Stars News & Notes: Looking to build on impressive win
Coming off what forward Steve Ott called the team's best game of the year, the Dallas Stars are looking to build on that as they hit the road for a stretch of five straight games away from the American Airlines Center.
And during that stretch of road games the Stars are hoping to behind them some of the inconsistency that has plagued their play during the first ten games of the season. The last five games are a good example.
There was impressive win over the Rangers, which was followed by a the dismal loss to the Devils, the win over the Islanders, the 6-5 overtime loss to Washington and then Wednesday night's win over Minnesota.
To Ott, the win over the Wild is the game to focus on moving forward. Everything else on the team's roller coaster ride of ups and downs is history to him.
"To say we've battled some inconsistency lately is probably an understatement," Ott said after Thursday's practice in Frisco. "I think we take momentum from our best game of the year, which was Minnesota, and we start from there. You look at those past games and those are in the past.
"You look at the Minnesota game and you take all the good points and we transfer them into Chicago and Boston and start snowballing it in the right direction."
The right direction for the Stars would be to put together solid back-to-back games, something they haven't done this season. They haven't won back-to-back games either.
But it hasn't been all bad. They have picked up seven of a possible ten points over their last five games by going 3-1-1. That's pulled their record to 4-4-2 on the season. The overall record is so-so, but Ott said win number four paints a truer picture of the real Dallas Stars.
"Wednesday night was a good indication of how our team should be playing," said Ott. "That's our standard of hockey. We've set the bar to that level and now we have to raise it in Chicago and throughout the year."
The Stars now take their show on the road, where they play their next five games. They have games in Chicago and Boston Friday and Saturday, get a few days off and then start a three-game California road trip next Friday in Anaheim.
Stars coach Dave Tippett would like to see the Stars take what the Stars put on the ice against Minnesota and take it with them on the road.
"We need everybody to defend well. We need special teams. Our power play has been good the last four or five games, but our penalty kill still has to improve because we are not at the level we need to be," Tippett said. "There's always room for improvement, but going on the road you always want to play solid, solid hockey. That's what we'll be looking for on the road."
Stars Notes/Injury update/Practice Notes
- Stars coach Dave Tippett would not reveal his
goaltending plans for the Friday and Saturday back-to-back games in
Chicago and Boston.
"Won't make that decision until later on," Tippett said after Thursday's practice.
- Captain Brenden Morrow, who took a puck in the
mouth late in Wednesday night's game, practiced on Thursday.
"I got a few stitches and we have to wait a few days to see how the nerve reacts in the tooth," Morrow said on The Ticket Thursday afternoon. "May have to take a tooth or two out after a few days too."
- Defenseman Mark Fistric, who had to leave the
game briefly after taking a puck to the midsection while blocking a
shot, practiced as well and said he was doing OK.
"Right in the rib. It was a real good shot," Fistric said after Thursday's practice. "I've got to block those shots, that' my role. You hope it hits pad, but sometimes they don't. It's a little tender, but it's all right. Nothing bad, nothing broken. Just a bad bruise. I'll be fine."
- Forward Jere Lehtinen skated before practice on
Thursday. Tippett hopes to get Lehtinen into a full practice by next
week.
"He'll continue to skate while we are gone. His first test will come next Wednesday with a full practice, but that's only if he progresses as we hope," Tippett said.
- Mike Modano did not practice Thursday. Tippett
said it was a day of rest for Modano.
- The line combinations were the same as those used in Wednesday's game. Assistant coach Stu Barnes filled in for Modano and centered James Neal and B.J. Crombeen at times.
