I mentioned there being a lot of media around when Brad Richards arrived in Frisco yesterday. One of them was ESPN's Scott Burnside, who put together this excellent story of the behind the scenes stuff that players deal with in being traded.
Spent last night flipping around the various games with a lot of focus on three games: Tampa Bay vs. Minnesota, San Jose vs. Columbus and Colorado vs. Vancouver.
The Bolts game was obvious. Wanted to see how Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern fared. Lightning lost 3-2, but without Smith it could have been worse. He had some big stops in the game, including some on Marian Gaborik. Two of the saves on Gaborik were breakaways. He also made a spectacular long pass to put Vinny Lecavalier on a breakaway, but the play was just offsides. It was a pretty good game for Smith when you consider the emotional toll off the trade.
Jokinen (now wearing No. 10) played with Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. He had no points in the game, but ended up with 22:28 of ice time and played well. This is a great chance for Jussi. He is a skilled player playing with two of the top players in the game. Once he adjusts, he could take off there.
Halpern, wearing the familiar No. 11, had a goal and an assist in the game. I found that interesting because when Tampa Bay traded for him coach John Tortorella said he was expected more offense from Halpern, a guy he considers with a good upside in that area of the game. Here, of course, he was a guy in a checking role who was expected to chip in now and then. Halpern, a key penalty killer here, played 4:20 of power play time last night in Tampa Bay. Jokinen had close to 8:00 of PP time.
When the Bolts were scrambling for that tying goal late in the game both Halpern and Jokinen were out on the ice.
Flipped over to the Sharks-Blue Jackets every now and then to see how Brian Campbell was fitting into the mix with San Jose. He looked like Campbell always does. Moves the puck well and he gets in a good hit every now and then. Nailed Gilbert Brule. The Sharks seem to be turning it around here. They've looked strong the last few times I've watched them. I don't think it was just Campbell last night. I think San Jose is just starting to come around. I don't think they have been as bad as their spotty record has indicated recently. They've played well at times in a lot of close games and ended up on the wrong end of the score. A few things turn your way, you get a little confidence going and you can get on a nice roll. They are capable of doing that.
TSN/NHL Netowrk carried the Avalanche at Canucks, and that was a great game. It was a playoff atmosphere, the Vancouver crowd was energetic and the finish was great. Alexander Burrows scores with 1:45 left to give Vancouver a 2-1 lead. It wasn't a goal until 30 seconds after it went in. The play was reviewed after a stoppage. The clock was then reset, the Avs pulled Jose Theodore and Joe Sakic scored with 14.7 seconds left to tie the game. Colorado then wins in the shootout. The Avs moved into a tie for eighth with Nashville and one point behind the Canucks for seventh. It was like '99 all over again out there with Sakic and Foote out on the ice and Peter Forsberg being interviewed during one of the intermissions.
Caught this deal from AHL today. Here is the release from the Iowa Stars:
Iowa Stars Director of Hockey Operations Scott White today announced that veteran defenseman Nolan Baumgartner has been reassigned to the Manitoba Moose by the Dallas Stars, Iowa’s NHL affiliate. In return, the Iowa Stars are receiving future considerations from Manitoba. Baumgartner played for the Moose for parts of three seasons (02-03, 03-04 and 04-05) and served as team captain during the 2004-05 season.
Baumgartner, 31, played in 56 games with Iowa this season, scoring five goals and adding 13 assists. The native of Calgary, Alta has played a total of 625 AHL games and 131 NHL games during his 12 year professional career. Dallas acquired him last season off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 24, 2007. Baumgartner played in seven games last season for Dallas. His other NHL experience includes time in Washington, Chicago, Vancouver, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. He was originally the first pick (10th overall) of the Washington Capitals in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.
The Iowa Stars are on the road this weekend with games at Hamilton on Friday at 6:30 CST, at Toronto on Saturday at 6:00 CST and at Rochester on Sunday at 5:05 CST.
A few minor items before I head off to watch Richards and Holmqvist at practice today. Stephan and Jancevski should be going back to Iowa today, although I haven't seen a release yet. I believe the Stars will finally activate Francis Wathier, who has been on IR with a shoulder injury since training camp, and officially assign him to Iowa, where he has been working hard to get into playing shape.
It's been a long day that ended with the Stars finding a way to win another game. I am not going to spend a lot of time on the game, which has to take a back seat to the Richards trade. There is no way for me to say one or another on trading for a guy like Richards until I see everything in place. Nothing happens in a vacuum.
Richards is a very good player. There is no doubt about that. I don't care about his plus/minus numbers. I am not sure they were playing much defense in Tampa Bay. His offensive numbers have been down, but that team has been struggling and was hit hard when the cap took hold after the lockout. The bottom line is that he is a good player who can make others around him better. He's a winner. He's won at just about every level and he's been a big time performer in playoff situations. You have to like that. This team needs that.
But to acquire a player like that you have to move people and you are talking cap and all that stuff. When the dust settled, I liked the deal overall.
First, I was really surprised they didn't have to give up any of the young defensemen. I wasn't thrilled when I saw Fistric's name being tossed around in the rumor mill. That Smith was going to be a part of the deal was pretty much a given. Tampa needed goaltending. Smith was eventually going to get a shot at a No. 1 job and it wasn't going to come in Dallas considering Marty's age and status as a top goalie in this league. Losing Smith as a backup is tough, but it was going to happen eventually. Getting a guy like Richards as part his moving on is quite a deal.
I haven't seen a lot of Holmqvist, but he's a good goalie and I think he'll enjoy playing behind the Stars' defensive system, which is far superior to the chaos he had in front of him with Tampa Bay. He should be OK.
I really liked Jussi Jokinen. But again, to get Richards you are going to have to give up some skill on the forward front. Jokinen is a good player who is probably going to get you somewhere around 50 points most years. He's a productive, skilled player. I hope he does well in Tampa.
Halpern is a good player and did some good things here, but I think this team others who can check and win faceoffs and do it for a lot less than $2 million per year.
A fourth round pick in 2009? I can live with that too.
Richards' $7.8 million cap hit is a big one, but the Stars moved a lot of salary in Halpern ($2 million), Jokinen ($1.8) and Smith (.950). That's not just this season, but next season as well. That eases the Stars' cap situation and makes absorbing Richards contract that much more palatable. The Stars have some flexibility, especially with the cap expected to go up again next season.
All that said, this team's depth at forward took a little hit. You took two regular guys out of the mix and added one guy, although that addition is a very high end guy who can log a lot of minutes and play in all situations. Perhaps you can argue it is a wash, but I think some guys who have been scratches more often than in the lineup are going to have to be better moving forward.
I don't know where Richards fits as far as what line or any of that. That's likely to take a little time. These guys aren't cake ingredients you just pull off the shelf, mix them together based on some recipe and have everything come out all tasty and pretty. It may take some time to see what works. I would also think that things could change depending on opponents and other situations that may dictate matchups. Tippett does that now and I would expect him to do that moving forward. I don't think having Richards in the mix is going to change that.
This is one of the best deals pulled off at the deadline this year, and most of the experts are labeling the Stars a big winner at the deadline. But being the winner at the trade deadline doesn't always translate into winning in April, May and June. A lot of things have to fall into place for whoever ends up winning the Stanley Cup. You need some good fortune on the injury front, a few bounces here and there and maybe a call or two to go along with everything else you need to do to win four rounds of the playoffs. Time will tell on all this. But I think Les Jackson and Brett Hull have put the Stars in a good spot now and for the next few years with this move, and I don't think you can ask for anything more. When you look at the key personnel this team has under contract and the ages of some of these guys, it should be a highly competitive team for several more years. In a capped system, that's pretty good.
It's going to be an interesting run down the stretch and into the playoffs.
Order your jersey now. Brad Richards is going to wear No. 91 in Dallas. Obviously his usual 19 is not an option because it is a retired number (Bill Masterton). He is just going to flip the numbers. Genius on his part if you ask me. BTW, the 19 is a Joe Sakic thing. He was a big fan growing up.
No doubt the Stars deal was a big one. So was Marian Hossa going to Pittsburgh. That was shocker. I like the Campbell to San Jose move if I am a Sharks fan.
I'll have some thoughts on the Richards deal once stuff settles down.
The Stars have sent out the official word on the Richards trade. The Stars also sent a fourth round pick in 2009. Here is the release.
The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has acquired Brad Richards and goaltender Johan Holmqvist from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for center Jeff Halpern, forward Jussi Jokinen, goaltender Mike Smith and a 2009 fourth round draft choice.
“Brad is a difference-maker and one of the premier playmakers in the National Hockey League,” said Co-General Manager Les Jackson. “At 27 years of age, he is in the prime of his playing career and a proven winner who has elevated his game to the highest levels in the playoffs. Johan Holmqvist is a reliable NHL goaltender and somebody that we will be confident in each time he is in net. It was difficult to part ways with Jeff, Jussi and Mike, since they are all consummate professionals who have done great things for our organization. Tampa Bay is getting a solid trio of players and we thank them for all they did for the Dallas Stars.”
“We are thrilled to acquire Brad Richards, a top-line talent who can play with any combination of line-mates,” said Co-General Manager Brett Hull. “His Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the 2004 playoffs shows he is capable of great things in the postseason. He is certainly a major addition to our group.”
Richards, 27, has appeared in 62 games with Tampa Bay this season, posting 18 goals and 33 assists for 51 points with nine power play goals and four game-winners. Among Lightning team leaders, he ranks tied for first in power play goals, second in shots (228), third in assists, fourth in goals and fourth in points. Having currently played in 342 straight games, he has only missed two games over his career.
The 6-0, 192-pound center has appeared in 552 career NHL games, registering 150 goals and 339 assists for 489 points with 49 power play goals and 18 game-winners. In 2005-06, Richards collected a career-high 68 assists and 91 points to go along with 23 goals. A five-time 20-goal scorer, he tallied a career-best 26 goals in 2003-04.
Tampa Bay’s all-time franchise leader in assists, Richards also ranks second in Lightning history in points and third in goals. During the 2004 playoffs, he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP as Tampa Bay won its first and only Stanley Cup championship. In 23 post-season games in 2004, he led the league in points (12-14-26) and set an NHL record with seven game-winning goals. He also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2004, awarded to the player who best demonstrates sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct. In 45 career playoff games, he has recorded 18 goals and 29 assists for 47 points.
Holmqvist, 29, has appeared in 45 games with Tampa Bay this season, posting a 20-16-6 record with a 3.01 goals-against-average and a .890 save percentage. Last season with the Lightning, he appeared in 48 games and recorded 27 victories, both career-highs. His 27 wins ranked fifth in team history during his first full NHL season.
The 6-3, 198-pound goaltender was originally drafted by the New York Rangers in the seventh round (175th overall) at the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared in four games over parts of three seasons from 2000 – 2003 with the New York Rangers prior to signing as a free agent with Tampa Bay on July 1, 2006. The Tolfta, Sweden, native has played for his country at the 2006 World Championships and the 1998 World Junior Championships. He was also named Swedish Junior of the Year in 1997-98.
TSN just reported that Brad Richards has been asked to waive his no trade clause and the word is that the Stars are the front runners. Stay tuned. We are getting close on getting this issue resolved.
TSN is reporting that the Buffalo Sabres have shipped defenseman Brian Campbell to San Jose. Good acquisition for the Sharks. No word on what is going the other way.
Today's first trade involved St. Louis sending defenseman Bryce Salvador to New Jersey for Cam Janssen, who is a tough guy. TSN just interviewed Janssen, who said the Blues are trying to get him into town for tonight's game against the Stars. After the interview TSN's Pierre McGuire pointed out it might be good to get Janssen in the lineup to do deal with.... Steve Ott.
Hello, deadline day. NHL Network, if you have access, is carrying TSN's coverage. NHL.com is supposed to stream it. Sportsnet.ca and CBC.ca are supposed to be streaming their own coverage at some point today.
A note from early. TSN just ran its Top Ten players in play at the deadline. Coming at No. 6 is Stars goalie Mike Smith.
Some of you may have seen this report on Yahoo! Sports late last night. Just a word of clarification, from all indications Brad Richards has not been asked to waive his no trade clause yet. He probably will be, but it hasn't happened yet. Most of these players people have moving to Tampa Bay in a deal for Richards are just rumors and speculation at this point.
The Yahoo! report has Smith, Jeff Halpern and Mark Fistric going to Tampa Bay. TSN, as of just a few minutes ago, had Jussi Jokinen included in the Dallas offer. Again, just rumors and speculation. TSN had a nice banner on their graphic calling it a rumored offer.
From TSN: The Lightning have shipped forward Vaclav Prospal to the Philadelphia Flyers for defensemen Alexandre Picard and a second or third round draft pick in 2009.
Everybody was out there for practice today, except for Sergei Zubov. Boucher said after practice that he is close, will travel with the team to St. Louis but doesn't expect to play until later in the week. Jeff Halpern and Stu Barnes both practiced today. Dave Tippett said their status will probably be determined tomorrow. Marty Turco will probably get the nod in goal tomorrow. A lot of chit chat about the deadline, mostly jokes from the players.
The immediate - and long-term future - of the Lightning could be decided today.
The team's present, its front office, will meet with its prospective future,Oren Koules, behind closed doors to discuss the organization's direction as Tuesday's 3 p.m. trade deadline approaches.
The Lightning hierarchy is bracing for a conversation in which Koules will tell general manager Jay Feaster he wants to make massive changes within the next 24 hours, including trading forward Brad Richards, the team's highest-paid player, and determining defenseman Dan Boyle's future in Tampa Bay.
Koules' OK Hockey doesn't own the team, though the group entered into a working agreement on Feb. 13 to purchase the Lightning, the St. Pete Times Forum and 5 1/2 acres of surrounding land from Palace Sports & Entertainment, which has owned the team since 1999. At the time of the agreement, OK Hockey was still seeking financing, and it might take months to finalize the deal.
Still, Palace Sports apparently has given OK Hockey last say on personnel with reports that Koules told Feaster to shop Richards, who will make $7.8-million in each of the next three seasons, in the days before the deadline.
TSN is reporting thatMats Sundin will not waive his no trade clause. I don't think this affects the Stars. I don't believe they were in the market for his services. But there's one big name off the market.
Sundin's statement:
"I have carefully considered the team's request that I waive my no-trade clause," Sundin told TSN. "I have always believed I would finish my career as a Toronto Maple Leaf so the actual request was still a very difficult one for me to contemplate."
"I have spoken to and listened to my family and those closest to me about this issue. In the end, there is no right decision in a situation like this one."
"I cannot leave my teammates and join another NHL Club at this time. I have never believed in the concept of a rental player. It is my belief that winning the Stanley Cup is the greatest thing you can achieve in hockey but for me, in order to appreciate it you have to have been part of the entire journey and that means October through June. I hope everyone will understand and respect my decision."
Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov has had surgery to put a screw in his foot with the fracture. He is expected to be out another three to four weeks. That puts him coming back at the end of March or so, giving him may be a few games before the playoffs begin.
Another impressive for the Stars Saturday night in Nashville. I thought killing off the five-on-three late in the first was the turning point in the game. Seemed to take some life out the Predators and then when lost Ortmeyer, putting them down to ten forwards, they were in some trouble. Great game for the top line, which featured Loui Eriksson this night.
It's nice to see Loui finding the net here the past few games. I talked to him recently and I know he really wanted to get more pucks on net. He's been playing well in other areas and doing some other good things out there. Glad to see him cashing in out there. He's a good kid.
I said it last week and I'll say it again: I don't think any team in the league is playing better than the Stars right now. No one. It's not just the wins and losses. They are playing at a strong level.
Detroit lost again tonight. (Hmmm) Lost to Vancouver, which is starting to come around. Ducks were idle tonight, they host Chicago Sunday night. Sharks are at Pittsburgh in the afternoon. I guess I'll spend my Sunday watching some hockey.
The Stars don't play again until Tuesday night, or after the trade deadline passes. So it looks like it will be a lot of trade speculation until then.
I am not sure there is much to say about this one. It was a solid win over the Oilers. The Stars are clearly the better team and played like it. They made the big plays. The Oilers were running around at times. A couple of those penalties they took (closing the hand on the puck and playing with a broken stick) were just dumb ones.
Jere Lehtinen's block on the clearing attempt that led to the second power play goal was kind of a strange play. You don't see something like that too often. Marty made some key saves. The one on Pisani, when the game was 2-0, was a big one. That could have changed the game if Edmonton had scored. Then again the way the Oilers were playing at times, maybe not.
Excellent game for the Hagman, Jokinen and Eriksson line. I thought they were great early in the game and it paid off later in the period when they got the Stars the early lead. Can't say enough about Steve Ott's play right now. He's been great.
Anyway, interesting game Saturday night in Nashville. Predators have been playing well and this is a team that could be a first round playoff opponent. There's a little history between the two teams, especially in Nashville, so that will make it fun too.
Ducks won in OT against St. Louis Friday night, so they remain four points behind the Stars in the Pacific.
The latest edition of the The Hockey News ranks goalies this season. Marty Turco comes in at No. 10 so far this season. Here is the top ten according to THN:
1. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver
2. Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose
3. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey
4. Pascal Leclaire, Columbus
5. Chris Osgood, Detroit
6. J-S Giguere, Anaheim
7. Tomas Vokoun, Florida
8. Ryan Miller, Buffalo
9. Henrik Lundqvist, NY Rangers
10. Marty Turco, Dallas
This was going to happen eventually, but now it is official. The Stars will have their AHL affiliate located in Cedar Park, near Austin in a couple years. Here are a couple articles.
Here a few items out of practice today. No Jeff Halpern out there today. He has a sore groin and is questionable for tomorrow. It was a bothering him a bit last night and that's why his minutes were down.
The lines were juggle a little. It looked like Jere Lehtinen was getting some time on the right side with Mike Modano and Steve Ott. Loui Eriksson moved on to the line with Jussi Jokinen and Niklas Hagman.
Lundqvist centered Winchester and Barch.
Decision on a starting goalie will come tomorrow. The Stars have back-to-back games with the Oilers Friday and then they play in Nashville on Saturday.
Brett Hull, part of a two-headed GM team in Dallas with Les Jackson, was here for the Stars. He would not talk about needs for his club though.
“I’m not allowed. You’ve got to phone Les,” Hull said. “I’m on an invisible dog collar — I can only say so much before I get shocked. That’s the way we decided we were going to do it when we started this thing, Les and I. He is going to make the calls and do the deal. One voice. Les and I have an idea what we want, who we’re willing to move. I talk to [the GM], and it’s like, ‘I’ll be in the office. Get back to me and Les this week.’”
I wonder who is on the "we're willing to move" list. I think some added scoring punch will be at the top "what we want" list.
Was reading up the the Calgary coverage of last night's game and came across this article on the trade deadline, which is about how it will take one big trade to get the ball rolling. Here's an excerpt:
Realistically, what's happening is no one has yet made a bold move that shifts the balance of power in the sardine-can standings of the Eastern and Western Conference. The prime filets on display -- Marian Hossa, Dan Boyle, Mats Sundin (allegedly), Olli Jokinen -- are still happily ensconced with their clubs as they jockey for a playoff spot.
But should a contender get one of these few difference-makers, be prepared for a flood of copycat trades, each with a more diminished upside than the last. Call it keeping up with the Joneses -- and Burkes and Hollands. (See how the trades of Pau Gasol, Damon Stoudamire and Shaquille O'Neal set off a trade frenzy in the National Basketball Association's ultratight Western Conference?) It says here that it probably won't happen, however -- at least not in the West. The spectre of Anaheim reborn and grinding teams such as the Calgary Flames to a pulp lately has convinced many GMs this isn't the year to waste their precious player resources.
Dallas surrendering first rounders last year for Mattias Norstrom and Ladisav Nagy or Atlanta giving up a fistful of draft picks to rent Keith Tkachuk is too sobering for the most harried GM in 2008. Even they understand once bitten, twice shy in a year that seems fated to have the Ducks on top again.
Most trade deadline deals don't end up paying off. I can see teams being cautious in that regard. But thinking teams are afraid to make a move just because of the Ducks seems a bit much. They are a good team and may be the team to beat once the playoff rolls around, but I don't buy the thought that teams are that much in fear of Anaheim.
I didn't see the game against the Flames as a heck of a lot different than a lot of these other games during the streak. It was a tightly played game that comes down to a few things and on this night the majority of those few things went to the Flames. They cashed in on a mistake to win the game, they won the special teams battle and they made the big plays at the right time. They won the game.
It's one game. They are still 9-2-0 in their last eleven and 12-4-0 in their last 16. They can learn from their mistakes and move on.
Actually, under the circumstances, I thought Calgary played a heck of a game. They played the night before in Phoenix and got in at 3:30 Wednesday morning. I thought they just might fade away in this one, but they hung around the game and found a way to win. Where have we heard that before?
It's not like the Stars had a bad game. I thought they had the better of play at times. A few things did them in. There were the mistakes. The power play scored a goal, but it sucked the life out of things in the second period when it had three chances. It gave up the shorty in the third. That was a sweet move by Alex Tanguay and then a great shot.
It was almost like old times out there with Curtis Joseph in the net. I thought he was solid. I don't think the Stars tested him enough. They had 31 shots, but I don't think he was really ever under siege back there. Still, he was good and made some history with win No. 447, which tied him with Terry Sawchuk on the all-time list.
Anaheim beat Colorado in a shootout, so the Ducks are four points behind the Stars. Sharks lost again, this time to New Jersey, so they remain nine behind and still have their four games in hand.
There were some pretty good hockey games last night. The Habs-Rangers game was a classic. Montreal rallies from a 5-0 deficit to win 6-5 in the shootout. The overtime was great, with some good chances. This was one game I would have loved to have seen settled in the OT. The shootout ending was boring to me.
Anyway, on to the West. Big wins last night for Calgary (over Phoenix), Nashville (over Edmonton) and Vancouver (in OT over Minnesota). Those three teams teams are holding down the bottom three spots based on points percentage in the West right now. Right now the points pace to get in to the playoffs is about 93 or 94.
St. Louis, which beat Chicago, is moving up right now, and Colorado seems to be heading down. Phoenix is holding steady just on the oustide. A team like Columbus would have to go on a 15-4-1 to close out the season to get to 94 points and that still might not be enough.
The most significant news out of practice this morning is that Stu Barnes will be out at least a week. He has a slight tear in his retina, which was repaired with laser surgery on Monday. He is doing fine, but he will be out a minimum of seven days.
Philippe Boucher continues to practice and looks good. He went through full contact today. They'll run him through some more practices and re-evaluate next week. He remains on target for a return by the end of the month, which really isn't that far away.
Still no idea on Sergei Zubov. He's making progress, but isn't skating. He was still wearing the boot today.
With the trade deadline just a week away and the anticipation building, here's a little tidbit to get you even more excited. Did you know that the Stars, Ducks and Sharks have been involved in almost half the league's trades this season. If you go back to September, there have been a whopping 23 trades and the big three of the Pacific have had their hands in 11 of them. The Ducks have made six deals, the Stars have made three and those Sharks, who just seem to be slipping these days on the ice, have made but two.
March 10, 2003 - (1) New Jersey obtains RW GRANT MARSHALL from Columbus for a conditional choice in 2004. (2) New Jersey trades for D RICHARD SMEHLIK and a conditional choice from Atlanta for a fourth-round choice in 2003 (MICHAEL VANNELLI).
The Devils were relatively quiet at the 2003 trade deadline compared to 2002 when they obtained C Joe Nieuwendyk and RW Jamie Langenbrunner from Dallas for C Jason Arnott, RW Randy McKay and New Jersey's first round choice in 2002. Grant Marshall provided timely scoring for the Devils (6-2-8) including a series-clinching goal in triple overtime against Tampa Bay.
January 27, 2004 - Tampa Bay obtains D DARRYL SYDOR and a fourth round draft choice in 2004 for C ALEXANDER SVITOV and a third round draft choice in 2004 (the trade was completed 40 days before the trade deadline).
The 31-year old veteran defenseman brought with him the experience of having appeared in three Stanley Cup Finals, including playing with a championship team in Dallas in 1999.
There's another game that was low in scoring, but high in the entertainment value. Not just because the Stars came out on top either. That was a good game. Definitely a playoff atmosphere surrounding it. A lot of good chances, some great saves and it was tense right down to the end.
The Stars were on their heels early, but Marty Turco came up big. He has just been great since the break. Big saves at key times. He had a couple of great stops on Pavel Datsyuk today. I thought the one on Kris Draper late was a big one as well, although I am not sure Draper got all of it. Not Turco's problem though.
As the game settled in so, so did the Stars. I thought they played a strong second period. I thought Detroit looked out of sync. I think their confidence has been rattled by this winless streak. That said, they were better than they have been recently. I thought Jimmy Howard had a great game for them. He gave them a chance to win. Barely noticed Henrik Zetterberg at times.
Besides Turco, there were a lot of good performances for the Stars. Niklas Hagman came up with the big goal, again. Stephane Robidas had another strong game. He had a couple of great hits. The open ice hit on Tomas Kopecy was a dandy.
It was a good win for the Stars against a very good team. It's nice to see Turco finally get a regulation win against these guys.
Overall, it's hard to name a team in the league that is playing better than the Stars right now. I can't think of one. I don't think the Stars have been some machine, chewing up and spitting out their opponents. But they have been finding ways to win and that's how you get it done in done in the NHL almost on a nightly basis right now. This was another one of those fine line games, and they came out on the right side.
That's why I am not going to overhype this win. They've had their struggles against the Red Wings and been thumped a few times, but a lot of the games over the last few years have been tightly played and came down to just a few things. Just like Sunday's game, which I look at as one very good team beating another very good team.
The Red Wings come in to Dallas in a bit of a slide. They are winless in five (0-4-1) and are coming off a 5-1 loss to Columbus Friday. Here's a little excerpt from the Detroit News article on the game:
The Wings lost 5-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing three goals in the first period for the second consecutive game, and extending a losing streak to five games.
"We thought this was going to be a bounce-back night from what we've been in," coach Mike Babcock said.
"But it was the opposite. We got skated into the ground in the first period.
"This is as bad as we've been tonight. It was unacceptable."
The Wings have gained one of a possible 10 points (0-4-1) during that stretch.
They hadn't lost five consecutive games since Nov. 17-25, 2006.
What might have been most disappointing to the Wings was their lack of energy or spark in the midst of a losing streak.
Babcock, and the team, were expecting more fire than the Wings showed.
"It bothers everybody, the effort we put forth," Kris Draper said.
"We have to pull out of this and it's going to take everybody."
So, you'd expect a good push from them on Sunday. Of course you would have expected a good push from them on Friday. Didn't happen.
They've got some injuries. Brian Rafalski is day-to-day with a groin injury and Niklas Kronwall is out on the blue line. Dominik Hasek has a hip injury, so it looks like Jimmy Howard might get the start in goal over Chris Osgood, who got pulled Friday. Should be an interesting game.
We'll see tomorrow if Marty Turco or Mike Smith gets the start.
Mark Fistric, who took a stick to the face Friday night, is probable for the Stars, so calling up Dan Jancevski will probably end up being more of a precautionary move.
The Stars recalled defenseman Dan Jancevski from Iowa today. Mark Fistric is injured. Here's the release:
The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has recalled defenseman Dan Jancevski under emergency conditions from the Iowa Stars, Dallas’ primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Jancevski, 26, has made two appearances with Tampa Bay this season, going scoreless with two penalty minutes. He has also played in 50 total games with the Norfolk Admirals and Iowa Stars (AHL) this season, posting five goals and 18 assists for 23 points with 64 penalty minutes.
The 6-3, 218-pound defensemen was originally drafted by Dallas in the second round in 1999 (66th overall), and did play in two games with the Stars during the 2005-06 season. Jancevski served as the Iowa Stars’ captain during their inaugural season in ’05-06, leading team defensemen in scoring with 38 points (9-29-38).
The Windsor, Ontario, native played two full seasons with London of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and split a third season between London and Sudbury (OHL). In 197 career junior games, Jancevski collected 17 goals and 64 assists for 81 points with 390 penalty minutes.
That was a strange game in some ways. It was sloppy at times. It was highly entertaining at others. In the end, the Ducks tried to knock the Stars around, took some dumb penalties and the Stars made them pay by scoring three power play goals.
I thought the Stars were on their heels early, dodge a couple of bullets and, thanks to some undisciplined play by the Ducks, were able to turn the game around with the special teams play. They cashed in two pretty long five-on-three chances and a five-on-four and killed off all four Anaheim chances as well. That was the big difference in the game.
There were some other key moments and nice plays here and there. Steve Ott had the Ducks juggling their lines after Chris Kunitz took the instigator and was out out of action for quite a while. I thought the Krys Barch fight helped shift the momentum a bit there in the first. Marty Turco had some good saves, got saved by some nice defensive plays by his mates and was lucky George Parros couldn't finish a play and that Ryan Getzlaf shot wide on another and picking off a Turco pass.
Stephane Robidas had a great game. He's had some very strong games lately. He's been very good on the power play and has filled in nicely with Sergei Zubov and Philippe Boucher on the shelf.
The Stars were good at times, lucky at other times and executed at key times. When you added everything up it was a win and another important two points for the Stars, especially in relation to their Pacific Division competition.
You knew the streak would end eventually, and the way things went Thursday night it was a game they deserved to get beat. It wasn't a very good effort. They lost in just about every area.
Give the Coyotes credit. They played a good game. It's not easy beating a team two straight in these home-and-home deals, especially a good team like Phoenix with a top notch goalie like Ilya Bryzgalov. He's been rock solid the last two games. He just makes them a much different team.
The Stars were lackluster to start and when they finally got going Bryzgalov closed the door, especially in the second period. Both Dallas goals were strange plays. It could have nothing for the Stars' offensively on this night. That's the way it goes. It's hard to be on top of your game 82 times during the regular season. You are going to throw out some clunkers. It's easier to throw them out when their is another team on the other side doing everything it can to try to win as well. There are no easy games. The Stars are probably going to hit another little slide at some point before the regular season too.
Anyway, it is on to Anaheim for a big tilt Friday night. As much as people are watching what the Sharks are doing (lost 3-2 to Edmonton Thursday night), the Ducks, who have won five in a row, are knocking on the door in the Pacific as well. They are only four points behind the Stars and both teams have played 61 games. None of that games in hand stuff with these two teams. After tomorrow night the Stars' lead over the Ducks will somewhere between two and six points, depending on who wins and whether that win comes in regulation or comes in OT or the skills competition. It's a measuring stick game against a team that is playing well, but it is also a big game as far as the standings. These are some big points.
And then another good measuring stick game on Sunday. Plenty to talk about over the next couple of days with these two games.
I watched both the Ducks and Sharks games last night and both were good games. Ducks scored late to beat Colorado, wrapping up their nine-game road trip with five wins in a row. The Sharks played extremely well against the Flames, but blew a lead late and ended up falling in OT to the Flames. San Jose didn't win, but got still at least got a point.
The Stars and Sharks are now dead even in points (winning) percentage at .625. Although there is a lot of focus on the Sharks and their games in hand, it's a three-team race in the Pacific and I think the Ducks are the bigger threat to the Stars than the Sharks. The Ducks, like the Stars, have wrapped up the hardest part of their schedule and have 14 of their 21 remaining games at home. They are just four points behind the Stars, who have the game in hand in this case. Friday's game in Anaheim will be big one as far as the Pacific standings.
Here's a look at the West standings based on points (winning) percentage and each team's points pace. The current pace for the final spot is up to 93 and that has increased a bit here. I still think it will end up at 95 or 96 points, so a lot of teams are still in it. But teams like St. Louis, Phoenix and Columbus are going to have to get on rolls to make a run at it.
"If you can add a player and it's not too pricey, great," Dallas Stars co-GM Les Jackson told The Canadian Press. "But on the other hand, if you mortgage your future in the cap environment we're playing in, what you to today can have a big effect on tomorrow. You need your draft picks, you need that crew of young guys coming in.
"If you're trading first-, second-and third-round picks, these guys generate the core of your team and if you're giving them away, at some point the dog's going to bite you."
Quote #2
"At one point we would have liked to have added a guy but through the season we've had a couple of guys emerge, Loui Erickson and Steve Ott for example have taken their games to new levels," said Jackson. "In a lot of ways we don't have that urgency that we had before. We've got a fairly good group of guys playing.
"In the cap system we're in, unless we can make an ideal trade, we're just probably better off going with our young guys."
Read into it what you want, but Jackson doesn't sound like a guy who is going to make a blockbuster. He sounds like a guy who is going to tweak before the deadline, and I don't have a problem with that. I am not sure they need that big name goal scorer that gets everyone excited. I am thinking depth. I think another forward who is versatile and can chip in some offense would help. Another committee member, so to speak.
I know everyone gets excited over the deadline and all, but most of these big deadline deals seldom pay big dividends. Building a team happens over a long period of time and happens through several different avenues, and the deadline is just one small part of it. There is way too much emphasis placed on it and teams usually do dumb things and get burned. Nowadays with the cap, you can really get burned down the road as well because you just can't spend money to cover your mistakes. If Jackson and Brett Hull decide to play it low key and just tweak, I am fine with that. Getting Boucher back will be a big addition. Double ditto for getting Zubov back. Getting Lehtinen back has been a big boost. Sometimes people overlook stuff like that. The grass isn't always greener on the other side.
Just a few tidbits. I have been listening to XM Radio's Hockey Channel off and on today. The Stars are getting their props today. Being the lone game on national TV the night before and winning seven games in a row will do that for you. One of the guys on XM's Face Off said a little while ago they might be the best team in the league right now and said he might move Brenden Morrow into his top five for MVP consideration.
I don't know about Morrow as MVP, but I think the Stars are playing as well as anybody else right now.
Both the Sharks and Ducks are in action tonight. The Ducks wrap up their nine-game road trip in Colorado tonight. The Ducks have won four in a row, so they seem to back on track. It's on Versus at 8:30 p.m. (CT).
The Sharks, who have won six of eight, host the Flames. It's the next to last game of their six-game road trip before they head out on the road for eight straight.
And on a note of local hockey interest, I was sent a link about a site that webcasts local high school hockey games ever Thursday and said I would pass it on. Here is the link: LoneStarHockey.com
Another game, another win. The Stars were clearly the better team on this night, at least for the final 50 minutes or so, but Ilya Bryzgalov almost stole this game for the Coyotes. He wasn't flopping around spectacular, but he was rock solid. He was in position and wasn't giving up rebounds. He gave his team a chance to win, but it wasn't enough.
The Stars played a very strong game and the difference was guys making plays. Steve Ott made a play. Mike Modano made a couple of big plays on that game-winner. Marty Turco made some big saves to keep that game 1-0. He and Mike Smith have delivered some timely stops during this streak, which is now seven games.
I hate to see games get settled by five-on-three power plays when one of the penalties involves someone accidentally shooting the puck over the glass. I think that is a worthless penalty, but the league wants stuff like this to create more offense and the Stars took advantage of it. Once you get the chance you still have to execute and the Stars did that.
Overall, they are playing well and finding ways to win games right now. They are probably playing as well as anyone in the league. They are always in games, which means they always have a chance to win and right now they are winning them.
To me the most important thing about this streak is that the Stars have buried a lot of these teams at the lower end of the playoff hunt. A few weeks ago those teams were a threat and right now they don't look so threatening. Now, it is starting to shape up as a battle between the Stars, Sharks and Ducks for the Pacific Division and that top three seed. They've got the Coyotes on Thursday and then big measuring stick games against the Ducks (Friday) and the Red Wings (Sunday). Lots of good stuff to look forward to over the next several days.
Late on this one, but the Stars signed Krys Barch to a two-year extension. He's a player who fills a role and comes in at a good price.
The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has re-signed right wing Krys Barch to a two-year deal worth $1.15 million ($575,000 each season) through the 2009-10 season. Barch’s current contract was set to expire at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season.
“Krys has done a solid job in his role on our hockey club and we are glad to bring him back for the next two years,” said Co-General Manager Les Jackson. “He is a hard-nosed player who plays with an edge and gives us everything he has each shift.”
Barch, 27, has appeared in 34 games with Dallas this season, recording one goal and two assists for three points with 78 penalty minutes. His 78 penalty minutes rank second on the club. Last season, he appeared in 26 games with the Stars, registering three goals and two assists for five points with 107 penalty minutes. Two of his three goals proved to be game-winners during his first career NHL season. The 6-2, 200-pound right wing collected his first career multi-point game on Feb. 23 vs. Anaheim (1-1-2). He also appeared in 31 games with Iowa last season, recording three goals and five assists for eight points with 110 penalty minutes.
Originally signed as a free agent by the Stars on July 18, 2006, Barch skated in 43 games for Iowa in 2005-06, recording seven goals and six assists for 13 points, to go along with a team-high 129 penalty minutes. He also appeared in all seven of Iowa’s Calder Cup Playoff games, posting an assist and 27 penalty minutes.
The native of Guelph, Ont., has appeared in 224 career AHL games over parts of seven seasons, notching 25 goals and 41 assists for 66 points with 444 penalty minutes. He was originally drafted by Washington in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.
The past couple of years I would have yawned at the thought of another game against the Coyotes, especially a home-and-home series, but not these days. Phoenix is a fun team to watch. They've got some good players up front, a good group of defensemen, they forecheck hard and are an improved team. Ilya Bryzgalov, although he has struggled lately, has given them quality goaltending.
They've slipped a little bit lately, winning just one of six, but they are still within striking distance of that final playoff spot in the West. They should have some desperation in their game tonight. Dave Tippett said it would be a good challenge, and he isn't blowing smoke here with the usual coach speak.
Phoenix has won two of three, including 5-2 and 5-0 victories. All that happened much earlier in the season. The Stars are a different team and so are the Coyotes.
Don't forget that tonight is an early start - 6 p.m. - due to the Versus broadcast.
Here's some material on the Richard Zednik incident from last night. If you weren't aware, he took a skate to the throat last night during the Panthers-Sabres game in Buffalo. Zednik was listed in stable condition following surgery to close the wound. One of the reports I read said he was expected to head back to South Florida on Monday.
Here is the video of the incident. This is from MSG Network. It's not graphic in my opinion, but it is disturbing when you think about what is going on out on the ice and that the people there are watching it unfold with no clue as to how it will all turn out.
That was a fun game as far as entertainment value. People got their a good bang for their buck at the AAC. As far as a competitive game, it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Goaltending really hurt the Blues, put them in a hole and gave the Stars control of the game from early in the second period onward.
The bottom line is it's another big two points and the winning streak continues. Are they playing that well? Dave Tippett was trying to put some things in perspective last night, pointing out that goaltending has carried them a lot in some of the wins and that less than stellar goaltending on the other side helped them last night. Still, I think they have enough things going right in each game to give them a chance to win and then they find a way to get it done. The goaltending and penalty killing have been excellent every night. The power play has picked up again lately. Lots of guys continue their march to career years and each night one, two or three or those guys are getting it done on any given night. That all adds up to wins and points.
A week of divisional games ahead. Home-and-home with Phoenix and then they'll be in Anaheim against the Ducks on Friday. That should be a fun one.
Who says 1-0 games are boring? That was a pretty good tilt. At least I was entertained, and not just because the Stars ended up on the right side of a 1-0 final. Some good chances, some outstanding goaltending and a fight. The game turned on that sequence of events early in the the third with the Mike Smith save on Gaborik and then Loui Eriksson setting up Niklas Hagman, who made the nifty move to beat Backstrom. I think that all took about 15 seconds or so to unfold. Good stuff.
"It's all about finding ways to win right now," Stars coach Dave Tippett. "That was a hard-fought game that we found a way to win."
They've found a way to win five in a row here. All these games have been pretty tight and I think all of them could have gone either way, but the goaltending has been outstanding and has been the key to this run. Marty Turco was excellent in the first four games and then Smith came up big in Minnesota.
The Stars have recalled Tobias Stephan from Iowa and placed Sergei Zubov on injured reserve. Here is the release from the Stars.
The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has placed defenseman Sergei Zubov on the injured reserve, retro-active to January 17, with a groin injury. The club also recalled goaltender Tobias Stephan under emergency conditions from the Iowa Stars, Dallas’ primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League. Stephan will join the club in Minnesota for their contest against the Wild tonight, as Marty Turco did not make the trip for precautionary reasons due to a sore neck.
Zubov, 37, has missed Dallas’ last seven games with the injury, as well as the 2008 NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta, after having been selected to the Western Conference squad for the Jan. 27 game. In 46 games this season, he has collected four goals and 31 assists for 35 points, leading Dallas in assists and average time on ice (25:41). Among NHL defensemen, he ranks tied for fourth in assists and tied for eighth in points. He is the only defensemen to record 30-plus assists for 12 straight seasons now and is just five points away from becoming the only NHL blue-liner with 12 straight campaigns of 40-plus points.
For the first time in his career, Zubov was nominated for the Norris Trophy following the 2005-06 season and was also named to the NHL Second All-Star Team. In 1,058 games over his career with the New York Rangers (1992-95), the Pittsburgh Penguins (1995-96) and the Stars (1996-present), he has tallied 152 goals and 615 assists for 767 points. He is the highest-scoring Russian defenseman in NHL history and is third all-time among European-born defenseman (Nicklas Lidstrom and Borje Salming).
A two-time Stanley Cup winner (1999 with Dallas and 1994 with the Rangers) and Olympian (1992), Zubov has also played in 153 career playoff games. During the post-season over his career, he has notched 23 goals and 88 assists for 111 points. In 1994, he became the first defensemen to lead a team in scoring that finished first overall in the NHL. During the 1993-94 season with New York, he registered 89 points (12-77-89) in 78 contests.
Stephan, 24, made his NHL debut on Oct. 13 at Chicago and stopped 38 of the 40 shots he faced in a 2-1 overtime loss. In 39 games with the Iowa Stars this season, Stephan has posted a 17-16-2 record with a 2.60 goals-against-average, a .907 save percentage and two shutouts.
The 6-2, 180-pound goaltender appeared in his first North American professional season in 2006-07 with Iowa and posted a 10-15-0 record, a 2.88 goals-against-average and a shutout in 27 games played. He also played in two of Iowa’s Calder Cup Playoff games last season, recording a 3.46 goals-against-average.
The native of Zurich, Switzerland, was originally selected by Dallas in the second round (No. 34 overall) of the 2002 Entry Draft. He played for the Kloten Flyers in the Swiss National League from 2002-06 and represented Switzerland at the 2002 and 2003 World Junior Championships, as well as the 2001 and 2002 World Under-18 Championships.
Sharks lost 3-1 to Colorado last night, so there goes one of those games in hand. It's down to four and the Stars are four points ahead. As I said yesterday, nothing happens in a vacuum. The Stars will have five games in hand after tonight, but can push that lead to six points. That makes it more difficult for San Jose to catch them despite the difference in game.
I watched the Sharks and Avs last night. Slow start for the Sharks, but they came on strong over the last two periods. Jose Theodore was excellent for Colorado. The San Jose announcers were saying that is the best he has looked in a couple of years, and I would have to agree. He looked sharp and confident. Colorado needs that with Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth and Paul Stastny out of the lineup right now.
Another big game for the Stars tonight. As much as the battle for the division title is important, so is the fight for positioning with teams like the Wild. Minnesota is a possible first round opponent and if the two teams meet as the fourth and fifth seeds, then home ice is based strictly on record and not division winner vs. lower seed.
Marty Turco did not practice. He is still a little stiff from that hit he took in last night's game. He got some treatment this morning and some more this afternoon. Coach Dave Tippett said he didn't think it was anything serious, just day after stiffness. They'll wait and see how Turco is tomorrow.
Nothing much new on Sergei Zubov. He is still not skating and there is no time table for his return due to to the foot and groin issues.
According to the latest reports, Peter Forsberg has said no to the Stars, Red Wings, Predators and Flames. TSN has a recap of all the rejection notices. Let's see, which teams could that possibly leave. Colorado and Philly. Big surprise there.
Mike Heika had the Dallas angle in today's paper. Do I have a problem with the Stars going after Forsberg? No, not really. He's still a good player who can do a lot of good things, and you aren't having to trade away players or other assets to get him. Am I surprised he said no? Not really.
Another big two points for the Stars last night. I thought the Stars had the better of play, but the Canucks, especially Roberto Luongo, played very well. It was a tight game. It's like just about every other night in the NHL. It comes down to just a few things. That fine line thing. This one came down to the shootout. Trevor Linden hitting the post with a chance to win sums up how things are going for Vancouver these days.
As for the Stars, with the four straight wins they have pushed their winning percentage to the third best in the West behind only Detroit and San Jose. Sixth in the league, in case you are wondering. With their four-game winning streak out of the break, the Stars have done a nice job of putting some distance between themselves and the teams battling down there around the eighth spot. The pace for the final spot is 91 points right now and the Stars are at 99. But don't get too giddy. One four-game losing streak and they are back down in the seventh place range as far as winning percentage. That's how tight it is.
When people talk about games in hand they'll often say that the teams with games in hand have to win them. A lot of times that is true, but not always. If the team doing the chasing has a higher winning percentage, then that team may need just a certain number of points and not all of them need to be wins. San Jose is a perfect example. The Sharks have a higher winning percentage than the Stars, but are four points behind with five games in hand. They just need five points. A 2-2-1 record would do the trick. So would 0-0-5.
But nothing happens in a vacuum. Teams continue to play and the picture can change when one team goes on a roll or another team goes on a slide. The best the Stars can do is just keep picking up as many points as they can and make the task harder for the Sharks and the other teams.
Here's a look at the West based on winning percentage through last night. I've done it based on playoff seeding, giving the division leaders the top three spots.
I was checking up on the Canucks this afternoon and their defense is a mess right now. Here's what it looks like for tomorrow night's game against the Stars.
Mattias Ohlund flew back to Vancouver for personal reasons. His status is not known, but it doesn't sound like he is playing.
Lukas Krajicek flew back to Vancouver to nurse a shoulder injury. He is out.
Aaron Miller is day-to-day with a foot injury.
Sami Salo will likely play, but he has been dealing with a groin injury that has forced him to miss the last couple games.
Willie Mitchell (back) and Kevin Bieksa (calf) remain out.
Marty Turco was named the NHL's second star of the week.
No surprise, but he will get the start against the Canucks tomorrow night.
Line combinations in practice were the same as Saturday night. Those were the ones where Ott played with Modano and Lehtinen.
No Sergei Zubov. He is being listed as week-to-week.
Philippe Boucher is skating before practices, but he is not doing anything like shooting pucks or anything that would involve his shoulder. So he is still a ways out as far as a return.
The Red Wings at Stars game on February 17 will be carried by NBC, so that means a time change. It will now be at 2:30 pm instead of Noon. Here is the release from the Stars.
NBC and the National Hockey League announced that the Detroit Red Wings at Dallas Stars contest on Sunday, February 17 has been selected as the national game of the week. As a result, the game time will be changed to 2:30 p.m. (instead of Noon).
Here are the Western Conference standings based on points (winning) percentage through Saturday's games. The Stars - thanks to that 3-0-0 road swing through Western Canada - have created some decent separation between themselves and those teams battling around the eighth spot. The pace for the last spot is around 90 points right now and the Stars are on a pace for 98 points. Those three wins coming out of the break have made the task much harder for the teams with games in hand on the Stars.
On paper, at least, the Sharks still in pretty good shape in relation to the Stars. Their win over Chicago yesterday helped their cause. The Ducks? They don't have games in hand on anyone and they've got some issues right now. They've lost six straight and been shutout in the last two. They are only three games into a eight-game road trip. It's the Islanders, Rangers, Devils, Red Wings and Avalanche ahead. Phoenix is picking up points, and is hanging on to that last spot based on points percentage.
That's it. 2-1 win. Turco with another excellent game. Penalty kill comes up big again. Get an ugly goal off Morrow, a pretty shot by Hagman and a great game from Ott.
The Stars sweep the Western Canada trip for six big points.
Another big kill there and now they'll need another. Thought maybe Hagman was going to put it away with that shorthanded chance, but nice play by Aucoin to lift the stick.
Official scoresheet has Morrow with the Stars goal. Maybe it bounced off him. Maybe they'll change it back. Doesn't matter to me. Just passing it along.
Some big saves by Turco and a timely goal by Ribeiro and the Stars are tied 1-1 going into the third period.
Flames radio guys are asking Mattias Norstrom about Steve Ott during the second period intermission interview. Otter getting some love from the Flames guys for his physical play there in the second period. Flames broadcasters are saying a lot of good things about the Stars.
The Flames PP looked good that time, but Turco was great. He robbed Langkow. That was huge. Let's see if the Stars can build some momentum off of that.
No score so far, but some good action and some good chances. Marty and Kipper both look good.
Lines:
Ott-Modano-Lehtinen
Morrow-Ribeiro-Miettinen
Winchester-Halpern-Barnes
Hagman-Jokinen-Eriksson
Barch out with back issue
Game time getting close. Sharks won earlier today over Chicago, so they pulled even in points. They will have four games in hand on the Stars after Dallas plays tonight. The points are, as always, big. Ditto for the Flames.
Marty Turco in net for Dallas.
As I mentioned earlier in the post this is a game to watch from the perspective of a potential playoff opponent down the road. I am not going to predict what will happen in a series based on a game on a Saturday night in early February, but I know this: Calgary would be a tough matchup for anyone. Good goaltending, some top end talent up from and very good defensemen.
A programming note for tonight. Stars center Mike Modano will be the guest on Hockey Night in Canada: After Hours. CBC will put that up on its website eventually and you can find it here. Click on Hockey Night on Canada on the left and then scroll down to HNIC After Hours. Of course, if you have access to CBC you can watch it live.
It was another good night around the league for the Stars, who of course helped their cause by picking up two points. That just makes life more difficult for all those teams with games in hand. Big game tonight against the Flames, who are neck and neck with the Stars in the standings and would be the first round opponent in the playoffs if you go by points (winning) percentage.
Vancouver lost again, but did pick up a point. The Canucks are not having much luck on their tour of the lackluster Southeast Conference. Colorado lost to Detroit. You have to love those Red Wings right now. The Stars aren't going to catch them so, as I said earlier, you might as well have them do you a favor and take points away from the the other teams. The Blues beat the Ducks in a shootout. You don't like those three point games, but from a division standpoint seeing the Ducks not get two is good.
Here are the standings based on winning percentage through Friday's games.
Ott with the empty netter to make it 4-1. Otter's eighth of the season. He may hit double figures.
Good win for the Stars. Survived the early push thanks to Marty Turco. Special teams came up big in the second period. Lethinen looked good in his return.
Should be a good one against Flames tomorrow. Calgary is playing well.
Good second period for the Stars. They pushed back well, got two and took the lead. Special teams were big. Still just a one-goal game and the Oilers showed a little push at the end of the period, so it should be an interesting third period.
No comment on the officiating.
They revised the first period shots to 17-5. Oilers outshot the Stars 11-9 in the second.
Big goal there by Robidas, who is Mr. Power Play right now. Tough break for the Oilers with Stoll's stick breaking. Stars' special teams have turned it around here.
Good kill by the Stars. Great shot by Morrow off the nice feed by Ribeiro and we are 1-1. That's hockey. All that domination early by the Oilers and we still have a tied game at almost the midway point.
Well, that wasn't a pretty first period but it wasn't that bad as far as the score. Marty Turco was good and kept it a one-goal game. We'll see if the Stars can do anything with the power play time early in the second.
Shot total was 17-4 for the Oilers. Remember, the Oilers only had 13 shots the other night against the Sharks.
There's the payoff for that strong early push by the Oilers, who are dictating play so far. Zack Stortini on the rebound to make it 1-0 early. By the way, he's the guy Steve Ott was checking out before the opening faceoff.
First goal is important, but I think the second one is bigger. You negate giving up the first goal by scoring the second.
Game is just about to start. I am expecting a strong push early from the Oilers, who generated just 13 shots in losing to the Sharks 3-0 the other day.
Jere Lehtinen back in the lineup after missing 33 games.
One of the site's readers, Scott, asked that I post the winning percentage standings on the site since there is still a discrepancy between in games played between some of the teams. So here they are through last night. The points pace for eighth dropped to 90 points because Vancouver, which had been holding down the eighth spot heading into last night's games, lost again. Now it sits at 90 points and a bunch of teams are bunched up there. A couple of those teams win and it will move up again. I still think it is going to be around 94 or 95 points.
I added the points pace column to show where each team stands as far as where they would finish based on their current winning percentage (or points percentage if you prefer).
Well, it's another game against the Oilers tonight. Usually they are tight and entertaining. Edmonton is coming off a brutal 3-0 loss to San Jose. Coach Craig MacTavish ran them through a hard practice with a some hard skating the next day. I'd expect a big a good effort from the Oilers tonight.
Looks like Jere Lehtinen finally gets back in tonight. I am sure it will take him some time to get up to speed with game shape, timing and all that. Anytime you bring back a guy who has been out that long you've got to see where he fits in the current configuration and that brings up the old line combinations thing. I like line combinations. I always mention who plays with whom during the practices and in the games. I don't worry too much when lines get juggled. Sometimes I scratch my head, but not a lot. It's going to happen over the course of the season. Guys get hurt. Guys go cold. Guys grow stale together. Opponents are different and call for different matchups. That's why I don't like to read too much into what goes on with combinations, especially when it looking at in groups of threes.
Most coaches, including Dave Tippett, seem to look at pairs and then mix in a third guy. Right now as we head down the stretch I start looking at what kind of pairs the Stars have working. Brenden Morrow and Mike Ribeiro are two players who have been obviously working very well together. Lehtinen and Mike Modano have had a long history together. I think two other other guys who have developed very good chemistry this season are Steve Ott and Jeff Halpern. Those are three good pairings and I think you look for guys who can fill the third spot in each group. Perhaps Tippett is looking for a fourth pair, maybe somebody who clicks with Stu Barnes. Anyway, that's the way I think that is the way people should look at it instead of always wondering about the lines in groups of three.
