| With the injuries mounting Stars coach Dave Tippett
said the team needs players to step up. Right now, he
sees a lot of guys falling down on the job. The result
has been back-to-back brutal losses and Tippett wasn't
pulling any punches after Thursday's 5-1 loss to
Anaheim.
"We're looking for people who are going to compete.
You know what? Some times they have to compete higher
than maybe they are capable of doing," said Tippett. "I
feel like for a month now we've been able to pull some
of those strings and get a guy hot at a certain time and
we mask things over, but the last couple games
there has been no masking. We've got players that aren't
rising to the levels that we need them to be to be
successful.
"The reality is that the level, I'm not sure, is
attainable, but they are thrown in those positions right
now."
Against a Ducks team that has received big
contributions from its young players this season,
Tippett criticized some of his young players for not
rising to the challenge.
"We've got people playing in positions that are
probably over their head. It's a great chance for them
to step up and show something. When you look at our
young players like [Jussi] Jokinen, [Antti] Miettinen,
[Trevor] Daley, they just aren't good enough right now,"
said Tippett. "That's just the bottom line."
As for the game itself, Tippett was not happy with
the penalties the team took. Anaheim scored three goals
off power plays, including their goal of the night.
Stars goalie Marty Turco took a roughing minor that
led to Anaheim's that one. It kicked off what was not a
good night for Turco, who ended up letting in five goals
on 24 shots. Over his last three starts Turco has
allowed 12 goals on 71 shots for a save percentage of
.831.
"He needs to worry about just being the goaltender,"
Tippett said. "He doesn't need to worry about taking
penalties or who is around him. He needs to worry about
his position. Until he starts doing that I think his
game is going to flutter."
The boarding major on Philippe Boucher late in the
second period led to two Anaheim power play goals. That
helped the Ducks take control of what was then a 1-1
game.
"It was a penalty," Tippett said when asked about the
call.
The Stars' penalty killing, which has been awful
lately, isn't helping. It was 3-7 Thursday. It is 32-48
(66.7 percent) over the last ten games.
The penalties, the goaltending and everything else
just added up to a disastrous night for the Stars, who
have lost three straight and five of their last six
games.
"Our margin for error is very slim. If we are going
to give up five goals on 20-something shots and we are
going to take five minute majors that put the other team
on the power play you are going to lose games," Tippett
said.
And the Stars are losing a lot right now and have
been for a long time now. Since that 11-2-0 start the
Stars have now lost 17 of 32 games (15-16-1).
"I am frustrated with losing," said Tippett.
And it's no more Mr. Nice Guy. Tippett, who gave the
team off Wednesday because of what he said was the
team's low energy in Tuesday's loss against Phoenix, is
changing philosophy.
He said the team will be practicing every day and, at
least on Friday, they'll be doing it a little earlier.
Usually the team hits the ice at Noon following a home
game. Friday morning they will be on the ice at ten in
the morning. |
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