SB Nation User Blog: Brandon Worley

Not All Doom & Gloom for Dallas Stars

Brandon Worley — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:02:48 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

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

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

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

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

....

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

Nieuwendyk deserves that patience.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No pressure, Joe.

Defending Big D LIVE with Mike Heika Available For Download

Brandon Worley — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:06:35 -0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

Observations From Giants Stadium

Brandon Worley — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:21:52 -0000

I would have posted this sooner, but I tend to shy away from BTB for a bit following a loss like that. Plus, my Dallas Stars aren't doing much better and I'm lost in a sea of sports-fan depression. At least the Longhorns are doing something.

Anyways, I attended the Cowboys game this weekend at Giants Stadium and thought that I would share a few of my personal observations of the game from a Cowboys fan's perspective, as I fought off drunk New Yorkers for most of the afternoon. I'll keep this simple and brief, and leave the in-depth analysis to the experts.

I've attended a number of games at Giants Stadium, but this was the first time I've tailgated before the game. Nothing like shivering from the cold around a small gas grill as we fight to sufficiently cook teriyaki chicken. At least the beer was cold. What absolutely appalled me however was the way the fans treated the parking lot; I know it's just a parking lot but absolutely nobody tried to use a dumpster. Maybe this is the norm for every stadium, but I couldn't believe the piles and piles of disgusting trash just left all over the parking lot. And I mean PILES.
Giants Stadium is incredibly out of date and small, so I can understand why they're moving. Every time I go there I'm surprised by how freaking hard it is to follow the game.
Along the same lines, they show replays about 30% of the time, and then just once. We were constantly left wondering just what the hell had happened a number of times throughout the game.
The Cowboys played timid on defense. No aggression whatsoever.
The Giants were run-blitzing nearly every down while playing their safeties in cover-2 for most of the game. That's how a QB can compile 1,675 yards in a single game (or whatever ridiculous number Romo had).
At least this game can't be blamed on Tony Romo. Nevertheless, if he had been able to hit Roy for the wide open touchdown with just over three minutes left, there's a great chance we're talking about one of the greatest games ever by a Cowboys QB.
Anthony Spencer is a beast and getting better every game. I know he didn't take the best angle on Jacobs' big run, but it was obvious he was the best defensive player for the Cowboys that game. Not that that's saying much.
Mike Jenkins, you proved me wrong.
Several times throughout the game, several of the Giants fans around me were heard muttering, "Damn Romo is good. He's still a (expletive deleted) though."
Giants fans were celebrating after the game like they had just won the Super Bowl. That hurt. Cowboys fans had to take the walk of shame out of the stadium, as beer, fries and pretzels rained down amid curses and taunts.
There were an incredible amount of Cowboys fans there.

Finally, keep your head's up guys. Still four games left and the season is far from lost.

Game Day Thread: Dallas Stars @ Anaheim Ducks

Brandon Worley — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:39:21 -0000

Game 30: Dallas Stars @ Anaheim Ducks

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 · 9:00 p.m. CT

Honda Center - Anaheim, California

TV: FS-SW | Radio: 1310 The Ticket

Stars vs Ducks coverage | Anaheim Calling

SB Nation's NHL Power Rankings, Week 10: Explosive Offense Propels Capitals to No. 1

Brandon Worley — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:04:39 -0000

by Matt Slocum - AP

4 days ago: Washington Capitals' Nicklas Backstrom, from left, of Sweden, Dave Steckel, Mike Green and Alexander Semin, of Russia, celebrate after Steckel's goal against Philadelphia Flyers goalie Brian Boucher in the third period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, in Philadelphia. Washington won 8-2. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

View full size photo »

After a couple of weeks away from No. 1 spot in our rankings, the Washington Capitals are back where they've been for most of the season. With Alex Ovechkin out due to a two-game suspension (and knee injury), the Capitals outscored their opponents a combined 14-4 in two games. Ovi was back on the ice on Monday night; the Capitals shut-out the Lightning and have now won six in a row.

Surprise of the week: After inexplicably being left out of the top ten last week, the Kings are back in the No. 7 spot.

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	4	Washington Capitals	19-5-6	The Capitals just keep rolling, with or without Alex Ovechkin.
	2	1	San Jose Sharks	19-7-5	The Western Conference leaders have won just five of their last ten games.
	3	2	Chicago Blackhawks	18-7-3	Kris Versteeg put the finishing touches on a defining OT win over the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
	4	5	Pittsburgh Penguins	20-10-1	Sidney Crosby posted a ridiculous 11 points in three games before taking a night off for a nagging injury - a night that cost the Pens an extra point in OT.
	5	3	New Jersey Devils	20-7-1	Congratulations, Martin Brodeur.
	6	6	Calgary Flames	18-8-3	The Flames scored just four goals last week, as they went 1-2-0 in three straight close games.
	7	-	Los Angeles Kings	18-10-1	The Kings have their sights set on division-leading San Jose, now just four point back from the Sharks.
	8	7	Buffalo Sabres	16-9-2	The Sabres have slowed down now, going 4-5-1 in their last ten games.
	9	10	Boston Bruins	15-9-5	It was feast of famine for the Bruins this week, with two combined wins by eight goals and a demoralizing 5-1 loss to rival Montreal.
	10	9	Atlanta Thrashers	15-9-3	Two losses in the past three games have dampered enthusiasm a bit.

Eastern Conference

Biggest Winner: None.

Biggest Loser: Philadelphia Flyers (-3)

Eastern Conference Power Rankings
	Rk (Prv)	Team	Record	SB Nation Blog
	1 (2)	Washington Capitals	19-5-6	Japers' Rink
	2 (3)	Pittsburgh Penguins	20-10-1	PensBurgh
	3 (1)	New Jersey Devils	20-7-1	In Lou We Trust
	4 (4)	Boston Bruins	15-9-5	Stanley Cup of Chowder
	5 (6)	Buffalo Sabres	16-9-2	Die By The Blade
	6 (5)	Atlanta Thrashers	15-9-3	Bird Watchers Anonymous
	7 (7)	Ottawa Senators	14-10-4	Silver Seven
	8 (8)	Tampa Bay Lightning	11-10-8	Raw Charge
	9 (10)	New York Islanders	11-11-7	Lighthouse Hockey
	10 (11)	New York Rangers	14-14-1	Blueshirt Banter
	11 (13)	Montreal Canadiens	14-14-2	Habs Eyes On The Prize
	12 (9)	Philadelphia Flyers	13-13-1	Broad Street Hockey
	13 (12)	Florida Panthers	11-13-6	Litter Box Cats
	14 (14)	Toronto Maple Leafs	9-13-7	Pension Plan Puppets
	15 (15)	Carolina Hurricanes	7-17-5	Canes Country

Western Conference

Biggest Winner: Colorado Avalanche (+4)

Biggest Loser: Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars (-3)

Western Conference Power Rankings
	Rk (Prv)	Team	Record	SB Nation Blog
	1 (1)	Chicago Blackhawks	18-7-3	Second City Hockey
	2 (2)	San Jose Sharks	19-7-5	Fear The Fin
	3 (3)	Calgary Flames	18-8-3	Matchsticks and Gasoline
	4 (5)	Los Angeles Kings	18-10-3	Battle of California
	5 (9)	Colorado Avalanche	17-9-6	Mile High Hockey
	6 (7)	Phoenix Coyotes	18-11-1	Five For Howling
	7 (4)	Nashville Predators	16-11-2	On the Forecheck
	8 (8)	Detroit Red Wings	14-10-5	Winging It In Motown
	9 (6)	Dallas Stars	13-8-8	Defending Big D
	10 (10)	Vancouver Canucks	16-13-0	Nucks Misconduct
	11 11)	Columbus Blue Jackets	13-11-5	The Cannon
	12 (12)	St. Louis Blues	12-11-5	St. Louis Game Time
	13 (14)	Minnesota Wild	13-13-3	Hockey Wilderness
	14 (15)	Edmonton Oilers	13-13-4	The Copper & Blue
	15 (13)	Anaheim Ducks	10-13-6	Battle of California

Vote For Defending Big D in Round Two of the Stars Blog-Off

Brandon Worley — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:10:29 -0000

Vote For Defending Big D in Round Two of the Stars Blog-Off

Defending Big D has made it to Round Two of the Dallas Stars blog-off, and is neck and neck with Cole Jones' site, The Other 6 Seconds. Let's show the NHL Arena the POWER of our great community and destroy Cole's joke of a blog.

In case anyone even thinks otherwise, I was joking. Cole's great.

Around The Pacific: Kings, Coyotes & Stars Holding Steady

Brandon Worley — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:36:59 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

Browse more photos »

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

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

A detailed look at the division after the jump.

Pacific Standings

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

(updated 12.7.2009 at 9:14 AM EST)

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

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

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

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

And now we move on.

Sharks Schedule

Next 5 Games

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

Last 5 Games

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

San Jose Sharks Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

Leading Scorer:

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

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

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

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

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

Kings Schedule

Next 5 Games

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

Last 5 Games

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

Los Angeles Kings Injuries

Probable

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

Questionable

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

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

Leading Scorer:

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

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

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

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

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

Coyotes Schedule

Next 5 Games

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

Last 5 Games

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

Phoenix Coyotes Injuries

Questionable

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

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

Lead Scorer:

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

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

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

This is Anaheim Calling to the hockey world.

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

Ducks Schedule

Next 5 Games

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

Last 5 Games

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

Anaheim Ducks Injuries

Questionable

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

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

Leading Scorer:

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

Dallas Stars Recall Ivan Vishnevskiy; Place Karlis Skrastins on IR

Brandon Worley — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:00:46 -0000

More photos » by JACK DEMPSEY - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Full press release after the jump.

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

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

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

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

Penguins' Sidney Crosby Out Saturday Night Vs. Blackhawks With Sore Groin

Brandon Worley — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:46:28 -0000

by Winslow Townson - AP

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Vancouver and Washington Olympic Previews

Brandon Worley — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:21:59 -0000

Vancouver Canucks - Nucks Misconduct

Pack Your Bags & Walk To Work

Roberto Luongo (Canada) - Let's get the big one out of the way. The meltdown that was the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino left a bad taste in Lui's mouth. Everyone knows he's been eying these winter games in his own city like a fat kid froths at a cake from 100 yards off. Let the haters hate on him, but he's a lock and we all know it. But the starter? Probably not. Brodeur is still the pony to bet on and his November numbers were ridiculous (8-2-1, 1.67 GAA, .939 S%). Expect Luongo to pass Fleury and be Canada's #2 man between the pipes.

Daniel Sedin (Sweden) - I don't think any other team can offer what Vancouver offers Sweden: an entire scoring line. Daniel had four points in eight games in 2006. And unlike in Vancouver, Daniel won't necessarily have to shoulder the offensive load with guys like Alfredsson, Backstrom, Eriksson, Zetterberg and Holstrom around. And I didn't even have to mention that Forsberg character either.

Henrik Sedin (Sweden) - Yeah, see above. Same deal with points from 2006. Creepy.

Washington Capitals - Japers' Rink

Pack Your Bags

Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin (Russia)

Ovechkin has represented Russia in at least 80 international matches (including eight in the 2006 Turin Olympics), and Semin brings another 50 games of international experience to the table. The two were instrumental in Russia's gold medal win on Canadian soil in the 2008 IIHF World Championship, both finishing in the top six in the tourney in scoring. The only thing that can keep the pair from hunting for a loonie to dig out of the ice in Vancouver is injury.

Nicklas Backstrom (Sweden)

Only three Swedish NHLers have more points than Backstrom since the Caps pivot made his NHL debut, and he'll play an important role in Sweden's bid to repeat as Olympic champs.