Dallas Stars

[NoWayOut]

Love watching this team, but there's no way they're contending for the cup come playoff time haha. Same old problems.

What do you mean 'same old problems'. For one night they morphed back into last season's Stars. The biggest issue they have right now is not defensive breakdowns and night after night of crappy play from their goalies, it's trying to be flashy and show off. They are making too many risky plays trying to exit their end of the ice and setting the table for their opponents. They started out the season being much more controlled and conservative in the play and decision making, they just need to get back to playing that way.

But it's also part of the process. For so long the Stars didn't know what success truly felt like, now they're getting a taste of it, a taste, and it's kind of going to their heads. That's where the ex-Hawks are going to play a big role. Neimi and Sharp have been through this before and will be valuable teachers. They know where the Stars are coming from as a team, not just because they're division rivals, but because the Hawks were there not so many years ago and they were part of making that transformation happen.

Sorry Blayze, but that 'same old problems' isn't true. This is new season, a new Stars team, and it's fairly simple easy fixes to get them back on track.

[Instant Karma]

Love watching this team, but there's no way they're contending for the cup come playoff time haha. Same old problems.

This^ would seem to be a bit of a knee-jerk. Were you thinking the opposite after the comeback win over the Wild on Saturday night?

NWO is exactly right, except he left out the value of having a competent PP QB to help out Benn-Sequin.

[NoWayOut]

Looks like Lehtonen starts tonight. Demers isn't taking part in the optional skate today, so he probably scratches, though the Stars are saying his injury wasn't as bad as initially feared. He's day-to-day for now. With no formal morning skate it looks like the same lineup again...who is this new patient guy who looks just like Lindy Ruff? His evil twin? Or maybe this is the good twin? Maybe after the last few games with all the sloppy play it's time for some old fashioned Ruffling of the lines to get them refocused?

[Big Ev]

This^ would seem to be a bit of a knee-jerk. Were you thinking the opposite after the comeback win over the Wild on Saturday night?

NWO is exactly right, except he left out the value of having a competent PP QB to help out Benn-Sequin.

I agree with Blayze. You also can't rely on Spezza to do anything in the playoffs or stretch run against good teams

[newfcollins]

Just reading this thread for the last week to 10 days shows why Blayze thinks it may be the same old Stars.

Where I think the dumb aspect comes in here is the timing. Taking a penalty in a close game where you only have to kill off 5 or 6 minutes and walk out with a win. I agree you can't allow liberties to be taken, but the time for sending that message is earlier in the game. Better there to restrain yourself and let the other guy get the penalty and give you the PP to salt it away. That is one area where I think Jamie has improved, drawing penalties.

Nights like this happen anytime your that generous with turnovers. Seven goals for Ottawa and 6 were the direct result of a Stars turnover, and the one that wasn't was a fluke bounce off the boards into the empty net. Dallas was all discombobulated from the jump.

It won't show on the scoresheet, but Klingberg has three points tonight. Two assists on the PP goals and one on a horrible, ill-advised no-look-behind-the-back centering pass deep in the Stars end. Daniel Sedin with the easy goal.

Still having issues with turnovers as a team, but Niemi has been electric so far. Not that he was as bad against the Sens as the stats say, he was put in positions just like the Sedin goal tonight where unless your vintage Roy in his prime your just hung out to dry.

Klinger has had a couple of games to forget lately.

If the Stars would just settle down and play disciplined they would be walking all over these jokers. But for the third straight game the Stars have been their own worst enemy.

Okay a couple of deep breaths here. I don't necessarily think the Stars are being outplayed as much as they are being outsmarted.

It's time for this team to get taken out back and have their heads thumped. For like the fourth or fifth game in a row too many unforced turnovers, and just like Ottawa it bit hard. Safe to say Ruff is peeling the paint off the locker room walls right about now. There is no excuse for this loss especially the way they dominated the opening period.

[NoWayOut]

I agree with Blayze. You also can't rely on Spezza to do anything in the playoffs or stretch run against good teams

We'll see when that time comes, but so far Spezza has not been as bad as advertised.

As for as the same old problems argument goes we'll agree to disagree. The Stars have improved across the board defensively. Last season they finished tied for 26th in GA with Toronto. Currently they are 16th, and were up to 10th prior to this 4 or 5 game stretch of careless puck handling. I'm not going to sit here and say they are among the league's defensive elite, they aren't, but they are not the same old Stars. They are an improving defense and undoubtedly Nill will dial up a trade or two to augment the D as we get closer to the trade deadline, book it.

And I know the argument that most doubters are going to throw out, the Stars only win because of that high-octane offense. Well to them I say this, the Stars were in the top-3 in offense last season and look where they finished. If this was the same old Stars they'd still be hunting win #10. They didn't get their 10th until Dec. 6 last season, they also didn't get #19 until Jan 13th. All that with essentially the same offense. What's change from then to now....hmmm....I wonder....

[NoWayOut]

Just reading this thread for the last week to 10 days shows why Blayze thinks it may be the same old Stars.

Ahh, but the difference is these issues they are fighting lately aren't related to poor coverage as has been the case in the past. Right now they want to go out there and put on a show and it's causing them to make poor decisions with the puck which in turn is leading them to set up the other team with golden opportunities. Over the past few seasons they have suffered from lapses in coverage in their end, often they'd get caught up puck watching or over-pursuing the puck carrier and have two or three players out of place on defense which led to the inevitable results.

All they have to do right now is get back to the controlled style they used in the first 20 or so games and they will have fewer of these embarrassing moments. Sure there will be some bad games here and there, they are still a work in progress, but I still contend they aren't the same old Stars with the same old problems.

[NoWayOut]

Quiet week ahead for the Stars with only Tuesday night's game with Carolina before they get another back-to-back next weekend.

In spite of the loss it's not all bad, 6 of a possible 8 points on the road trip. Sure they very easily could have had all 8, but could just as easily come away with 4. That's the mark of an improving team, last season they would have gotten the 4 instead or even 2. What can you say about last night other than they lost to a hot goalie. That kind of effort will more often than not result in two points.

[NoWayOut]

Don't look now, but Big Val is stating his case for sticking with Benn and Seguin. Beauty of a cross-over with him and Benn. Val creating space then the drop to Benn. Surprised he didn't get the goal and that third one, sure look like he deflected it.


https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CVv5cGeWoAEv7qI.mp4

[NoWayOut]

Owen Newkirk ‏@OwenNewkirk 40s40 seconds ago
In previous 3 GP, Klingberg-Benn-Seguin combined for just 1 point (goal). Tonight they have combined for 7 points (2 G, 5 A) in 1st period!


Nothing like a shot of vitamin C(am Ward) for what ails your scorers.

[larrylintz]

crap, what a night. My best scorer Hoffman is suddenly in the doghouse and gets benched and off pp#1, and now Sharp loses all his pp time to Eaves????? I assume he's in ruff's doghouse too?

[blayze]

Yup, same old Stars

[Big Ev]

That's ****ing bullshit that they took out lehtonen so late. This stars team is going nowhere

[rataylor22]

That's ****ing bullshit that they took out lehtonen so late. This stars team is going nowhere

It's bullshit they pulled the guy who let in 5 goals?

This FIRST PLACE IN THE NHL Stars are going no where?

Lol, ok Ev

[Big Ev]

It's bullshit they pulled the guy who let in 5 goals?

This FIRST PLACE IN THE NHL Stars are going no where?

Lol, ok Ev

Yeah it is when the game was almost over. Why bother? Niemi was cold as hell.

And yeah I don't see them going far in the playoffs no matter where they are in the conference, especially if they don't pick a #1 goalie and ride with him. They have poor defense and their stars aren't going to score as they are right now. I couldn't care less about their position right now. And before you say it, no I don't see the Sens going far in the playoffs either.