SB Nation User Blog: Brandon Worley

NHL Power Rankings, Week 6: Flames Fight To Fifth Spot

Brandon Worley — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:12:06 -0000

by Larry MacDougal - AP

Calgary Flames' Jarome Iginla, bottom, celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 . (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Larry MacDougal)

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After slowly climbing the ranks, the San Jose Sharks have finally claimed the top spot in our weekly power rankings. Despite not having Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals are holding on in the top three while the Calgary Flames burst into our Top Ten rankings all the way up to No. 5.

Surprise of the week: After falling out of the Top Ten, Philadelphia is back at No. 6.

PLEASE READ: Western Conference rankings are determined by votes from Western Conference bloggers, Eastern Conference bloggers for Eastern rankings. The Top 10 Power Rankings are determined by a separate vote of Western and Eastern Conference bloggers.

NHL Top Ten Power Rankings
	Rank	Last Wk	Team	Record	Comments
	1	2	San Jose Sharks	12-4-2	After a slow start, the Sharks are unbeaten at home and 8-1-1 in their last ten games.
	2	1	Pittsburgh Penguins	12-5-0	After 17 games and five injuries I have concrete proof that the apocalypse is upon us. Add together the injured jerseys 25+48+55+58+71 you get 257. Add goals for (54) get 311. Add half goals against and get 333. Times by 2 consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances and you get..666! -Pensburgh
	3	4	Washington Capitals	10-3-4	The loss of Ovechkin for however long he might be out didn't hurt the team much, nor did it sway the voters.
	4	3	Colorado Avalanche	12-4-2	Despite being tied for the NHL lead in points, the Avs still don't get the respect needed to climb all the way to the top of the rankings.
	5	-	Calgary Flames	10-4-1	A three game winning streak propels Calgary back into the Top Ten.
	6	-	Philadelphia Flyers	9-4-1	At some point, the Flyers will actually catch up to the rest of the NHL in games played.
	7	10	New Jersey Devils	11-4-0	Five straight wins and Brodeur is as hot as ever.
	8	9	Los Angeles Kings	10-6-2	Despite a two game losing streak the Kings are still in great position in the West.
	9	5	Buffalo Sabres	9-4-1	The Sabres have hit a bump in the road, but voters are confident they'll hang on.
	10	7	New York Rangers	10-7-1	After a rocket start, the Rangers are just 3-6-1 in their last ten games.

Western Conference

Biggest Winner: Calgary Flames (+5)

Biggest Loser: Phoenix Coyotes (-3)

Western Conference Power Rankings
	Rk (Prv)	Team	Record	SB Nation Blog
	1 (1)	San Jose Sharks	12-4-2	Fear The Fin
	2 (7)	Calgary Flames	10-4-1	Matchsticks and Gasoline
	3 (2)	Colorado Avalanche	12-4-2	Mile High Hockey
	4 (5)	Los Angeles Kings	10-6-2	Battle of California
	5 (3)	Chicago Blackhawks	9-5-2	Second City Hockey
	6 (9)	Columbus Blue Jackets	9-5-2	The Cannon
	7 (4)	Phoenix Coyotes	10-7-0	Five For Howling
	8 (6)	Dallas Stars	7-4-6	Defending Big D
	9 (8)	Vancouver Canucks	10-8-0	Nucks Misconduct
	10 (10)	Detroit Red Wings	7-5-3	Winging It In Motown
	11 (11)	Edmonton Oilers	8-8-1	The Copper & Blue
	12 (12)	Nashville Predators	7-7-1	On the Forecheck
	13 (14)	Anaheim Ducks	6-7-2	Battle of California
	14 (13)	St. Louis Blues	5-6-4	St. Louis Game Time
	15 (15)	Minnesota Wild	6-10-0	Hockey Wilderness

Eastern Conference

Biggest Winner: Philadelphia Flyers (+3)

Biggest Loser: Montreal Canadiens (-4)

Eastern Conference Power Rankings
	Rk (Prv)	Team	Record	SB Nation Blog
	1 (2)	Washington Capitals	10-3-4	Japers' Rink
	2 (1)	Pittsburgh Penguins	12-5-0	PensBurgh
	3 (6)	Philadelphia Flyers	9-4-1	Broad Street Hockey
	4 (5)	New Jersey Devils	11-4-0	In Lou We Trust
	5 (3)	Buffalo Sabres	9-4-1	Die By The Blade
	6 (4)	New York Rangers	10-7-1	Blueshirt Banter
	7 (7)	Ottawa Senators	7-5-2	Silver Seven
	8 (8)	Boston Bruins	7-7-2	Stanley Cup of Chowder
	9 (10)	New York Islanders	6-6-5	Lighthouse Hockey
	10 (12)	Tampa Bay Lightning	6-4-5	Raw Charge
	11 (11)	Atlanta Thrashers	7-6-1	Bird Watchers Anonymous
	12 (8)	Montreal Canadiens	8-9-0	Habs Eyes On The Prize
	13 (15)	Toronto Maple Leafs	3-7-5	Pension Plan Puppets
	14 (13)	Florida Panthers	5-9-1	Litter Box Cats
	15 (14)	Carolina Hurricanes	2-11-3	Canes Country

Grading the Nashville Predators Forwards

Brandon Worley — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:35:20 -0000

by Frederick Breedon - AP

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Scott Glennie Talks to Defending Big D

Brandon Worley — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:57:29 -0000

via cdn0.sbnation.com

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Blackhawks Center Dave Bolland To Have Back Surgery

Brandon Worley — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:55:48 -0000

Per the Chicago Blackhawks official Twitter page:

Coach Quenneville after practice: C Dave Bolland to undergo back surgery. Timetable for return will be addressed after surgery.

Bolland has been bothered by a back injury all season, and has missed the past two games and several practices. He had been considered “day-to-day” with the injury, but it appears he and the team have opted for surgery to get his back fully healed. The center has two goals and four assists in 13 games this season.

Scott Glennie Talks to Defending Big D

Brandon Worley — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:32:52 -0000

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Leading up to the NHL Entry Draft in Montreal this summer, we here at Defending Big D spent countless weeks debating which direction the Stars should go with their eight overall pick. There were a number of defensemen that could be available, as well as some tantalizing European scorers. We had some interesting conversation regarding Oliver Ekmann-Larsson, but there was one voice here that kept calling for one name: Scott Glennie.

A few eyebrows were raised when the Stars selected the speedy winger from the Brandon Wheat Kings, but many of the scouts I talked in Montreal were convinced it was a great pick.

Defending Big D recently had the chance to talk to Scott Glennie. He currently has eight goals and 12 assists so far this season for the Wheat Kings, and recently scored a goal and an assist in Brandon's 5-1 victory over Medicine Hat on Saturday.

I'd like to thank the Brandon Wheat Kings and specifically Matt McNish for arranging this interview with Scott.

Interview after the jump.

Are the Dallas Stars keeping in touch with you?

They've been talking to me quite a bit. They just sent their strength and conditioning coach down to Brandon to see me. I also met with Les Jackson down in Lethbridge; they've called me a couple of times. Ever since I was drafted they've been doing a great job of keeping in touch with me.

A lot of fans were looking forward to seeing you on the ice this past training camp; how frustrating was to have to deal with your groin injury?

It was a bit frustrating and a bit disappointing that I didn't get into any exhibition games and didn't get to play with any of the pros. At the same time, I had a great time while I was down there and they treated me well. It was a good environment to be in for myself and again, like I said, it would have been great to play with some of the guys and show fans how I can play. At the same time, just being down there was a good time.

Who did you spend the most time with during training camp.

I was rooming with Matt Climie, I know he's played a couple of games here and there. It wasn't just one guy in general, it was pretty much every guy kinda welcomed me to the team and basically just in the locker room with the guys and you get to know them while you're at the rink. Every guy there treated me very well.

Was it a bit of a shock to go from playing in the juniors to go to training camp with an NHL team?

I think you have to be aware of what's going to be happening once you get drafted and once you got down there. I guess it was a bit of a shock to be sitting in the room with a lot of those guys you grew up watching play hockey. But it didn't take long to get used to it just because of the type of guys they are, all good guys. And you grow up around guys like that, playing in the juniors, so it wasn't that big of a shock after a while.

What are some of the things the Stars have asked you to improve on this season?

I think what they want me to do (and myself) is to get up to an NHL size and then gain extra pounds and get stronger so that I can get to that pro level, and be at the strength of the guys at the pro level.

[Scott Glennie in Montreal after he was drafted, NHL.tv]

Have you been following the Stars much since you've been drafted?

I try to follow them, I look at the website every now and then. You see the highlights every now and then on TSN, but other than that they don't get on many broadcasting stations in Canada, so it's hard to actually watch them play.

The Stars made it a point to draft right-handed wingers in this year's draft. Have you been primarily playing right wing, or have you been playing center at all this season?

I started off playing center when I got here, but right now I'm playing right wing. I'm probably going to stick with that.

You're known as a scorer. Do you see yourself developing into a gritty forward like the Stars have always had, or do you see yourself breaking through as primarily an offensive threat?

Right now I think they drafted me to be an offensive guy, and that's pretty much how I've played my whole life and in the juniors. Right now I can't see myself changing my game at all. They drafted me to score goals for their hockey team.

You were drafted just a few weeks after Marc Crawford was hired. With this new offensive system, do you think it will be more helpful for you, do they talk to you about this system at all?

I think it's going to be a great thing with Marc Crawford there, I know he's a lot more offensive guy than when Tippet was there and he's trying to turn them into a more offensive team. I think that's really going to help me out in the long run.

Who was your biggest influence as a player?

I think when I was younger it was probably Mario Lemieux; I watched him a bit when I was young. He was a great player to watch. I always wore number 66 on my jersey in summer hockey and winter hockey. I always enjoyed watching him.

Are you keeping in touch with any of the players you met in training camp?

Not really, not since I've been back. I've been fairly busy, and I'm sure they have too.

How do you like Brandon's chances at the Memorial Cup this season?

I think we have a good chance. I think right now we just had a good road trip and sooner than later we're gonna come around and start pulling out a bunch of wins. I'm not worried about that at all.

Marc Crawford Shaking Things Up; Steve Ott In Trouble Again?

Brandon Worley — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:00:19 -0000

More photos » by Matt Sayles - AP

Yeah...the Stars need this guy back.

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A couple of quick, interesting notes from today's practice where Marc Crawford had the lines all askew. In the wake of another disappointing loss, the Stars are searching for the perfect combination of players to give the team consistency from game to game. Last week, the Stars had two games where they combined for 87 shots and just four goals; they showed some incredible offensive firepower but the team as a whole is still 1-2-2 in the past five games.

After the jump a glance at the new look the Stars had at practice today, and is Steve Ott in trouble again?

Today at practice, Crawford went with some line combinations we have yet to see:

Crawford had Jamie Benn back on the right wing with Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow and moved Jere Lehtinen down to the Mike Modano line. Lehtinen was playing the right wing, while Fabian Brunnstrom was playing the left wing. Those are two lines Crawford seems intent on keeping going forward.

He had Brian Sutherby on the left wing with Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson, and you have to believe Neal will get his spot back if he is ready to go Thursday. So, what does that mean for the fourth line of Steve Ott-Tom Wandell-Toby Petersen? Where would Sutherby fit?

For those keeping count, here's what the line combos were at practice today:

Sutherby - Richards - Eriksson
Morrow - Ribeiro - Benn
Brunnstrom - Modano - Lehtinen
Ott - Wandell - Petersen

With Crawford seemingly intent on keeping the Ribeiro and Modano lines above going into Thursday's game, there is going to be some interesting decisions to be made once Neal and Barch return. A good problem to have? What lines would you use?

Mike Heika makes a good point that Crawford's desire to keep every player involved in practices and from game to game might be contributing to it's lack of consistency. I'd have to go back and really look at it, but it seems as if the Stars have only played the same lineup two games in a row once or twice this season. While injuries and suspensions have required some maneuvering at times, it would be nice to find a good combination of lines and just ride with them for a few games.

Could Steve Ott be in trouble with the NHL again? It seems that Petr Sykora and the Minnesota Wild claim that Ott hit Sykora in the head with his elbow and he should be suspended. Sykora did not practice today is reportedly suffering from headaches. Here's what Michael Russo has to say:

Wild players all were talking about the hit this morning and how the league "better suspend" Ott. We will see. Unlike Derek Boogaard's elbow last year on Brandon Prust, there wasn't an outcry on this one in Canada, like for instance this link (watch the YouTube) with the broadcaster actually naming what the suspension should be (five games) and then Boogaard amazingly enough getting five games.

Well, Ott took a leaping elbow into the head on Sykora in my opinion. The league allegedly wants to rid head shots, well, then throw the book at Ott, too. Or maybe Stephane Robidas for his textbook boarding on Mikko Koivu last night that was somehow missed.

I'll see if I can find video of the Ott hit on Sykora. Without a clear memory of what happened, I don't have an opinion on what exactly should happen.

In any case, let's just hope it wasn't as bad as the Wild are making it out to be; the next time Ott is suspended it could be for a pretty long time.

According to Scott Clemmensen, It's Not All His Fault

Brandon Worley — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:10:01 -0000

Scott Clemmensen is learning first hand the difficulties that come when you go from a great defensive team to one that..isn’t. Clemmensen, who posted a 2.39 GAA and .917 save percentage in 40 games with New Jersey last season, has struggled mightily in four games with the Panthers (5.13 GAA and .838 save %).

After allowing seven goals against Washington on Saturday, he wasn’t exactly laying the blame on himself either. Here are a few choice quotes from his locker room interview where he calls out his defense and the practice habits of the team:

“A lot of guys walked out front from behind the net so we weren’t protecting the front of the net very well.”

“It was total chaos from my perspective around the net.”

“I’m not sure how it gets so bad at times, you know, but it’s just a matter of knowing your responsibilities.”

“I’m still learning how to play for this team, it’s very different than what I’m used to in the past with New Jersey.”

“The four games that I’ve gotten in for me so far have been just kind of surviving for me.”

The Panthers are allowing a league-high 35.1 shots and 3.60 goals per game. For the entire interview, head over to Litter Box Cats.

2009 Hockey Hall Of Fame Class To Be Inducted Tonight

Brandon Worley — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:15:03 -0000

by Frank Gunn - AP

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Luc Robitaille, Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Lou Lamoriello will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Monday night, live on TSN and the NHL Network at 7 p.m. EST. These are four of the players that defined hockey in the 1990's for me, and were some of the most prolific scorers in the history of the NHL.

Luc Robitaille was drafted in the ninth round of the draft in 1984, a steal for the Los Angeles Kings when most teams passed him up due to questions about his skating ability. He would go on to set scoring records in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before making his debut with Los Angeles in 1986. He spent most of his career with the Kings, sandwiched around stints with Detroit, Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers. He finished his career as the NHL's highest scoring left-winger with 668 goals and 1,394 points. He was also one of the several star NHL players that left their long-time teams to get a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2003.

Steve Yzerman is one of the few players to spend his entire career with one team, playing 22 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings from 1983 to 2006. He was the captain of the team for the majority of that time and led the Wings to a Stanley Cup in 1997, 1998 and 2002. He retired as the 6th highest scorer in NHL history, with 692 goals and 1,755 assists.

SB Nation's Winging It In Motown shares their thoughts on The Captain:

Steve Yzerman is my favorite player of all time and a key reason for why I love hockey so much today. Why? It's not because he's a great leader. Or at one point a scoring machine, who turned into a complete two-way player. It's because he has a high pain threshold and incredible perseverance. He went out and played. Hockey was his escape. Sure, it made the pain worse. But I bet while he was playing, he felt whole again (I bet you during a stoppage in play, it hurt all over again). Winning was Yzerman's ultimate painkiller.

For me, I am still blown away by his performance during the 2002 playoffs when he was in an incredible amount of pain and struggled to walk up the airplane steps during the playoffs yet continued to play. He didn't just play - he led the team in offensive points to win his third Stanley Cup in five years. It inspired the entire Wings' fan base and created plenty of admirers around the league. As someone who has had 10 knee surgeries and has dealt with chronic knee pain since 2003, his performance hit especially close to home and was an inspiration to me when I spent about a year straight on crutches and at physical therapy back in high school.

Blueshirt Banter lists Brian Leetch's accomplishments:

247 goals, 781 assists, 1028 points

Calder Trophy winner for 1988-89 Rookie of the Year.

Two-time Norris Trophy winner.

Still the only American to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

In 1994 he led the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup in 54 years.

Holds a dozen Ranger single season and playoff records.

Former Captain of the Rangers.

Voted "The Greatest Ranger of All-Time" in "100 Ranger Greats"

His Number 2 hangs from the Madison Square Garden rafters.

In Lou We Trust (aptly named) has a great article on New Jersey Devils legend Lou Lamoriello:

If you have what Lou wants, then it doesn't matter if you're an American player who came from the NCAA, a player who didn't develop until after a few pro years in Europe, a former draft pick that wasn't signed, a Canadian who have went through juniors, a Russian player, or a player from anywhere else that came out of any system in the world. It doesn't matter if you're 5'7" or 5'11" or 6'4" or 6'5" - as long as you play big, play with heart, and play with a purpose. Lou will have a use for you in New Jersey and you will find success in New Jersey.

In a results-oriented business, Lou has been exemplary and they speak for themselves. And the loyalty in return is incredible. Here's some examples: David Conte, the long-time Devils director of scouting, has remained with the organization when he could have easily (and still could) been a GM elsewhere. Pat Burns remains with the organization even while surviving cancer on special assignment. Larry Robinson, once fired and once left the head coaching position due to illness, remains on staff as a special assignment coach. Jacques Lemaire came back to New Jersey largely because of Lou. It even works with some Devils players - Brian Rolston turned down many offers to come back to New Jersey a few years back. Bobby Holik left the Devils on bad terms after an arbitration - and had no issues coming back before retiring. John MacLean played for the Sharks, Rangers and the Stars prior to ending his playing career, and yet where did he go afterewards? New Jersey, of course, as now he is a coach (possibly) rising up in the ranks in the organization.

Lou got and continue to has strong people. He is confident in his own path and knows when to make the tough decisions and moves on even if they don't turn out so well. You can't really argue with the results or expect much better than what Lou has done. And the most amazing part is that he's not done yet - he continues to do this to this very day. Even on the NHL Hour, when Gary Bettman asked how he felt about the induction - Lou immediately responded that he'd feel better if his team won on the weekend (which they did). Again, it all goes back to results - completely in line with his philosophies.

Finally, we come to Brett Hull. One of the most polarizing players to take the ice in the NHL, Hull spent the majority of his career in St. Louis, scoring an incredible amount of goals and not winning all that much. He was outspoken and had public bouts with coaches and management, and eventually left via free agency. He would go on to win two Stanley Cups, with Dallas and Detroit, and St. Louis Blues fans have mixed feelings about the Hall of Famer:

Everything about the Golden Brett is melancholy. He was an electric player who brought the Blues to the civic and league forefront. His popularity helped build a modern building for the team. He won a Hart Trophy as league MVP. He joined an elite club of players by scoring 50 goals in 50 games...TWICE.

He also never made it out of the second round of the playoffs. He had his captaincy stripped away. He couldn't click with Wayne Gretzky during his short tenure with the Blues. He alienated management. He liked to have too much of a good time off the ice. When his contract expired, the team let him walk as a free agent instead of trading or attempting to re-sign him.

With Hull, all the good memories are a little tarnished with how it ended. That's kind of the story of this franchise. Make the Stanley Cup Finals for the first few years, get swept each time and then never make it back. The number of players to pass through St. Louis to only play big roles on Cup-winning teams is too depressingly long to recite.

Anyone 20 or younger probably doesn't remember Hull in the Blue Note. They can only watch the clips and read the stories and shake their head at how such a tremendous offensive player could be allowed to leave St. Louis.

Brett Hull to be Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Tonight

Brandon Worley — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:57:24 -0000

Yes, it was a goal.

In just three seasons with the Dallas Stars, Brett Hull made his mark as one of the most important players in franchise history.

With the Stars seemingly on the cusp of greatness, this was a team that needed that one player who could put them over the top, the one that could get them past Colorado and Detroit and into the deep levels of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Bob Gainey had built one hell of a defensive team with Ken Hitchcock as coach, bolstered by several big midseason trades that further strengthened the core of the team. What they were missing was the home-run hitter, a flashy goal-scorer that would provide the offensive firepower to compliment the goaltending and defense.

When he was signed in the summer of 1998, many questioned just how well Hull would fit in with the Stars. He was a loud, brash and outspoken player who was pretty much the hockey equivalent of a wide receiver. He was coming from a team in St. Louis where he was allowed to let loose offensively and rarely asked to play a defensive role. Yet in the Stars' system at the time, he would be held back a bit as the team focused on shutting down the opposition first. This was the same system that transformed Mike Modano from a golden-boy scoring machine into one of the NHL's best two way players, but no one knew how Hull would respond when asked to do the same.

Give Brett Hull credit; not only did he not complain about this new system but he embraced it. While he certainly didn't become Selke candidate with the Stars, Hull played physical and gritty hockey, interspersed with incredible goals. He immediately formed a magical connection with Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen, as they provided the offensive jump the Stars had been missing during the building years that came before. Eleven game-winning goals, a plus-19, 32 goals and 58 points; not anywhere near the big numbers from earlier in his career and far from earth shattering (granted, Hull played in just 60 games that season), but nevertheless the effective scoring the Stars so desperately needed.

And none more important than the Stanley Cup winning goal against Buffalo. We've discussed it plenty, and we've given all of the reasons it was a goal. No matter what your thought might be, it was a great play late in the game by Hull. How fitting is that a player known for his big slapshot and flashy play would score the biggest goal of his game off a tip and rebound from a foot in front of the crease?

Hull would go on to have two more good seasons in Dallas, including leading the team in points in the 2000 playoffs and scoring 40 goals in 2000-2001, before heading off to dreaded Detroit as a free agent. Just like what happened with Pat Verbeek it was hard for me to continue to be a fan of his while he was a Red Wing, especially when he won a Stanley Cup with Detroit. Yet when he retired after a brief stint in Phoenix, he returned right back to being one of my favorite all time players.

There's been talk elsewhere that Brett Hull's #16 should be retired by the Dallas Stars (even though he wore #22 for that first season), and even though Hull did great things in Dallas and Detroit, he will always belong to the St. Louis Blues. His greatest years came in St. Louis and it's unfortunate he could not bring those fans the same glory he enjoyed in Dallas and Detroit. St. Louis Game Time has some mixed thoughts as well:

Everything about the Golden Brett is melancholy. He was an electric player who brought the Blues to the civic and league forefront. His popularity helped build a modern building for the team. He won a Hart Trophy as league MVP. He joined an elite club of players by scoring 50 goals in 50 games...TWICE.

He also never made it out of the second round of the playoffs. He had his captaincy stripped away. He couldn't click with Wayne Gretzky during his short tenure with the Blues. He alienated management. He liked to have too much of a good time off the ice. When his contract expired, the team let him walk as a free agent instead of trading or attempting to re-sign him.

With Hull, all the good memories are a little tarnished with how it ended. That's kind of the story of this franchise. Make the Stanley Cup Finals for the first few years, get swept each time and then never make it back. The number of players to pass through St. Louis to only play big roles on Cup-winning teams is too depressingly long to recite.

Fans had a good reason to be nervous when he joined the Stars, but fortunately he matured and helped lead the Stars to the promised land. He returned to Dallas after he retired to take a job in the front office and spent nearly two seasons as the assistant General Manager. While his push to sign Sean Avery was a certified disaster, he was part of the team that helped build the Stars into what they are now.

Hull will always have a soft spot in the hearts of Dallas fans and it was great to see him grow up as hockey player while playing for the Stars. It was only three seasons, but they were three of the best seasons the Stars have ever had and he was a big part of why that team was great.

Forwards Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and defenseman Brian Leetch will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame tonight. You can catch the ceremony on NHL Network or TSN at 6 p.m. Central.

Dallas Stars Consistently Inconsistent; What's the Cure?

Brandon Worley — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:20:48 -0000

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Let's break this down, shall we?

The Dallas Stars are now 7-4-6 after 17 games. That's not bad, and much better than last season (6-8-3).

The Stars have 20 points, good for 6th in the Western Conference. Not bad, and much better than last season (14th in the West).

The Stars allowing 2.82 goals per game, 15th in the NHL. That's ok, but much better than last season at this point (3.64 goals per game).

The Stars are scoring 3.18 goals per game, 8th in the NHL. That's pretty good and better than last season (2.82).

Seeing a trend here?

The Dallas Stars have been good this season, sometimes great. They've played some complete, tough games against good teams on the road. We've seen some incredible goaltending at times and an offense that can quickly put goals in the net, not to mention an insane amount of shots on goal. The Stars have shown determination and grit while learning a new system under a new coaching staff and have shown that they have the potential to really do some great things on the ice, especially with the number of young forwards the Stars have.

Brad Richards has emerged as the best player on the ice for the Stars and is finally embracing his role as a leader in the locker. Brenden Morrow can't do it all himself and it's starting to look like the pressure is off him a bit to be Superman and he can just get back to being himself. Marty Turco is playing the best he's played in a very long time, and only seems to be gaining more confidence each night. The penalty killing unit has started to get it's feet underneath it and is no longer the liability it was early in the season.

So why is this team so frustratingly inconsistent?

The Stars have won two straight games just once this season, a trend that goes all the way back to March of last season. It's two steps forward, one step back for the Dallas Stars nearly every game as it seems to be that just as the Stars are gaining momentum and getting comfortable in their skates, they hit some adversity they can't overcome.

Last night's game was a good example of this. I didn't think the Stars played bad, and it certainly wasn't a clunker of an effort like we've seen before. But a couple of early penalties put them in a hole they could never completely climb out of, despite eventually tying the game.

"We knew it was going to be a tough go tonight. We got off to a shaky start in the first, but we climbed our way back into the game and did some good things in the second to give us a chance at it," Mike Modano said after the game.

The Stars were going strong in the second period, but Grossman unfortunately knocked the puck in on his own net while doing his best to cover the back end of the net. It wasn't as egregious as the own goal that Eriksson scored off of Nick Shultz earlier in the game, but it killed all of the momentum the Stars had built and gave it right back to the Wild.

The Stars could just never muster a big push in the third period, especially when a Modano penalty negated an early power play.

"We got some penalty problems and discipline issues where we let them get to us, and we were playing catch up for most of the third," said Modano.

So what led to the Stars playing such an up and down game a night after dominating the Canucks at home? Was it the travel and the inability to put any fresh legs on the ice?

Perhaps it was the fact that the team had to adjust to Alex Auld being in net on a quick turnaround; we've talked about the differences between Turco and Auld and how they move the puck and it's obvious the defense has trouble getting to used to the differing styles. We didn't see the big mixups along the boards that have plagued the Stars the last couple of times Auld has started, but it still took the team a while to start cleanly moving the puck in transition. By that time the Stars were down 2-0.

That being said, while we would have liked to have seen Turco back in net after playing so well the night before the Stars are intent on sticking to their plan in net and that's a good thing. We need Turco healthy and rested not just now but in March as well, when the schedule becomes brutal teams are fighting for playoff positioning.

Mike Heika has some good thoughts on the inconsistency with the Stars, and says that the fire the team showed after Morrow's bogus diving penalty is good for the Stars:

So I am locked onto that series of plays near the end of the second period where Brenden Morrow took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for shooting the puck into Minnesota's net as a reaction to what he believed was a a very bad diving call, and Marc Crawford compounded the situation by getting a bench minor for abuse of officials that put the Stars down two men not long after.

Personally, I loved both penalties. I felt calling Morrow for a dive was ridiculous. On the play, Brent Burns had his thigh behind Morrow's legs pushing the legs forward and then pulled his stick across Morrow's neck, pulling it back. It was the perfect high-low football block. He literally picked him up and threw him down. To call a dive on that (especially in the wake of the terribly wrong Nick Grossman delay of game call from Calgary on Wednesday) just shows how bad the officiating in the NHL can be. Morrow should have been mad, he should have taken the additional unsportsmanlkike conduct penalty, and his teammates should have been happy to kill all of it off.

Crawford got whistled for harping at officials on a no-call where Mike Modano was held a few seconds later, and I loved to see that emotion from the fiery coach there, as well. I would have been even happier if Crawford would have let the refs have it on the Morrow call, but I was just happy to see some of the old Crawford come out.

I think we've all been waiting for Crawford to finally let loose, and last night was the first time we saw him get truly riled up behind the bench. One thing I've thought has been missing from the Stars this season was a "don't mess with us" attitude, one that shows that is a team and not just a group of really talented hockey players. It doesn't necessarily have to entail big hits and fights, but at least show some anger when things start going against you and you start to really stick up for each other.

So, is this a loss that the team builds on and gels more as a team? Perhaps, but that's what we were hoping for after the Calgary loss. Yet what we haven't seen is the Stars really come together on a consistent basis night in and night out and be a true team from the top of the roster to the bottom. Despite the loss, we started to see signs of that last night and have been for a few games now. The Stars are still in good shape in the standings and can afford a slight misstep or two, and have done enough good things this season to say that this team has a pretty high ceiling they can reach.

It's not all bad and Stars fans have plenty to be proud of and feel good about moving forward. The Stars are still adjusting to a new system and a new coach and the signs are there that the team is on the cusp of truly grasping this new approach. All we're looking forward to is a little consistency.