Jokinen out 2-3 weeks

Jussi Jokinen has a sprained knee. Grade 2 sprain is what they are calling it. He is probably out 2-3 weeks.

31 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Iowa update: Pushkarev returns

For those of you who follow the happenings in Iowa, forward Konstantin Pushkarev is back with the team. He is in the lineup this evening as Iowa takes on the Houston Aeros in Des Moines. You may recall that Pushkarev left the team earlier in the season to return home to Russia to play. The timing is good. James Neal hurt his knee in a game yesterday afternoon. MRI results are pending. Perttu Lindgren is out with a tooth issue. Aaron Gagnon (shoulder) and Tom Wandell (ribs) are sidelined too.

31 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Predators watch

Nashville comes into town a bit banged up. They'll be missing Shea Weber and Ryan Suter on the blue line and David Legwand (upper body) and Radek Bonk (foot) are questionable. The Predators have had their ups and downs this season. They've won three of five, but that followed a five-game losing streak. They've struggled to score and recently their goaltending has been inconsistent. The Predators have taken a step back with a lot of the ownership issues surrounding the team, Detroit is strong as ever and St. Louis, Chicago and Columbus are all better teams. That's left Nashville in the basement of an improved Central Division.

Dave Tippett said after yesterday's practice he expects a good push from the Predators.

"Nashville is going to be a very hungry team. They got beat again [5-2 by San Jose] Saturday night. They've been up and down a little bit, so you know they are going to be hungry," he said.

Preds won the first meeting in Nashville 5-1 back on October 6. But that was a long time ago.

31 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Red Wings fun facts

With the Stars set to play against the Red Wings a couple times this week, here are some fun facts about the Red Wings. I posted these on the message board in response to this post.

They are 6-6-2 against teams in their division this year.
They are 23-1-1 against teams in all over divisions, including 18-1-1 against the Pacific and Northwest this season.
The only non-Central team to beat them in regulation is Anaheim.
The only non-Central team to beat them in OT/SO is Edmonton.

30 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Jokinen out, Norstrom in

Jussi Jokinen is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday and the Stars will know more about his knee injury then. He did not practice and is out for now. There will be more news tomorrow. Defenseman Mattias Norstrom, who has missed the last three games with a knee injury, went through a full practice today and is good to go for Monday as long as there is no setback between now and then.

30 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Thoughts on the Stars from Denver

I caught this little blurb on the Stars in this morning's Denver Post and thought I would share. It's down a ways in Terry Frei's NHL column:

One of the most bizarre developments of the season has been the Dallas Stars' revival following the Nov. 13 firing of general manager Doug Armstrong.

At the time, the Stars were 7-7-3. Heading into the weekend, Dallas was 15-5-1 since the firing, and the Stars have jumped to the top of the Pacific Division.

It doesn't validate the firing. It illustrates the folly of the scapegoating move, which at least was a variation on the usual fire-the-coach strategy.

Armstrong built the team, and this course correction was inevitable. His firing wasn't a jump-start. It was a blatant overreaction, undoubtedly at least partially the product of intraoffice politics.

30 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

When things are going your way....

... things just seem to fall into place sometimes. That's the way it is with the Stars right now. I don't think they played particularly well on Saturday. They blew a two-goal lead. They gave up a late goal to force OT. I thought there were some stretches where the Blues really took it to them. But I am not going to read too much into one game, especially when they still come away with two points and when they are on a pretty strong run here.

Dave Tippett didn't appear to excited with the level of play Saturday and he shouldn't be. They could have easily come away with no points in that one. But they found a way to win. Good teams do that. Even when they don't play particularly well, they can still find a way to pull out the victory. The Stars did that Saturday. I take that as a positive. We'll see how they play Monday against Nashville.

It was a highly entertaining game. Eight total goals. Great performance by Paul Kariya. The overtime was very exciting. It was a pretty good show from an entertainment standpoint. They've had a few sellouts here over the holidays and they've put on some good shows and they've won. That's a positive too.

Not sure how serious the injury to Jussi Jokinen is. Time will tell. It's a knee, so who knows. It looks like Mattias Norstrom is getting close. He might be ready to go on Monday or maybe not.

30 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Blues Watch

The Blues come into town today in a bit of a funk. They are winless in three and have been shutout in their last two. They have just two wins in their last nine games (2-5-2). I watched them last night against the Sharks. The Blues competed hard, but ended up losing 1-0. Milan Michalek scored with about three minutes left to win the game for San Jose. Nabokov was sharp in net and the Blues missed on a five-on-three, which was key. St. Louis was down two defenseman (Barret Jackman and Bryce Salvador) and Andy McDonald was out too with pulled muscle in his chest. He is day-to-day.

The Sharks won their eighth straight game on the road and are now 14-3-2 away from home this season. They are three points behind the Stars with a game in hand. They play in Nashville tonight. The Ducks, who are 4-0-1 since Scott Niedermayer's return, are in Calgary tonight. Anaheim is five points behind the Stars and have played one more game.

It's still pretty tight. Last season at this point the Ducks had a 12 point lead on San Jose and a 14 point lead on the Stars and look how tight it was at the end. There is a long way to go and a lot of hockey to be played not just as far as the division standings but in the conference as well.

29 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Practice update

Not much out of practice today. Dave Tippett's extension was the big news. Most of the players had no idea about it. They found out when they were asked for comment. "Oh, they did?," Stu Barnes said when asked. Brenden Morrow thought they had already been extended. Mike Modano didn't know, but he appeared preoccupied with watching a 1986 Minnesota North Stars - St. Louis Blues game on the NHL Network.

Tippett didn't say much about the extension but he did talk about the fact that the coaching staff does see things different ways.

"We need people that have different opinions, people that have different views on the game and on each player," Tippett said. "If everybody is saying the same thing then we are missing out on something."

I am board with that. If everybody has the same view and agrees on everything, I'd be really concerned. Differing views and debate are good things as the decision process takes place. Once the decision is made on the course to be taken, then everyone jumps on board and pulls in the same direction. People make way too much of disagreements or differing views. It's a healthy thing.

Some other practice nots. Line combinations and defensive pairings looked the same as the last game. Not much need to shake up things after that one, eh? Goalie decision will come tomorrow. Mattias Norstrom practiced a bit and is moving forward on the knee injury. He is still day-to-day.

28 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Coaches get extension

Tippett and others get extension. Ulf Dahlen is going to wait on the one that was offered to him. Here is the release.

The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has extended the contract for Head Coach Dave Tippett through the 2008-09 season. Tippett’s contract was set to expire on June 30, 2008. In addition, the Stars announced that Associate Coach Rick Wilson and Assistant Coach Mark Lamb have also signed extensions through the 2008-09 season. Each of the current contracts of the Stars’ associate/assistant coach were due to expire on June 30, 2008. Current Assistant Coach Ulf Dahlen was offered a contract extension, but has decided to wait until the summer to assess next season.

The team will skate today at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Frisco from 11 am – Noon, and Tippett and the players will be available following the practice.

Tippett, 46, is in his fifth season with the hockey club and boasts an overall record of 212-109-45 during his tenure as head coach of the Dallas Stars – the best record among active NHL coaches. He was named the 19th head coach in Stars franchise history on May 21, 2002. On Nov. 21, 2007 vs. Anaheim, Tippett became the third-fastest to reach 200 wins among all-time NHL coaches in just his 349th game coached.

“We’re very pleased to extend Dave’s contract for another season,” said Co-General Manager Les Jackson. “Dave has done an outstanding job since the day he started here in Dallas and we expect that to continue. We are also happy to announce the extensions of the contracts to Rick and Mark. All the coaches have worked extremely hard together and their continuity bodes well for our hockey club.”

Tippett’s teams have been near the top of the NHL standings since he took over as head coach, boasting the third-best record in the league since ’02-03 and the second-best home record. He has also guided the Stars to two, 50-win seasons during his tenure (23 teams have not had one 50-win campaign since ’02-03).

“I speak on behalf of the coaching staff when I say that we’re very appreciative of the contract extensions and the confidence that Brett Hull and Les Jackson have shown,” said Tippett. “Our goal of winning the Stanley Cup has not changed over the years and we’ll continue to pursue that goal together.”

Wilson, 57, is currently in his fifth season as associate coach and his 15th with the Stars organization, with his coaching emphasis on the club’s defensemen. During his tenure in Dallas, he has been part of seven division championships, two Western Conference crowns, two Presidents’ Trophies and the 1999 Stanley Cup. Wilson has over 20 years experience as a coach in the NHL. Drafted by Montreal in the 1970 amateur draft, he spent four seasons (1973-77) in the NHL as a defenseman for Montreal, St. Louis and Detroit.

Lamb, 43, is in his fifth season as an assistant coach for Dallas, with his coaching emphasis on the Stars’ forwards and offense. He has also served as an assistant coach for Edmonton and played in 403 career NHL games with six different teams. A key member of the Oilers’ 1990 Stanley Cup Championship team, Lamb registered 17 points (6-11-17) in 22 post-season outings to finish sixth in scoring for Edmonton.


28 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Yikes!

What a wild one (pun intended) that game turned out to be. There are a few teams I could see the Stars lighting up for eight goals, but Minnesota isn't one of them. I felt bad for Josh Harding. He's a good young goalie. It just wasn't his night. He must have felt like he was in a shooting gallery. Some of the guys in front of him were not very sharp. I think Marian Gaborik got benched there for a while. He seemed to have no impact on the game. I found it strange that the Stars put up that much offense in a game and Sergei Zubov gets no points. No big deal, though. It's a team game and the Stars were on their game for the most part. Marty was fighting it, but he got the win. He's stolen a few games this season and on this night the offense bailed him out. Again, it's a team game.

The Stars can beat teams a lot of different ways and that is what makes them so tough right now. You can't have every element of your game clicking each and every night, but if you have the potential to be strong in all of them and can get enough of them working on any given night or have them come up big at the right times, your chances of winning are that much better. Wednesday night the Stars had a lot of things going their way. The end result was a blowout win against a pretty good Minnesota team. I am expecting a better effort from the Wild the next time the two teams meet. I suspect Jacques Lemaire is with me on that.

St. Louis is next (on Saturday) and this is another good team and Andy Murray teams usually give Dave Tippett teams a hard time. It will be a good test. Andy Murray's team did not fare well against Mike Babcock's team Wednesday night. The Red Wings, who were without Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom, dismantled the Blues 5-0 in St. Louis.

27 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Habs game

That was an impressive win for the Stars Sunday night. Nice to see Mike Ribeiro do well and Brenden Morrow get bragging rights over his father-in-law. I thought Mark Fistric looked good. He looked comfortable for his first NHL game. Some tense moments when Modano took that puck off his lower leg, but he returned and finished the game.

They hit the break on a nice run and are playing well. You can't ask for much more. Some new opponents coming up after the break: Minnesota, St. Louis and, after the New Year, Detroit.

Enjoy the holiday.

24 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Canadiens in town

The Canadiens are in town tonight. Plenty of good story lines in this one. Mike RIbeiro faces his old team for the first time since last season's trade. Guy Carbonneau returns to Dallas for the first time as head coach of the Habs. It gives people another chance to say the NHL needs to change the schedule so we can all see these teams more often.

I watched Montreal some last night against the Thrashers. The Habs played well, but Kari Lehtonen stole a game for the Thrashers and Atlanta got the extra point in the shootout. The Canadiens got off to a good start this season, but are 8-9-3 in their last 20 games. They have points in four of five coming into Dallas (3-1-1). There was little tidbit from Bruce Garrioch in the Ottawa Sun today:

NHL insiders are wondering if Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau is going to make it through the season. Habs GM Bob Gainey is starting to lose patience.


Of course, that is Garrioch, so who knows. But Montreal missed the playoffs last season and if they slip down this season ....

23 December '07 - - default| one comment - §

Another good road trip

With Friday night's 3-2 OT win over the Flames the Stars wrapped up another successful road trip. They go 3-1-0 on this and 4-2-0 on the previous one for a combined record of 7-3-0. That's pretty good when you consider the opponents. Of course, I don't know how much you can distinguish between opponents. There aren't any easy games out there or guaranteed wins. I think the only bad team in the West right now is Los Angeles. There are just ten points separating the Stars, who are second in the West, and Chicago, currently 13th.

Friday night's game was another close one that came down to a few things here or there. Mike Smith made some big saves and the Stars' PK, which Smith was a big part of, came up with a big night against a hot power play. The Stars got that big goal from Nik Hagman early in the third to tie and the OT goal from Mike Ribeiro. It's one of those games that could have gone either way. The Stars continue to end up on the right side of a greater share of them.

They hit a little bump in the road here or there, but they just keep chugging along. Up next is Montreal and then that little holiday break.

As for the Flames, I thought they had a strong game. Sluggish first period, but that was expected with them coming off the long road trip. I am sure they think they deserved a better fate, but Smith made sure they didn't get one.

22 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Odds & Ends

There was a lot of good stuff in the league last night. Marian Gaborik scored five goals. I saw one of them while I was flipping around checking out the HD games last night before the Stars game got underway. I don't need tell any of you with HD what a huge difference it makes in watching a game.

Of the course another big moment was Sidney Crosby's Gordie Howe Hat Trick against the Bruins. That was a pretty good scrap against Andrew Ference of the Bruins. Here's a blurb on it in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Crosby acquitted himself quite nicely -- he threw punches with a vigor that belied the reality of it being his first fight as a pro -- but allowed later that, "It's nothing I'm going to make a habit of, by any means."

While his goal and two assists had more of an impact on the game than his fight did, Crosby earned a favorable review from Ference for his effort.

"He's strong," Ference said. "I think we're probably about the same caliber of fighter. He probably picked a good partner for his first on



And of course there are plenty of versions from YouTube. This one is from the Bruins' broadcast:

21 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Canucks game, flap over the flap

It looked like a typical Stars-Canucks game last night. It came down to a few key areas and the Canucks won them. They scored first. The Stars have been able to overcome that a lot this season, but the Canucks aren't most teams in that regard. They are superb defensively and have Roberto Luongo. Second it was special teams and the Canucks came out on top because they scored the more timely goal, i.e. the winning goal or the one that gave them a two goal lead. That PP goal came on a five-on-three, which came after Brenden Morrow took a holding call, for which he took responsibility. You have to give him credit. He doesn't hide after stuff like that.

The Canucks can be a tough matchup for the Stars. You throw in their excellent defensive play, some of the quality players they have on the, a real emerging two-way ace in Ryan Kesler and Luongo and that team can be a tough nut to crack.

I guess the bigger stuff out of this game was all that flap over the flaps on Luongo's leg pads. I am not sure what Marty Turco was trying to accomplish, but at the end of the day I don't think it accomplished much. Well, it accomplished one thing: a lot of media buzz in Canada. The media up in Vancouver had all sorts of interesting spins heading into the game. Were Turco and Mike Smith trying to get into the head of Roberto Luongo? Would it motivate Luongo? In the end, I guess Luongo got the last laugh for that day.

Here are a couple of articles from the Vancouver Province on the flap over the flap:

Luongo's pads cause flap from Stars

Smith, Turco should stick to hockey

21 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Hull article

One of the good things about the Stars being up in Canada is that the Canadian media do some Stars stories. I was searching around for Canadian reaction to Jamie Lynn Spears being pregnant and I ran across this story on Brett Hull in The Province.

Here a few Hull quotes/excerpts from the article:

"You see, I have a very set idea of the kind of team I'd like and the way I'd like it to play, and I guess you'd have to be an idiot not to guess that it would include a more entertaining style. But it's damned hard to get that.

"Here I was thinking you just had to call another team and they would talk to you about trading a player, and you just went out and got this guy and that guy, and moved this guy off your team, and that's what you could do.

"Now you talk to a team and all you hear is, 'Well my guy makes $3.1 million and your guy makes $2.7 million and there's 400 grand difference and so we can't make the deal. I mean, it's ridiculous. Making a trade is pretty tough."



"I think Dave Tippett is fabulous, and I think he's the kind of guy whom we can put any recipe in front of him and he could coach it. You want a guy with no set idea on how it should go. You could give him any kind of team, any kind of players, and he would take a look at his ingredients and formulate at plan from there. I think that's the kind of coach you want in your organization so that you can make the kind of changes you want to make."



"I think when you have two great goalies like we have, they have to play," says Hull. "It's fine to say you have a No. 1 guy, but the other guy is young, has still lots to learn and needs to grow, and the way to do that now for him is to play, and that's what we'll do. That way you keep two great goalies."



The new GM has a well-chronicled relationship with Mike Modano, who along with Hull certainly belongs in the Hall of Fame, and the two do talk from time to time about what the team needs. But Hull says the players needn't fear that relationship or worry about getting on the wrong side of Modano because he wants all the players to talk to him.

"It doesn't even have to be business, it could be about golf, FIFA or European soccer rules, even hockey, but it's good to have the communication lines open. Our job is to give them an atmosphere that will give them an opportunity to play their best possible hockey. That's what we're trying to do."

20 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Fun with the Canucks

The Canucks have this feature on their web site where fans can submit videos, songs, photos and stuff to show they are the ultimate Canucks fan. The featured video when I checked it out was done by someone who had put together a funny one last season. On this new one, I liked the stuff with Alain Vigneault and his habit of tossing out cliches.



I liked this one by the same guy (group?) last season. My favorite line was Luongo's "No beach balls get by me you know, not even in Photoshop."

20 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Fistric recalled

As expected, the Stars have recalled defenseman Mark Fistric from Iowa. He'll be with the Stars as the seventh defenseman while the holiday roster freeze is in place from December 19 to December 27.

19 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Simon gets 30 games

Chris Simon received a 30-game suspension, the longest ever for an on-ice incident, today for stomping on Pittsburgh's Jarkko Ruutu last week.

"Several factors were considered in imposing the longest suspension in NHL history for an on-ice incident," said NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell. "While it was fortunate there was no serious injury to Mr. Ruutu as a result of Simon's action, the deliberate act of kicking an opponent with an exposed skate blade, especially where the opponent is in a vulnerable position, is and always has been a repugnant and totally unacceptable act in the game of hockey.

“In addition, while the act itself was extremely dangerous, the fact that this is the eighth incident requiring the imposition of supplementary discipline on Simon compelled me to impose a very severe penalty in this case. When a player repeatedly evidences the lack of ability to control his actions and conducts himself in total disregard of the rules, as well the health and safety of other players on the ice, each subsequent incident is deserving of enhanced scrutiny and more severe discipline. This response serves not only the purpose of imposing appropriate punishment for the player involved, but also the purpose of deterring the player and all other players from engaging in similar conduct in the future - hopefully creating a safer long-term work environment for all NHL players."



19 December '07 - - default| one comment - §

Stars-Oilers

That was a very good game last night. Despite the 1-1 score, it was highly entertaining with some good chances. Both goaltenders were sharp and made some excellent saves. The Stars got it done in the shootout and got the extra point thanks to Marty Turco and Sergei Zubov.

The Stars seem to find ways to win games right now. Some area or areas of the game deliver at the right time to push them over the top. That's the difference right now. Teams are pretty close. What makes the Stars tough is they don't have a glaring weakness right now and they can beat you a lot of ways. They can put the puck in the net, they defend well, their goaltending is strong and their special teams play is outstanding. They've won four straight games on the road and six of their last eight at home.

There's still a fine line between winning and losing and right now they are the right side of it. But teams in this league are still very close. Look at the Oilers. A month or so ago they were considered one of the bottom feeders of the league. They are playing some good hockey right now. I watched them play against Vancouver the other night and they played the Canucks and Stars pretty well. They've been winning and are one point out of a playoff spot after last night's games.

19 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Another Zubov article

The Canadian Press ran a nice Sergei Zubov article last week. With Zubov and the Stars in town this week, the Edmonton Journal decides to follow suit with this nice piece.

18 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

It's the Oilers again

It's the second time in a little more than a week that the Stars will square off against the Oilers. Last week's game in Dallas was pretty entertaining and these two teams had two interesting tilts in Edmonton last season, so I have high hopes for this one.

The Oilers have played well lately and have turned things around. They are at .500, which means you are in the middle of things in the NHL these days. They've been able to do that in part because of the shootout. Six of their last nine wins have been by shootout and ten of their 16 overall have come via the skills competition. I am not a big fan of it, but it is a way to gather important points and I give the Oilers, who are 10-1 in shootouts this season, full marks for doing it. They are a confident group in that area right now.

Here's an article from today's Edmonton Journal on the upbeat mood surrounding the Oilers.

18 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Zubov honored by league

Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov has been named the NHL's Second Star of the Week. Jarome Iginla of the Flames is the First Star and Joffrey Lupul of the Flyers is the Third Star. Zubov had one goal, seven assists and a plus-five rating in three games last week, all Dallas wins.

17 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Hockey fun

Here is some great hockey fun via YouTube. I found it on the Penalty Killing blog, which found it on AOL Fanhouse, which found it on the New York Times hockey blog. Here's how the Times set up the clip, which it headlined the "The Most Joyous Seven Minutes of Hockey Ever?"

Below, an amazing document of communion between hockey fans and players. It was recorded last Friday night in Martin, Slovakia, when perennial minnows MHC Martin beat HC Kosice in the Slovakian Extraliga and reached second place at the start of the two-week December break. After the game highlights, watch the unbelievable send-off the 4,000 fans at the Martin Winter Stadium give their players, and how much fun the players have giving back the love. It may be seven of the most amazing minutes of hockey footage you’ve ever seen.


The real fun starts about 1:15 into the clip. Enjoy.

17 December '07 - - default| one comment - §

Sun Media Poll

Sun Media polled hockey players and insiders on a variety of questions about the games. A couple of Dallas Stars got mentions in the poll. Steve Ott tied for third in best trash talker and Jussi Jokinen was No. 1 in player most feared in the shootout. The dumbest rules? Instigator, delay of game for shooting puck over the glass and touch icing. A lot of stuff to fuel some good debate. You can read all the results here.

16 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Looking ahead: Luongo status

I am watching the Oilers and Canucks on Hockey Night in Canada. They just had Roberto Luongo, who has been out with an rib injury, on for a short interview. It looks like he will play Tuesday against New Jersey. So, unless he tweaks something he should be good to go Thursday against the Stars.

15 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Ugly night in Des Moines

The Iowa Stars outshot the Chicago Wolves 30-17 tonight. The final score? Chicago 10, Iowa 2. Not a pretty game for the AHL version of the Stars. Chicago was pouring it on too, scoring twice in the last minute of the game. Tobias Stephan gave up six goals on eight shots in relief of Philippe Sauve, who surrendered four goals on nine shots.

15 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Good win

That was a pretty good hockey game. It was intense, physical, hard fought. It looked like a playoff game. It turned on the Sharks' penalties in the second period and the Stars' ability to make them pay by scoring on the power play. I'd love to see a playoff series between these two teams. I think it would be a heck of a series. I think it is going to be a good battle the rest of the way in the division.

I thought the Stars did a nice job weathering a strong push early from the Sharks, who came out pretty strong and physical. I thought they were in good shape to be down just 1-0, although I was a little concerned that they didn't score on that 4:00 power play in the first. But you never know how that stuff will factor in until the game is over. Those two PP goals in the second negated the missed chances in the first.

There were a lot of good performances. The top line provides all three goals again. I really like Antti Miettinen as a player and am glad to see him doing well.

I thought Steve Ott, who was on the checking line with Mike Modano and Jeff Halpern, was great. He took a good defenseman in Craig Rivet out of the game for a considerable amount of time. I thought Modano had a strong game. Sergei Zubov? What more can anyone say about the guy right now? The Marty Turco stop on Joe Thornton in the third was huge. He was in the right place at the right time because I don't think he saw that one coming.

Overall, a good win and a big one. I don't see it as any kind of defining win or anything like that. I see it as a good win in a game against a quality opponent. Dallas is a quality team. They are supposed to win these games now and then. This team is on a nice roll here and has been for some time now:

15 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Ducks trade analysis

Here's some nice analysis of last night's trade between the Ducks and Blues that sent Doug Weight to Anaheim in exchange for Andy McDonald.

TSN's Bob McKenzie does a nice breakdown of it, especially from the Ducks's side. They were the ones that needed to make a deal here. He makes a good point that you just can't look at the trade from the perspective of the principal players involved, but you also have to look at from a salary cap view. That's how Brian Burke had to look at everything and here's how it worked out according to McKenzie:

Here are the four big reasons Anaheim made this deal and why it makes a lot of sense for the Ducks:

1. The most obvious - the Weight-McDonald trade immediately allows Scott Niedermayer to return to the Ducks lineup. He will play Sunday vs. San Jose.

2. Ryan Getzlaf has emerged as the Ducks' No. 1 centre and has the contract - $5.6 million next season - to prove it. McDonald, earning $3.33 million next season, is overpriced as a No. 2 centre on the Ducks. He simply doesn't fit the Ducks' salary cap matrix.

3. By freeing up about $2.5 million in salary commitments for next season, and with Niedermayer not expected to play next season and his $6.75 million potentially coming off the books, the Ducks should have plenty of room to do a long-term deal with Corey Perry long before he becomes a restricted free agent on July 1. This is crucial, perhaps the biggest reason this McDonald deal was done.

4. By not trading a defenceman who is under contract next season, the Ducks will be able to return their entire defence corps, likely minus Niedermayer. If they traded Schneider or O'Donnell, and as expected Niedermayer retires, they would have been scrambling to plug an extra hole.

15 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Ducks make their deal

The Ducks finally made their trade to free up space next season to fit Scott Niedermayer in this season. They sent Andy McDonald to St. Louis for Doug Weight, Czech prospect Michal Birner and a 7th-round draft pick in the 2008 NHL Entry draft. This deal probably also gives them some room to sign Corey Perry to an extension.

I see it as two teams swapping underachieving players. Maybe the change of scenery will do each of them some good. I like what the Ducks did. They get to fit in Niedermayer, create space to help lock up Perry over the long haul and get Weight, who can still do some good things. The Blues get a talented player in McDonald, who is younger than Weight and is still in his prime. We'll see how it all plays out.

14 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Kings game

Just some random thoughts on the Kings game, which I don't think there is a whole lot to say about. These were two points the Stars should have picked up and did pick up.

The Morrow-Ribeiro-Miettinen line was excellent. Miettinen's been a good fit, not only as a right shot but in a defensive role as well.

It was nice to see the Stars get command of this early and Dave Tippett spread some ice time around. Sergei Zubov only played about 20 minutes last night. As tireless as he seems, it's good to get him some rest over the course of a long season. A few minutes in game like this helps, especially with another road trip coming up.

The Kings aren't very good right now. The goaltending plays a role, but it goes beyond that. They just look like a team out of sync at times. No consistency in their effort. Still, the goaltending is a killer for them. It just goes to show how important goaltending is too a team's fortunes.

Speaking of that trip, it should be a good test. The swing out to Western Canada always is. And this trip starts off with a stop in San Jose, which makes this trip an even bigger four-game stretch. The Stars also get their first look at the Canucks, who have been playing well.

14 December '07 - - default| one comment - §

Another big contract extension

According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, the Flyers are signing center Mike Richards to a 12-year, $69 million contract extension. Richards was scheduled to be an RFA at the end of the season. This is just another sign that landing top end young players via the younger age for unrestricted free agency or via the offer sheet route to the RFA may not be as easy as some thought. The Oilers got Dustin Penner via the offer sheet over the summer, but teams are reacting to that by getting deals done before these guys become RFA's and locking them up for a long time. We've seen it with players like Jason Spezza, Ryan Getzlaf, Dustin Brown and Richards to just name a few.

13 December '07 - - default| two comments - §

Kings Watch

The Kings stumble into town after a 6-3 loss in Chicago last night. Their goaltending situation is a mess. Jason LaBarbera is out, so they have J-S Aubin and Jonathan Quick as their netminders. Aubin started last night, gave up goals on nine shots in the first and got pulled. Quick came in, played well and stopped 23 of 26 shots. I am not sure who is going to start for them tonight.

They have struggled since that comeback win against the Stars last month, going 4-9-2 and that's left them in last place in the West. They had a five-game winless streak (0-4-1) right after that win and then have been on a just under .500 clip since then (4-5-1)

Anze Kopitar has been hot for them and so has Dustin Brown. Michael Cammalleri has cooled off considerably. After scoring ten goals in his first ten games, he has four in the last 20.

Links:
Official Site
Los Angeles Times
Inside the Kings

13 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Zubov recognition

I am listening to XM Satellite radio and Phil Esposito and Bill Clement are talking about Sergei Zubov's performance last night. The Canadian Press has an article out on Zubov today as well. It opens like this:

He's never won a Norris Trophy. Actually, he's never even been runner-up. He's third in career points among active defencemen. His passing game is among the very best in the league. He's routinely among the leading offensive defencemen in the league. Right now he actually leads all NHL defencemen in scoring.

So why is it Dallas Stars veteran Sergei Zubov doesn't get the same kind of attention as perennial Norris Trophy candidates Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Pronger or Scott Niedermayer?


Full article is here

11 December '07 - - default| three comments - §

That's entertainment

That was an entertaining hockey game. For what ever reason, the Stars and Oilers seem to give you something to talk about when it is all over. I was kind of hoping for the shootout and I am not even a big fan of it. The Oilers are the top team in the league this season. The Stars are the all-time kings. It would have been fun, I guess.

That was a wild first period, at least that five minute stretch where the five goals were scored. There were a couple of other opportunities in the period as well. It could be have been 4-3 or 4-4 after one.

No doubt Sergei Zubov had a great game. Going forward though, I think the biggest was the play of Antti Miettinen. He had a couple of great passes to set up goals. He played 19:08 in the game. He looked sharp. This isn't a one game thing. He was good in the Philly game too. Hopefully he can continue to play well on the right side of Brenden Morrow and Mike Ribeiro. There's been a void there since Jere Lehtinen went out and while you can't replace Lehtinen, it's nice to see someone who could be a good fit for the time being.

11 December '07 - - default| one comment - §

The intermission goal from Friday

I haven't seen this posted anywhere, so I thought I would throw it out there. Here's that goal the kid scored during the intermission of Friday's game. His name is Max Gerlach. It ended up on YouTube. Kevin Lowe is in town, so perhaps the kid will get an offer sheet.

10 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Stars make minor trade

The Stars have made a minor trade, acquiring a defenseman for Iowa. It's the younger brother of Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen. Here's the release:

The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has acquired defenseman Jussi Timonen (pronounced YOO-see TEE-mo-nen) from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a seventh round draft pick in 2009. The Stars then assigned Timonen to the Iowa Stars, Dallas’ primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Timonen, 24, has appeared in 14 games with the Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL) this season, registering seven assists with 14 penalty minutes. Among Phantoms’ team defensemen, he ranked second in assists and points.

Philadelphia’s fifth round selection (146th overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Timonen appeared in 14 games with the Philadelphia Flyers last season, posting four helpers with six penalty minutes. The 6-0, 193-pound defenseman also notched 17 points (2-15-17) in 46 games with the Phantoms in ’06-07.

The younger brother of current Philadelphia defenseman Kimmo Timonen played parts of four seasons in Finland’s SM-Liiga (2002-03 through 2005-06), recording two goals and 12 assists for 14 points with 97 penalty minutes in 165 games.

10 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Here come the Oilers

The Stars and Oilers meet for the first time this season. There were a couple of classics last season. There was the Patrik Stefan moment. And remember the botched hand pass call by Mick McGeough hand pass call that resulted in Craig MacTavish getting fined? Of course, both those happened in Edmonton. Both those shining moments are posted below.

There are a couple of things I'll be watching in this game. One is the revolving door of right wings on the Ribeiro/Morrow line. Antti Miettinen is the next in line. He actually was there for the Philadelphia game before tweaking his groin, sitting out the third period and being out since.

Mike Heika has a good article today on Miettinen, who I think gets a bum rap from a lot of people. The Stars raised expectations a little too high for Miettinen in the goal scoring department, he didn't meet them and people started piling on. Even Razor took a shot at him, throwing out this gem in an early season blog: "Antti Miettinen’s ability to convert scoring chances into goals at this level, ever – Not so good."

I think he's a good player who does a lot of things well and he does a lot of things that help a team win games. Would I like to see him score more? Sure. Am I going to dump on him because he doesn't? No. I thought he played well on that line with Morrow and Ribeiro in Philly and I hope he can provide a solution for now while Jere Lehtinen is out of the lineup.

I'll also be watching the guys coming out of the Oilers' dog house. The Senators' lower line players were under the gun from their coach and responded with a good game Friday against the Stars. As for the Oilers, Jarret Stoll and Raffi Torres were both scratches in their last game and both will back in the lineup tonight. The Edmonton Journal details the duo's woes here.


Patrik Stefan Empty Net


Phantom Hand Pass

10 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

The greatness of the internet

Thank you Al Gore! I found this on the message board. It was apparently posted somewhere on the Stars official message board. Can't really explain it. You just have to see it. Be patient. It may take a while to load. And yes it is Dallas Stars related... sort of.

Click here.

09 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Sabres-Sharks

The Sabres come to town on January 24. It might be a good idea to pay attention to what happens to them in the game before they arrive. On Thursday they got spanked 8-2 by Los Angeles. Last night they rolled into San Jose and did this to the Sharks.

09 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

The Tampa Bay rumor

I am not getting too worked up about the Tampa Bay rumor other than to say I there is probably something to part of it, and that's why it caught my attention. The thing I took out of Darren Dreger's report is that the Stars have expressed an interest in Martin St. Louis. Everything else - especially what might be heading the other way if there was a deal and that is a big if - is just speculation, especially the Marty Turco part.

Honestly, I can't see the Stars trading Marty Turco. Just don't. I know a lot of people get frustrated with him at times, but he is one of the guys I consider almost untouchable right now. He is this team's No. 1 goalie. End of story.

Would the Stars be interested in St. Louis? Yeah, I could see that. He's scored 30 or more goals each of the last four seasons. He'll probably do it again this season. He's a dynamic offensive player who can play either wing.

Do I buy Dreger's suggestion that the Stars have talked to Tampa about St. Louis? Yeah. There were reports that before he was fired Doug Armstrong was calling around the league asking about some big name players. Maybe Jay Feaster in Tampa Bay didn't hang up on him. Les Jackson and Brett Hull may be just following up on conversations that Armstrong and Feaster had.

That said, I am not holding my breath. All this doesn't mean anything is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month or ever.

It's fun to speculate what may be involved in a trade like this, but it's hard to do because you don't where the two teams will stand when the deal is done. Just because two sides are talking now doesn't mean a deal is imminent. They could be planting the seeds of a deal that will bear fruit well down the road. If if it ever comes, it could happen in three weeks or in three months. When it happens also has an impact on the cap impact of the trade and what needs to be moved each way. What each team needs at that point could change dramatically based on injuries, position in the playoff picture, other deals they've made or financial issues.

Tampa Bay has unresolved ownership issues. The Lightning could be a position where it's just time to dump salary over the long-term because of the ownership deal. Maybe they are out of the playoff picture close to the deadline and think it is time to re-evaluate how they want to move forward with their big three players. Right now, though, the Lightning could use some help on defense, especially veteran help, and they've had goaltending issues since Nikolai Khabibulin left. But that's right now. Things could change. Trades don't happen in some kind of vacuum.

08 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Pictures of the Niskymobile

Here are a few pictures of the Niskymobile, which were posted on the message board by "cdanew." It turns out the players gave Niskanen's 2001 Pontiac Sunbird a makeover.


08 December '07 - - default| two comments - §

Lessard back to Iowa

Junior Lessard was not at the Stars' practice in Euless today. He was sent back to Iowa today. Antti Miettinen (groin) and Loui Eriksson (shoulder) both practiced today.

At the end of practice the players presented Matt Niskanen, who turned 21 this week, with what Marty Turco called the "Niskymobile." It had Niskanen's No. 5 painted on the side and 'Nisky" painted on the back. I'm not sure of all the details. I just watched the presentation and headed home. My wife has a big shopping day planned and I needed to be home early. The Stars were shooting video, so I would expect a nice video feature on it in the near future on the official site.

08 December '07 - - default| one comment - §

TSN trade rumor on the Stars

I don't make too much of trade rumors any more because there it seems like there is a glut of them these days. But when one of TSN's top guys tosses one out, my ears perk up a little. TSN's Darren Dreger is reporting on one involving the Stars and Tampa Bay. The players involved? Martin St. Louis on the Lighting side. What does Tampa Bay need? Goaltending. Here are two links.

Video report on TSN Broadband

TSN's trade rumor tracker called The Dirt Sheet

08 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Senators game

I guess some of the luster of the Stars' recent run is starting to wear off here. They've lost two straight and have now dropped four of their past six games. I think this team could use a few days off. They've played eight games in 13 days and I think it has had to take a toll on them.

The Senators game? I give the Stars credit for hanging around and making a game of it at the end, but I thought Ottawa was the stronger team over the course of 60 minutes. A lot of those things that were going right for the Stars a week ago aren't going their way right now. Close games will turn on a few things and they didn't go the Stars' way Friday night.

A couple of calls were important. That high sticking one on Stu Barnes was huge. That was a turning point in the game since the Senators scored what proved to be the game-winner. The non-call on Jussi Jokinen getting high sticked was a legitimate issue, but who knows what would have happened had the Stars gotten the power play. They would have still had to score a goal.

The call on Niklas Hagman was one that had to be made. It was an unfortunate incident. The game happens fast, Hagman goes into make a hit and before Hagman can do anything, Christoph Schubert is in what could be called a vulnerable position. I think everyone knows Hagman is an honest player and fortunately Schubert wasn't hurt.

08 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Here come the Senators

It will be nice to see someone different tonight, especially with it being the Ottawa Senators. Mark Janko, the Stars' PR director, was pointing out yesterday at practice that it's always an entertaining game when the Senators come to town. There have been some excellent games the past few times they've met.

The Sens have struggled recently and snapped a seven-game winless streak Wednesday with a win over Florida. Everyone knows about their top end talent in Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza, but I am expecting a big push from their grinders tonight. Sens coach John Paddock has been calling them out in the press.

07 December '07 - - default| three comments - §

Practice tidbits

Here are a few tidbits from this afternoon's practice in Frisco:

Goalie decision tomorrow.

Same line combinations except that Loui Eriksson didn't practice. He has a sore shoulder.

Miettinen skated before practice, but didn't practice. He's probably not going to be ready go tomorrow, but he'll be evaluated in the morning.

Sergei Zubov got the day off to rest.

Matt Niskanen turns 21 today. He got a shaving cream pie in the face.

06 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Stars-Sharks

Don't look now, but the Sharks are on kind of a nice little roll. They've won three in a row and are 7-1-2 i their last ten games. With last night's win over the Stars they took over first place in the Pacific if you go by winning percentage (It's .615 for San Jose to .586 for the Stars). Throw in the fact that Scott Niedermayer is coming back for the Ducks and the division gets a little more interesting.

The Stars didn't play all that well Wednesday night and they weren't bad either. There was probably some fatigue, even if Dave Tippett wants to discount that factor. They've played seven games in 11 days and are coming off a road trip. That's going to take a toll. You add all that up, throw in the fact that San Jose played a solid game and still the Stars were in a position to get perhaps a point or maybe even two out of this game. They just couldn't take advantage of those late power plays and that was that. That's hockey.

The discrepancy in penalty calls was a little disconcerting, but not unwarranted. It's not like the Stars were doing a lot of stuff to draw penalties. I saw maybe one or two that could have been called that weren't. I see that in a lot of games though, so I don't consider it a big deal. San Jose doesn't take a lot of penalties and the Stars don't seem to draw a lot, so that's another reason I wasn't totally surprised that the Stars ended up with only two chances. That said, to have no power plays 55 minutes into the game is strange.

The bottom line is the better team won last night, but it is still a game that could have gone either way. Lately a lot of them have been going the Stars' way. This one didn't.

06 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Boucher to have surgery, Lessard recalled

Philippe Boucher will have shoulder surgery today. He will be re-evaluated in four weeks. Junior Lessard recalled. Here's the release from the Stars:

The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has placed defenseman Philippe Boucher on the injured reserve list and have recalled right wing Junior Lessard from the Iowa Stars, Dallas’ primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Boucher, 34, is set to have shoulder surgery today and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. The 6-3, 218-pound defenseman has registered one goal and 10 assists for 11 points with 24 penalty minutes in 28 games with Dallas this season. He was leading the team in blocked shots (54) and ranked second in average ice time (22:20).

The native of St. Apollinaire, Quebec, set career-highs last season with the Stars in goals (19), assists (32) and points (51). He also tied a franchise record for goals and power play goals (12) by a defensemen in one season. Leading the Stars in ’06-07 in blocked shots (183), shots (222) and power play goals, he was one of two Dallas players (also Marty Turco) to appear at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game in Dallas.

Lessard, 27, has appeared in 21 games with Iowa this season, collecting eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points with five power play goals. Among Iowa team leaders, he ranks first in power play tallies, third in goals, tied for third in assists and fourth in points.

The 6-0, 200-pound right wing has played in six career games with the Dallas Stars over parts of two seasons, registering two goals and 12 penalty minutes. Last season with Iowa, he led the AHL club in goals (27), points (52) and power play goals (12). During Iowa’s post-season, he tied for the club lead in assists (5) and was second in goals (4) and points (9).

The St. Joseph de Beauce, Quebec, native won the 2004 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the nation’s top collegiate player after scoring 63 points (32-31-63) in 45 games for Minnesota-Duluth. As a senior at UMD in 2004, he led the school to its first Frozen Four appearance since 1985, and was the national leader in both goals and points. He was selected to the American Hockey Association first team, the All-America first team and was named both the uscho.com and insidecollegehockey.com National Player of the Year. In 160 games as a collegian, he recorded 74 goals and 68 assists for 142 points.

05 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Here come the Sharks

Just when you thought it was safe, here comes another divisional game. This time it is San Jose. The Sharks are interesting team. Some of their top players (Patrick Cheechoo and Patrick Marleau) are underachieving, one guy (Joe Thornton) is basically carrying them offensively, they aren't very good on home ice and yet they are only four behinds behind the Stars with three games in hand.

This is a big game since it is a divisional tilt. These are big points and a good chance for the Stars to create some separation from the Sharks.

While I am on the subject of the division, the Scott Niedermayer watch is shifting into high gear. TSN is reporting that he is ready to return to the Ducks, but there are some cap issues involved. It's not this season's cap, but the cap for next season that is the is the sticking point. It's called the "tagging rule." The Ducks would have to move somebody under contract for next season, a defenseman most likely, to free up room to get Niedermayer back on the roster this season. The problem is that Niedermayer, who is under contract for next season, may not play after this one is done. I think it's a messy situation, and it will be interesting to see what Brian Burke does.

05 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Junior Lessard

It looks like Junior Lessard is on his way to Dallas. Kevin Wey, who provides some material on the Iowa Stars for Andrew's, sent me an email saying that Lessard will be called up Wednesday. Junior packed up his stuff after Iowa's game against Manitoba Tuesday and said he was heading to Dallas. There's no word on who might be heading the other way. It's something to keep an eye on tomorrow.

04 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

Columbus game

Despite the low score, that was a fun game to watch. There were a lot of good chances, some great goaltending and - even though I am not a big fan of it - there was some good drama in the shootout. The Stars are the better team in the skills competition than Columbus, they proved it last night and they got the two points. Those points are important in a tight conference race and that's why those extra points can add up at the end of the season. Columbus is now 1-5 in the shootout. Those points could hurt them at the end of the day.

I am not sure the Stars are all that much better than the Blue Jackets or a lot of the other teams in the West right now. I think there are probably ten teams - Detroit might be a notch higher than the rest, but not a lot - that are pretty much on par with each other. Right now, though, the Stars are finding ways to win games. Goaltending, special teams, defense and timely goal scoring are all playing a role. If it is not one thing, it is another or a combination. That's how they eight of 12 points on the road trip, which turned out to be a successful week-and-a-half for this team.

04 December '07 - - default| four comments - §

Cote suspended three games

Flyers forward Riley Cote got suspended three games for the elbow to the head of Matt Niskanen in Saturday's game. Here are a couple of links: Philadelphia Daily News and Tim Panaccio's blog over at Hockeybuzz.com.

Here's the hit if you missed it:

03 December '07 - - default| one comment - §

Norstrom activated from IR

Stars activated Mattias Norstrom from injured reserve and placed Jere Lehtinen on IR. Here's the release:

The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has activated defenseman Mattias Norstrom from the injured reserve list and placed right wing Jere Lehtinen on injured reserve, retroactive to November 21.

Norstrom, 35, suffered a small fracture to his orbital bone in the Stars’ Nov. 7 contest at San Jose and missed the next 12 games due to the injury. He has gone scoreless with 12 penalty minutes in 15 games this season. In 852 career NHL games with Los Angeles and Dallas, Norstrom has posted 16 goals and 136 assists for 152 points with 633 penalty minutes. He has added two assists and 38 PIM in 38 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.

The native of Stockholm, Sweden, was acquired by Dallas from Los Angeles on February 27, 2007, with Konstantin Pushkarev and two 2007 draft picks in exchange for Jaroslav Modry, Johan Fransson, a 2008 first-round pick and two 2007 draft selections. The 6-2, 210-pound defenseman is a two-time NHL All-Star (1999, 2004) and has twice represented Sweden in the Winter Olympics (1998, 2002). He was chosen to Team Sweden for the 2006 Winter Olympics, but missed the Games due to health reasons.

Lehtinen, 34, has missed the past six games with an abdominal injury that required surgery. He is expected to miss the next 8-10 weeks. In 21 games this season, he has tallied six goals and 13 assists for 19 points with a 5 rating. The 6-0, 192-pound right wing missed only 11 total games over Dallas’ previous two seasons.

Last season, Lehtinen led the club in goals (26) and was second in game-winners (5) and power play tallies (11). Only Mike Modano (15) and Brian Bellows (10) have more 20-goal seasons than Lehtinen, who collected his seventh 20-goal campaign last year. He has won three Selke Trophies over his career, tying Guy Carbonneau for the second most Selke awards in league history (Bob Gainey has four). The Espoo, Finland, native has also been nominated for the Selke a total of six times.

03 December '07 - - default| No comments - §

A sign of how close things are

Here's a sign of how close things are in the Western Conference heading into tonight's game between the Stars and Blue Jackets. The Stars are first in the Pacific and second overall in the West. The Blue Jackets are fifth in the Central and tenth overall in the West. But if the Blue Jackets can win in regulation their record will be 13-10-4 and the Stars will be 14-10-4.

03 December '07 -