Dallas Stars

[NoWayOut]

And the first rookie D to head back to Cedar Park is, Jokipakka. Also Horcoff was placed on IR retroactive to the 29th so Brett Ritchie likely has one or even two more after tonight to make his case for staying up. It should be noted that Moen was a healthy scratch for several games prior to Horcoff's illness and Ritchie's call up so the Stars have no qualms with parking his butt in the pressbox. The puck is on Ritchie's stick....

[NoWayOut]

We're going to need bigger sin bins in Dallas after the Wild lose their cool and their minds. To say that they haven't handled adversity well tonight is an understatement. Vern Fiddler doing everything, scoring goals and kicking ass.

[vonderpibe]

And the first rookie D to head back to Cedar Park is, Jokipakka. Also Horcoff was placed on IR retroactive to the 29th so Brett Ritchie likely has one or even two more after tonight to make his case for staying up. It should be noted that Moen was a healthy scratch for several games prior to Horcoff's illness and Ritchie's call up so the Stars have no qualms with parking his butt in the pressbox. The puck is on Ritchie's stick....

Another goal and assist for Ritchie tonight. Looks like he's making some kind of case for himself, at least. It would be nice to see him play a few more games.

[NoWayOut]

Another goal and assist for Ritchie tonight. Looks like he's making some kind of case for himself, at least. It would be nice to see him play a few more games.

He took it up another notch tonight. The extra time to get prepped showed. He is making it very, VERY hard on Lindy and Nill to send him back down. He excelled in all aspects again. The pass to set up Fiddler's second goal was a beauty. The way he pulled the puck out from behind the net on the backhand and deftly swung to his forehand for the shot was also something to behold. Very slick. He's also a handful to move once he makes up his mind to stand his ground. The Wild played merry hell trying to dislodge him from the front of the net and he's a handful along the boards as well. It would seem like Travis Morin will be headed back to Austin/Cedar Park before Ritchie. I'd tell Morin to keep a plate of good Franklin BBQ warm for Ritchie but the way he's going he won't be down there to enjoy it anyway soon.

[NoWayOut]

To add to that we saw that Jim Nill is not shy about making trades to open ice time for deserving rookies, Klingberg. Heika has said in his columns and weekly chats that Nill is always looking, has feelers out, and states frequently that the Stars are far from done dealing. I'm not saying they're going to go out tonight and move a forward to make room, but if Ritchie stays up for a couple of weeks and keeps playing at something like this pace, this well, you can't rule out some moves to open him a spot. Still it's too early to get all giddy and say he's here to stay, but damn he's being awful persuasive....

[NoWayOut]

That was an emphatic win and in the division again. Two in a row now against the Central, and a chance tonight to make it three. Obviously tonight's test is the big one, but if they keep on like this they have a shot. The Stars are peaking at an opportune time, what with the game in Chicago counted three of the next four are against central division teams, and the two front runners at that. Exciting times for the Stars.

-Once again the Stars got contributions up and down the lineup, with the notable exception of the Spezza line. So that's where Vern Fiddler found that second goal.....

-If you started Stu Dickel, I mean Bic....no I meant Dickel, and/or Jason Demers congrats, you just won last nights PIM sweepstakes. That little dustup after Ryan Carter's shove on Daley was likely better than last night's UFC bout. Damn sure more entertaining. I mean who really gives a flying <expletive> about the UFC, there's no hockey involved. Fighting is pointless without small circular bits of vulcanized rubber flying about at ludicrous speeds. Back on topic, Bickel picked up a staggering 39 minutes, 37 on the scrum alone. Demers was an underachiever by those standards with a mere 15 minutes, but a sweet body slam on the aforementioned Bickel. One of the best visuals from the game was a completely unhinged Vern Fiddler trading shots with Carter.

-Brett Ritchie welcome to Dallas. Kick your feet up, grab a beer....make yourself at home.

-I saw the most amazing sight. I could hardly believe it. So unexpected it was that I had to rewind and double check again to make sure I actually saw it....Jason Spezza actually made some good defensive plays. I know I'm as shocked that I typed that as you are to read it. But it happened. And I saw it. And no I wasn't drunk, not even buzzed. Should have recorded those moments for posterity but I was so stunned I never thought to do it. Just to be on the safe side I'm calling the eye doctor and scheduling an appointment.....you know....just make sure the old peepers are functioning properly....

-Earlier I mentioned Fiddler. He loves him some Wild, three of his four goals this season have come against Minnesota.

-Once again the Stars were rock solid in every aspect of the game. For the most part aside from one or two shorthanded chances in the first period I don't think the Wild ever got a clean exit out of their end of the ice all night. The Stars have really dialed up an aggressive and very effective forecheck. Their backchecking well, their winning puck battles, one on one battles. That ugly second period in Edmonton and the Leafs game stand in stark contrast to what the Stars have done since the game in Vancouver. And finally Ruff is being patient and consistent with the lines and we're left to bask in this run we're on. There will still be bumps in the road, but if they can keep those from getting them rattled they are a long way from out of this thing yet. They sit 8 points back of St. Louis for third in the division with two games in hand, so that avenue isn't entirely cutoff. More importantly at the moment they sit a mere 4 back of 8th place San Jose, and 6 back of division rival Winnipeg. And like St. Louis, the Stars have two games in hand on Winnipeg. Don't look now but things are getting a whole lot more interesting.

[Instant Karma]

Gaaa F'in' Sharpie!!!

[Daydream Nation]

Gaaa F'in' Sharpie!!!

Lehtonen was awful!

[NoWayOut]

Lehtonen was awful!

The score was 5-4.....they were both awful!

[Daydream Nation]

The score was 5-4.....they were both awful!

Have you watched the game yet? Lehtonen's last 2 goals were softies. Maybe I wouldn't be bitter if I hadn't started Lehtonen and he caused me to lose the week.

Cole's redirect in the 3rd was awesome.

[NoWayOut]

Have you watched the game yet? Lehtonen's last 2 goals were softies. Maybe I wouldn't be bitter if I hadn't started Lehtonen and he caused me to lose the week.

Cole's redirect in the 3rd was awesome.

Just past the 12:00 minute mark of the 2nd. I just couldn't resist getting dig back at ya. While it sucks we didn't the W, we gave as good as we got, so there is some small consulation.

[NoWayOut]

Last night on break I snuck a peek at the score and my reaction then was all....



But after having sat down and watched the game, I've got to say we deserved to win that one. No disrespect to the Hawks but outside of the first 8-10 minutes of the game we matched 'em and on several occasions bested them. No sour grapes though. The bounces went their way at the end, and once again we're Charlie Brown trying to kick the football and Lucy yanked it away at the last split second. But man were we ever close to finally getting it before she tricked us yet again. Lots of promising signs in spite of the loss in the way they played. Never once did I see them get rattled when Chicago pushed back. All in all, disappointing, check. Yet encouraging, double check. I mean how many times have we seen the Stars come out flat, lifeless, just going through the motions in these second games only to get blown out, humiliated? More than any of us would ever care to count. So I say at least we gave as good as we got and take the point, and then take it out on Columbus, Nashville, and Colorado.

-I watched and re-watched that Richards goal and I still can't figure out how or where that got by Kari. I can't prove it but I'd swear that caught a piece of him as he came back to cover that short-side post. From that angle it almost had to. In the end it's all an exercise in futility.

The Sharp goal was the killer to me, hit Kari in the chest and before he could pinch his arm in to hold it, it drops, hits the back of his leg and bounces in. Just a matter of inches. If if's and but's were candy and nuts Kari would have been six inches or a foot to his right and it would have hit him center mass, easy save. But.....it didn't. Suck it up sunshine and move on.

-And the same could be said for Eakin missing that gift from Crawford, just a matter of inches. Misadventures in Puckhandling 101 by Prof. Corey Crawford. I'll give props to Crawford for the effort to pull his own fat out of the fire. Can't help wondering what might have been if that had only been Seguin with the puck there.....

-I'd love an explanation from the league as to why all three games for the Stars in Chicago come as the second games of back-to-backs? Why not have one of those three back-to-backs in Dallas? Maybe some enterprising soul can look at it and see how many opponents come into Chicago on the second game of back-to-backs. I've thought on couple of occasions this season that Chicago seems to draw a lot of opponents, home and road both, that are on the back end of B2B's. I guess when your on top you get perks like that. Or maybe it's paranoid delusions. If it is the former, Mr. Bettman we will demand the same perks when, not if, when we ascend to our rightful throne in the not too distant future.

-And once again where it concerns the Stars, the zebras swallow their whistles. Zero power play opportunities. Only three for Chicago so they weren't whistle happy, but I don't buy that the Hawks were perfect little angels either. This isn't a Chicago-Dallas thing, this is an us vs them, Stars vs The Zebras, Stars vs The NHL thing. I think it stems from the undisciplined play earlier in the season, such that the refs are predisposed to call close plays against Dallas and be more stingy on calling penalties against their opponents. Once again maybe it's paranoid delusion, but it just looks like the Stars have to play it cautious while their opponents get to take more liberties. Maybe they just have the bad luck to draw the dumber, more visually impaired zebras. Of course we could add 20 pages to this thread just discussing the abysmal officiating in the NHL in general at the moment.

Anyway those our my thoughts, make of them what you will.

[NoWayOut]

PHT with what each of the teams currently on the outside looking in would theoretically need to make the playoffs....

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2...he-postseason/

I'll give you a sneak peak at the final stanza....

On that note, plenty of interesting stories in that final group. Imagine if the Bruins or Wild miss the playoffs. Imagine if the Flames or Panthers make them. The Stars, meanwhile, are only in that group today thanks to a 9-2-1 run in their last 12.

That bolded part really !@#$ing pi$$es me off. The Flames and Panthers are interesting and the Stars are, oh yeah by the way there's this bunch. I had an expletive deleted laced rant typed out but took a minute to cool off before posting it. Still that rankles. To dismiss the Stars like that, to hint that you believe they don't belong in that top group, no. I don't know if that's the way the author meant it, and if not my apologizes, but.....arrgghhh! If he did mean that way, I hope the Stars see it and it pi$$es them off as much as it does me and motivates them.

Ok it's back to the laid back, mellow, fun loving NWO.

[NoWayOut]

Late getting going here, but away we go.

Well I had one question answered, how would Ruff respond after the loss vis-a-vis the line combos? He has shown in the past after a loss, no matter how they played he would shuffle lines. Happily he didn't see the need to freak out and start juggling. Same lines the Stars have used for the last few games.

Benn - Seguin - Sceviour
Cole - Spezza - Hemsky
Roussel - Eakin - Garbutt
Moen - Fiddler - Ritchie

Goligoski - Klingberg <- or as the fools Sunday night kept calling him, Klingman. Thankfully Ralph and Razor are back on the job tonight.
Oleksiak - Daley
Benn - Demers

Lindback

We finally get to see if Lindback has found his game or if we're in for another Anders trainwreck. Plenty of praying going on over here. I'm cautiously optimistic given how well the team has played defensively of late, but like most Stars fans I can't help being a bit nervous.

And from the no surprise dept., Travis Morin was sent back to Cedar Park. As Mike Heika pointed out in his chat today, Morin is best served as a top six offensive center, but with the Stars depth down the middle there's just no place for him in either the top or bottom six.

Speaking of Heika's weekly chat here's a link to the recap for those who haven't read it....

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dal...-yours-now.ece

[NoWayOut]

The stellar defensive stylings of Ales Hemsky.....



courtesy of @emorton78


Hey Ales, how about doing that in front of the masked man in white on the other end of the ice?