Stars-Blackhawks thoughts
/Andrew's Dallas Stars Page
Well, another step in the wrong direction. I’ll be honest, I though they were really turning the corner here. They were 3-1-1 in their last five games and looked outstanding in the win over Minnesota on Wednesday. And then this. What can you say? It’s the same old stuff, same old problems. There were a lot of odd-man rushes, too many in fact.
I thought Tobias Stephan played a pretty solid game. He kept them in most of the night and gave them a chance to win. He held the fort early and the Stars got the early 1-0 lead, but that didn’t last long. The penalty kill, which has been dismal, gave up a goal and it was a tie game. An odd-man rush goal by Patrick Kane and it’s 2-1 after one.
It was a 2-2 game and the Stars had 1:08 of five-on-three power play time. That was probably the turning point of the game right there. I thought the Stars had the momentum going there, especially with that chance following right after the Steve Ott goal that tied the game, and then it shifted the other way when the Stars failed to score.
Kane sets up Brent Sopel and Chicago’s got the lead for good. The Stars maybe press a little too hard for the tying goal and they end up getting burned with another odd-man rush by Andrew Ladd that puts the game away for Chicago. The Stars looked like a beaten and frustrated team by the end of the night.
It’s still way too soon to hit the panic button, but there’s ample reason for concern when you look at how inconsistent this team has been. We’ll see what they can roll out in Boston Saturday night. Marty Turco will be back in net. Boston’s coming off a road trip to Western Canada so there may be some sluggish play from the Bruins. Brad Richards, who missed Friday’s game with a lower body injury, is day-to-day and his status is up in the air.
I think it is time to hit the panic button. Almost 15% of the season is gone and the Stars have given up more goals than any other team and are already 8 points behind the Sharks and falling fast. There is still time, but because they are up against the cap, they cant do much in the market. When do they start to realize they are in trouble...the All-Star break? 15 points behind the Sharks? The time is now!
The corps of complementary players are now young players instead of vets like in the olden days. This didn’t hurt the Stars last year but with the cast of players changing even more, the Stars may be due for a continuing period of inconsistent play until everyone adjusts to their role. In the long run, the Stars will be better off for this age shift.
Mike,
I agree about all the missing pieces. Those players not being around have left some big holes to fill. This is still a team trying to find itself. It will be interesting to see what happens when Zubov and Lehtinen get back.
Jeff,
Let’s not forget they were 5-6-2 after their first 13 games last year and were giving up a lot of goals, although not quite at this season’s level. Different team, different players and all, but it’s still too early to panic. I’d like to see Zubov get back in the lineup before hitting the panic button. If he gets in and they continue to struggle, then it is time to hit the panic button and for the Stars to do something dramatic to starting righting the ship.
All good points, thats why this is your site. I hope Zubov and Lehtinen can help to right the ship. I’m not sure what other choices they will have.
Not quite time to hit the panic button, but once we’re at the 25 game mark, something drastic will be in order. I’d love for Dallas to make a move to acquire Bouwmeester from Florida (for Daley, Boucher and another roster player or prospect possibly). Zubie is likely in his last year and the young defense needs time to grow and learn from mistakes. But having said that, a solid defender being added into the mix, like a Jay B., would be of great help. The biggest problem is that there isn’t one glaring hole that stands out. The defense hasn’t been playing effectively, but then Turco hasn’t been sharp either. The offense is predominantly minus right now. Tippet’s contract was extended. We have no cap room. What is there to possibly do to shake things up? I like the 3 rookies’ play so far. Avery is a solid post-season addition and adds a lot of versatility and gusto to our offense. Lehtinen, Richards and Lundqvist’s injuries hurt, but then with Leht’s, I no longer think that we can really count on him. It’s been sort of a given the past 5 seasons that he’s a 60 game guy. And I really think that Eriksson has made him expendable.
The departures of Norstrom, Barnes, Miettinen, and Hagman did more damage to team chemistry than one would have thought. That damage has been aggravated by the absence of Zubov and Lehtinen, leaving sophomores and freshmen to behave like sophomores and freshmen. In addition, preseason was used as an endless round of auditions for newcomers. It’s no wonder that the team isn’t yet a team.