty with trying to evaluate Morrow's fragmented season, his plan for managing his situation going forward, and how much can be counted upon for next year as Joe Nieuwednyk puts his off-season plan into motion?

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2012 NHL Playoff Predictions: New York Rangers vs Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins vs Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers vs New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers

The 2012 NHL Playoffs start tonight, and as is our custom here at Defending Big D, just because we don't have a dog in the hunt doesn't mean we're not going to throw our (very analytic and completely serious) two cents in...

Please share your thoughts in the comments as we prepare to watch the greatest playoff tournament on the planet.

Brandon Worley: Part of me wants to see the New York Rangers fall flat on their faces while the other part of me knows that the Senators just aren't good enough to beat them. Rangers in 6.

Josh Lile: lol Rangers in four

Erin Bolen: The Rangers are a little overrated to me, but I don't think that will show up in this round. Ottawa simply doesn't have the firepower to hang with them for more than a few games. - Rangers in 5

Taylor Baird: Henrik Lundquist is on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week, which means he's doomed according to the SI curse. The Rangers' powerplay leaves something to be desired, and they don't have much scoring depth in general. Ottawa on the other hand could most likely just simply outscore the Rangers to beat them, and have done so several times in their four game series with the Rangers this season. No one expected Ottawa to even make the playoffs, and the Rangers were everyone's early favorites to win the Cup. Rangers in 6.

Brad Gardner: The Rangers were made for absolute war, and this won't be anywhere close to that. Have to go with Josh on this one.

The rest after the jump...

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2012 NHL Playoff Predictions - Vancouver Canucks vs Los Angeles Kings. St. Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks. Phoenix Coyotes vs Chicago Blackhawks. Nashville Predators vs Detroit Red Wings.

The 2012 NHL Playoffs start tonight, and as is our custom here at Defending Big D, just because we don't have a dog in the hunt doesn't mean we're not going to throw our two cents in...

Please share your thoughts in the comments as we prepare to watch the greatest playoff tournament on the planet.

(1) Vancouver Canucks vs (8) Los Angeles Kings

Brandon Worley: Best series in the West in the first round and should be the closest. I think Vancouver is going to struggle offensively and unless the Canucks start Cory Schneider for the entire series, Los Angeles is going to give them some trouble. Los Angeles in 6.

Erin Bolen: This series hinges on which version of the Kings offense shows up. The Canucks have too much firepower for the Kings to win by scoring 1-2 goals a night, even with Jonathan Quick in net. Even if the Canucks net-minding has a few issues, I think the offensive talent gap is too wide for Los Angeles. - Canucks in 6

Josh Lile: Best series of the opening round. Kings in seven.

Taylor Baird: Scoring has been the Kings' problem all season, but their goaltender Jonathon Quick has been phenomenal (again.) Vancouver knows how to score, but starting goaltender Roberto Luongo has playoff demons for sure. Canucks can interchange Corey Schneider and seemingly not miss a beat. Vancouver in 5.

Brad Gardner: LAK won just 40 of 82 games this year, and their offensive struggles are well documented. More overtime is on the horizon for a team that lost their way into the tournament, and overtime has not been their forte in recent seasons (see 3 OT losses to SJS last year in round 1). VAN in a nauseatingly unlikeable 7 games.

The other series after the jump...

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Joe Nieuwendyk held a brief, impromptu media session in the press box before Saturday's season finale against the Blues Saturday night. With a pained expression matching those of season ticket holders, he spoke of the disappointment surrounding the team and a fourth consecutive off-season with no playoffs.

He did add, however, that this summer would be a bit different.

"We're the NHL bridesmaids two years in a row and it's tough to swallow. I think the good thing is we have an owner now that is committed to getting better and we're going to be aggressive at getting better, too."

That man, Stars' owner Tom Gaglardi, has not been shy around town as the season fizzled. He intends to implement change, and it appears as though all options will be on the table.

"You look at four straight years without the playoffs, and I definitely think you have to look at your leadership group," Gaglardi told the DMN this weekend. "I don't think our leaders were our best players down the stretch, and that's something that we need to look at to see if that was a common theme in the last four years."

That leadership core, by the way, is starting to get a little ticked off as well.

"It gets annoying," Stephane Robidas told Dallasstars.com. "I'm 35 now and there's not many years left. Every year that goes by and you don't make it, it's another year you don't make it to win the Cup and that's my goal. That's my dream. That's all we play for but every year that you miss it it's tough."

Robidas (35) is the most senior member of a dwindling group of veterans that have led this team on the ice since the last CBA negotiation. Brenden Morrow (33), Mike Ribeiro (32), Steve Ott (29) and Trevor Daley (28) remain while so many (Turco, Modano, Lehtinen, Boucher, etc) have moved on.

"It has to be looked at, because we have to make sure it doesn't happen again next year," finished Gaglardi of the leadership group.

Continued after the jump...

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The Dallas Stars ended their season with a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues Saturday night at the American Airlines Center. The Stars effort was there in game 82, but Stephane Robidas, Mike Ribeiro, Steve Ott, Sheldon Souray, Radek Dvorak, Mark Fistric, Jake Dowell, Kari Lehtonen and Toby Petersen were not. Some were scratched due to injury, and some were scratched to accommodate the debut of several youngsters.

The loss puts the Stars in 10th place in the Western Conference and leaves them with just 89 points on the year. The Blues had a chance at the Presidents Trophy tonight but a Vancouver win negates it.

St. Louis showed a fairly lackluster effort in this one despite having lost four straight. A lucky bounce and a screen helped them find two fortunate goals and they got their wheels turning in the third period a bit. They'll have to do much better as the Kings or Sharks come to town to start round 1.

Fan appreciation night made for a light atmosphere at the arena, but the absence of the high stakes of the last several weeks left a gaping hole in the building felt by all.

"It was a different game, but I thought we competed hard, and I thought some of our young guys showed pretty well," said Glen Gulutzan afterward.

Among those who showed well were Brenden Dillon and Jordie Benn on defense. Benn recorded his second assist of the season in the third period when he started the play that led to Ryan Garbutt's goal, with brother Jamie in the penalty box watching.

Dillon was solid on the back end in his NHL debut and had a number of nice hits and defensive plays. He recorded a game high 6 shots on goal in 20 minutes of ice time, had an even plus/minus rating and blocked three shots to go along with four hits.

Neither Reilly Smith nor Scott Glennie recorded a shot on goal in limited ice time. Both recorded even plus/minus numbers and both took their first NHL minor penalties - Smith for high-sticking and Glennie for holding. An inauspicious debut Glennie and inauspicious continuation for Smith, both of whom now return to Austin to finish the season.

Richard Bachman continued delivering a solid performance on net and two of those three goals were really beyond his control, and the third was a perfect shot by Perron in a one-on-one situation. Bachman availed himself well yet again, and will look forward now to settling his RFA situation with a nice new contract to backup Kari Lehtonen for a full season next year.

The Stars went 0-4 on the power play.

Enjoy Easter/Passover and think kindly of the Stars, who took the short end of the stick this season and battled themselves to a real chance through 81 games. We'll be back Monday to start the autopsy.

St. Louis Blues @ Dallas Stars

Saturday, April 7th, 2012 - 7:00pm CST

American Airlines Center

FSSW+, Listen Live @ stars.nhl.com

Saturday's game is on FOX Sports Southwest Plus

Time Warner Cable - Ch. 960 (required digital box)
Charter Cable - Ch. 300
DirecTV - Ch. 677 (677-1 HD)
Dish Network - Ch. 443 (9581 HD)
U-Verse - Ch. 754 (1754 HD)
Fios - Ch. 77 (577 HD)

"So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehen, good night,"

Tonight's game against the St. Louis Blues is fan appreciation night at the American Airlines Center. Jerseys and keepsakes will be given away as fans say goodbye for another off-season, but the group down at ice level is still trying to figure out just exactly what happened in the last two weeks after such a masterful performance put them in the driver's seat where the playoffs were concerned, and that includes the team's new owner.

"I think to properly comment on it you need to take some time because the highs are too high and the lows are too low," said Galardi via ESPN Dallas. "Seven or ten days ago, we were really proud of what the guys had done in terms of we were the second hottest team in the league since the All-Star break. We put ourselves from kind of out of it into being in it, and feeling like we're pretty certain we're going to be in the playoffs. Then a stretch of games where we lost our mojo, kind of forgot how to win."

The Stars have indicated that they're going to start several younger players/bodies in this one, not only to display them to the hockey-going public, but because much of the Stars' roster has been playing through significant pain and injury, as most clubs are doing these days.

"I talked to every player that's injured and they all want to play our last game, whether they have to take a needle or not to get through," said Gaglardi. "But reality is, we don't want to put them through that."

St. Louis, meanwhile, enters trying to end their regular season on a high note after dropping four straight as the league's "number one team". They dropped a 4-1 decision last night to the Phoenix Coyotes, who take over possession of 3rd place in the West with the victorry. A win for Dave Tippett's bunch on tonight against the Wild can clinch the Pacific for them as a result.

Remember, this finale is on Fox Sports Southwest PLUS!

More on each team after the jump...

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The Nashville Predators ended the Dallas Stars season with a 2-0 score at Bridgestone Arena Thursday night.

The Stars have now failed to make it to the post-season for the fourth consecutive year, and that, unfortunately, sets a new franchise record for the Minnesota and Dallas portions of it's existence.

"It's frustrating. It's disappointing. It's kind of a repeat... Groundhog Day, of last year. It doesn't get easier."

Last year, of course, the Stars' chances took a hit sooner on the calendar, putting them seemingly out of it earlier. An unexpected turn of events between the Blackhawks and Red Wings in the season's final two games gave Dallas an unforeseen chance at a miraculous playoff berth on the season's final day, but they squandered their suddenly found gift away to Minnesota.

This year it was different. This year they knew with about ten games remaining that all they would have to do is finish out the year at about a .500 pace, and they would be in. No dramatics needed. They were if full control. They dropped 8 of 11 down the stretch instead, and now find themselves eliminated.

They may have survived to game 82 last season, but being eliminated at number 81 this year is ultimately more disappointing.

"You always want to win that last one and give our fans the opportunity to see playoff hockey again," continued Morrow. "They deserve it. Since Mr. Gaglardi took over they've been out to support us and rooting us on - It would have been nice to give them that opportunity to see some playoff hockey."

Instead the playoff hockey will be played by Los Angeles and Phoenix, both of whom will likely finish with fewer wins than Dallas has (42 before Saturday's tilt with the Blues). It's unfortunate timing for a franchise trying to re-gain it's relevancy among the always dominant Cowboys, the World Champion Dallas Mavericks, and the Texas Rangers, who took fans to the World Series in back-to-back seasons now.

As Captain Brenden Morrow said, it's frustrating.

An examination of the frustration after the jump. We'll start group therapy in the comments...

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Dallas Stars @ Nashville Predators

Thursday, April 5th, 2012 - 7:00pm CST

Bridgestone Arena

FSSW, Listen Live @ stars.nhl.com