No, there wont be any dancing involved and barring some strange twilight zone scenario you probably wont see any telescopes either. There will be Stars though.
For hardcore Dallas Stars fans this year has been pretty hard to watch, in fact possibly one of the hardest in recent years. From the get-go this has been a year when the Stars simply were not meant to go super-nova. It all started right back at the start of the season when Brett Hull announced with a big smile on his face that the team signed Sean Avery to a contract worth twice his value for years double what you’d think right through and continued til recently when Brad Richards broke his wrist, only to break the OTHER one on his first game back! Losing Captain Brendan Morrow sure didn’t help with the teams grand plans either, nor did Zubov being out for all but 10 games and a multitude of other injuries to players like Lehtinen, Parrish & Brunnstrom. In fact at recent count over 300 man hours of games have been lost to injuries this season.
This season’s Dallas Stars remind me of the old nursery rhyme… “Twinkle Twinkle little star, how i wonder what you are”.
Who are you? Or, to be more accurate, what are you expected to be?
Brad Richards injury had the team turning to Mike Modano to fill his role. All of a sudden the 38 year old who has spent much of the past 2 seasons on the 3rd line as a checking center was expected to play 22+ minutes on the 2nd line and do so like he was in his prime. Forgive me, but while Mike is a legend and still one of the best in the game, he’s not the guy he was when the Stars won the cup in ‘99.
The blue line suffered all year long with rookie mistakes, lackluster performances and a vast constellation of turnovers, pun intended. It’s no wonder either considering you have Stephane Robidas and Nicklas Grossman expected to play #1 Defenseman minutes with the same skill, tenacity and patience that Zubov delivered.
All that aside, mediocre defensive performances and less “punchy” top lines can still win games. Afterall, the last line of defense is none other than “the wall”, Marty Turco. Surely after his standout performances in last years playoffs he could help carry this depleted & fatigued to a playoff spot. Right? Normally, yes but it would appear at some time between game 1 and game 71 of this season Marty Turco forgot how to stop pucks on a consistent basis. With no quality back-up goalie to challenge Marty for the net, it appears even Marty forgot who he is.
What a year! Many Stars fans will be happier when this season ends than they were when Sean Avery got the boot out of big D.
What now? Clearly this team needs a change. The Two-Headed Snake of Brett Hull and Les Jackson did not impress fans when they failed to deliver a #1 defenseman at the trade deadline, instead opting to get Brenden Morrison to replace Brad Richards. An ok move, but not one that really helped this struggling team.
The off season is now the focus for many Stars fans. What will this team get? What do they need? Who will stay or go? Here are some interesting points to ponder…
Sergei Zubov and Jere Lehtinen’s contracts are both up this year. Both are top players if they’re not injured. Is the risk too much to re-sign them? I believe both are worth keeping hold of if the price is right. Neither of these guys are able to ask for big contracts due to their ongoing injuries, but the cost of not re-signing them could be too high.
Mike Modano has another year on his contract but many fans believe he’s done and should retire. I disagree. Age slows him down, but doesn’t deaden his passion. The team should not rely on Mike to be the player he was 10 years ago.
Even if Zubov returns, he’s no longer able to be relied on as the #1 defenseman. Should the Stars make a post season trade to get a Bouwmeester, Kaberle or Redden?
With Brian Sutherby getting a contract extension, does that mean Joel Lundqvist is one the way out? Maybe we could send him to the Rangers in a deal to bring Redden here. Brothers unite!
Marty Turco no longer has a NTC i believe after his dismall play this year, so could the team look to ship him out?
If i were to make just one change to the current Dallas Stars system, it would be this. I would remove Brett Hull from the GM position and put him somewhere else. While the co-GM situation was great for a while, the Sean Avery incident proved that Brett Hull is not, and possibly never will be a good General Manager of an NHL team.
I leave you with this thought. If the Dallas Stars had never signed Sean Avery, how do you believe the team would look right now?
Ryan Miller (G – Sabres). Miller gets the 2 Minutes Player of the Day after posting his 2nd shutout in as many games. Miller led the Sabres to a 2-0 win over the New Jersey Devils today, facing 24 shots on goal.
Stars of the day:
Chris Campoli (D – Islanders) 2G 0A 2Pts
Ryan Miller (G – Sabres)24 shots, 0GA 1.00% SV%
Andrew Ladd (LW – Blackhawks) 2G 1A 3Pts
Patrick Sharp (C – Blackhawks) 2G 1A 3Pts
Stars make more moves:
The Dallas Stars made more moves today to try and fix their woes. Stars co-GMs Brett Hull and Les Jackson signed former Minnesota Wild forward Mark Parrish to a 1-year deal worth $500k (NHL) or $100k (AHL). Parrish, who was bought out by the Wild could bring a scoring touch to a Stars team that has been struggling to find it’s identity.
Senators & Coyotes swap minor leaguers
The Ottawa Senators traded prospect Alexander Nikulin to the Phoenix Coyotes for defenseman Drew Fata on Monday. Nikulin, 23, told the Senators last week that he would return to his native Russia if a deal wasn’t completed. The 6-1, 203-pound center was a fourth-round pick – 122nd overall – by the Senators in the 2004 draft. Nikulin recorded two goals in five games with Binghamton of the American Hockey League this season. In 2007-08, Nikulin had 14 goals and 36 assists in 71 games with Binghamton.
oh, they’re hurt:
Owen Nolan (Wild): Placed on IR with a lower body injury
Marian Gaborik (Wild): Still not ready to return.
Jere Lehtinen (Stars): Questionable for Nov 7 Vs Anaheim
Sergei Zubov (Stars): IR, expected return Nov 7 Vs Anaheim
He shoots… the scores:
Buffalo Sabres 2 – 0 New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders 4 – 3 Columbus Blue Jackets (Overtime)
Devin Setoguchi (RW – Sharks). Setoguchi had a great game against the Colorado Avalanche today playing 13:57 of ice time, putting 7 shots on goal, netting 2 goals and finishing the game +1.
After going 4-6-2 in their first 12 games of the season, the Dallas Stars management struck back by sending 3 players back to the minors. James Neal, Mark Fistric and Chris Conner have all been assigned to the AHL amid rumors there could be much larger changes to come. Some suggest a coaching change might be in the near future.
Brodeur gets stoned on streak:
New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur will miss at least one game with an elbow injury, ending a career high streak of 51 regular season starts.
Todd White makes 500:
Atlanta Thrasher’s Todd White played in his 500th NHL game today; a 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.
oh, they’re hurt:
Brad May (Ducks): Knee, out til at least mid-November
Chuck Kobasew (Bruins): May return Nov 6 Vs Toronto
Jere Lehtinen (Stars): Questionable for Nov 7 Vs Anaheim
Doug Janik (Stars): Questionable for Nov 7 Vs Anaheim
Joel Lundqvist (Stars): IR, out til late November
Sergei Zubov (Stars): IR, expected return Nov 7 Vs Anaheim
Bryan Allen (Panthers): IR, out indefinitely
Rick DiPietro (Islanders): IR, out til at least early December
Investigator: Hockey player had heart problems Alexei Cherepanov had heart problems and probably should not have been allowed to play in a game in which he collapsed and died, a regional investigator suggested Tuesday.
Yulia Zhukova said Cherepanov, who died Monday playing for Avangard Omsk in a Continental Hockey League game outside of Moscow, apparently had chronic ischemia—a medical condition when not enough blood gets to the heart or other organs.
“Checks will be conducted to clarify, in particular, why the sportsman with such an illness went onto the ice,” Zhukova said. (Read the full article)
Injury Updates:
Jason Arnott: Fractured Finger Arnott has a small fracture in one of the fingers on his right hand and will miss the next three games, the Nashville Tennessean reports. (Yahoo! Sports)
Pierre-Marc Bouchard: Scratched With Sore Back Bouchard missed Tuesday’s win over Atlanta with a sore back and will return to Minnesota for an examination, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. (Yahoo! Sports)
Jochen Hecht: Out Two Weeks at Least Hecht will miss at least two weeks after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair an injured finger, the Associated Press reports. (Yahoo! Sports)
Islanders D Martinek out 4-6 weeks New York Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek will be out four to six weeks because of an undisclosed upper body injury sustained in Saturday’s 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues, according to a report by the Asbury Park Press on Tuesday. (Yahoo! Sports)
Jere Lehtinen: Nearing Return to the Ice Lehtinen (groin) may participate in the team practice on Tuesday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. (Yahoo! Sports)
Jack Johnson: Out Until After All-Star Break Johnson (shoulder) will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star Game, the LA Times reports. (Yahoo! Sports)
Viktor Kozlov: Leg Injury Kozlov is out for a “couple of weeks” with an undisclosed injury, though it appeared that he injured his left knee in Monday’s win over Vancouver, the Washington Post reports. (Yahoo! Sports)
Daniel Alfredsson: Could Return on Friday Alfredsson (knee) could rejoin Ottawa’s lineup as soon as Friday, reports the Ottawa Citizen. (Yahoo! Sports)
League Updates:
Radulov says he wants to stay in Russia and help grow sport in his country With the NHL and Russia’s new Continental Hockey League in a dispute over Alexander Radulov, the forward says he wants to stay home and help grow the sport of hockey in his own country.
“I returned to Russia not so that I could return again to the NHL but rather to offer all of my efforts and professionalism to the betterment of Russian hockey taking it to a new level,” according to a translation of the letter attributed to Radulov and provided by the KHL.
Radulov wrote the letter to KHL president Alexander Medvedev possibly to end some mixed signals on whether he wanted to return to the NHL. (read the full article)
Red Wings visit White House Less than 24 hours after posting a road victory over Carolina, the Detroit Red Wings traveled north to visit the President.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings on Tuesday visited the White House and were honored by President George W. Bush in a ceremony for the second time.
Bush also paid tribute to Detroit following the club’s championship victory in 2002. (read the full article)
Signings, Transactions & Acquisitions:
Report: Lightning sign D Malik In an effort to beef up their defense, the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday signed blue-liner Marek Malik to a one-year, $1.2 million contract, according to a report by TSN of Canada. (Yahoo! Sports)
Bruins recall D Hunwick, C Sobotka The Boston Bruins dipped into their system for a pair of players Tuesday, recalling defenseman Matt Hunwick and center Vladimir Sobotka from Providence of the American Hockey League. (Yahoo! Sports)
Rangers agree to deal with D Dowzak The New York Rangers on Tuesday agreed to terms with defenseman Tysen Dowzak on a contract. Terms were not disclosed. (Yahoo! Sports)
TIMES ONLINE.COM: Mark Madden reports the Pittsburgh Penguins lack quality wingers for Sidney Crosby’s line and suggests Penguins management should shop center Jordan Staal “sooner, not later”. Madden raises the possibility of Staal perhaps seeing if he’ll receive a lucrative, unmatchable offer sheet from a rival club where he can play as a center rather than a winger, and suggests currently there’s “zero indication” that Staal will re-sign prior to next summer with the Penguins.
VANCOUVER PROVINCE: Jason Botchford reports there’s been a lull in negotiations between Canucks GM Mike Gillis and the agent for the Sedin twins. They are seeking a “no-trade” clause in their new contracts but Botchford suggests they might be willing to give Gillis some wiggle room by seeking a “no-separation” clause, meaning if they’re to be traded they’d be dealt together to the same team. Botchford also reported the Canucks lost blueline speed when Kevin Bieksa went down to a recent injury, forcing them to dress slower defensemen Shane O’Brien and Rob Davison. “When the back end is completely healthy, it’s unlikely both will play in the same game with any degree of regularity” writes Botchford, adding, “So much for those who want Kevin Bieksa traded.”
TORONTO SUN: reports Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher denies internet rumors claiming he’s been talking with the Phoenix Coyotes about acquiring first round picks or that defenseman Ian White might be dealt to the Coyotes.
DENVER POST: Terry Frei reports Colorado Avalanche goalie Peter Budaj must step up his performance to sew up the starting goaltender role with the club. Frei writes the Avs have little choice but to ride out Budaj for a long as possible in part because of their public committment to him and the reality that backup Andrew Raycroft would have to flash back five years to retreive the form of his only elite NHL season. Frei raises the possibility of a trade and the name of Chicago Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin.
Jere Lehtinen: Groin injury Lehtinen sat out the final preseason game today due to a groin injury. (Yahoo! Sports)
Tim Connolly ready for season opener Connolly (back) says that he feels fine and will play in Friday’s season opener, according to The Buffalo News. (Yahoo! Sports)
Gaborik back at full speed Wild’s Marian Gaborik is back at full speed, and scored a goal in today’s preseason game against Montreal (Yahoo! Sports)
Jimmy Howard: Broken finger Howard suffered a broken fingertip prior to Saturday’s game against the
Leafs and he’ll likely be out one week as a result, the Detroit News
reports. (ESPN)
Datsyuk: returning to action Datsyuk (groin) returned to action for the preseason finale on Sunday, the Detroit News reports. (ESPN)
Marian Hossa missed third period Hossa sat out the third period of Sunday’s preseason finale against
Buffalo due to a minor groin injury, the Detroit News reports. (ESPN)
Karlis Skrastins: Upper body injury Skrastins did not practice Saturday because of an upper-body injury, according to the Miami Herald. (ESPN)
Stephen Weiss: Groin injury Weiss (groin) participated in Saturday’s practice, his first in over a week, according to the Miami Herald. (ESPN)
Nick Tarnasky continues to practice Tarnasky (broken thumb) continues to practice, but it remains to be
seen whether he’ll be ready for the season opener, the Nashville
Tennessean reports. (ESPN)
Team News:
Melrose not liking what he sees with Lightning Perhaps Barry Melrose should have known better. After spending more than a decade as a television analyst, the 52-year-old Melrose opted to return to the bench as coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who finished the 2007-08 season with an NHL-worst 31 wins. And after the Lightning dropped a pair of 2-1 decisions to the New York Rangers this weekend – and were outshot, 80-40, in the process – the normally relaxed coach was rather vocal with his displeasure.(Yahoo! Sports)
Luongo wearing the “C” on mask Roberto Luongo is sporting a C
after all. The Vancouver captain, forbidden by NHL rules from wearing
the letter on his jersey because he is a goaltender, sported a new C on
his mask Sunday night as the Canucks hosted Anaheim in the final
2008-09 pre-season game for both clubs. “It can stand for whatever he
wants it to stand for,” said Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis,
when asked if the C stood for Canucks or captain. (Yahoo! Sports)
Signings & Acquisitions:
Canucks sign 1st round Hodgson The Vancouver Canucks signed top 2008 draft choice Cody Hodgson to an NHL entry-level contract Sunday. “Cody has done what we expected him to do,” said Canucks general manager Mike Gillis. “He came in really well prepared.” (Yahoo! Sports)
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Chris Kuc reported Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabiblin remains in limbo while Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon “explores opportunities” to benefit the netminder and the Blackhawks.
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Len Ziehm reports Khabibulin could end up playing in Russia.”Tallon hasn’t been able to move Khabibulin to another NHL team.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson reports on some trade possibilities for the Minnesota Wild if forced to deal Marian Gaborik, who’ll be a UFA next summer. One suggestion was to peddle him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Evgeni Malkin as the Pens are “very weak on the wing”.
Matheson also reports that if the Chicago Blackhawks fail to land Washington’s Michael Nylander they might pursue Boston’s Marc Savard, suggesting the Bruins might do it if they got defenseman Brent Seabrook and young winger Jack Skille in return.
BOSTON HERALD: Stephen Harris reports Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli has said there’s a good chance he’ll make a trade in the coming days and there’s no doubt he’s been trying to move veteran forward Peter Schaefer to free up cap space for promising youngster Blake Wheeler. If Schaefer isn’t traded Harris suggests he could be waived and demoted.
CALGARY SUN: Randy Sportak reports Flames GM Darryl Sutter needs to pare three players and more than $1 million from his payroll prior to the start of the season.
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Dave Molinari reports the Penguins could find some extra cap room to bring in more depth by placing injured defenseman Sergei Gonchar on the long-term injury status, noting that the club would be allowed to go over the cap to the amount of Gonchar’s salary for this season to bring in a replacement for as long as he remains on the long term injury list.
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: reports the Flyers have released defenseman Bryan Berard and center Jim Dowd.
The Dallas Stars tried again to eliminate the San Jose Sharks today, but failed to achieve the task as the Sharks rallied to win in overtime, 3-2.
Jere Lehtinen opened the scoring for the Stars. Brenden Morrow put the Stars up 2-0 going into the third period. The 2nd period saw not one, but two waved off goals by Brenden Morrow. In the third Milan Michalek and Brian Campbell evened the score, taking the game to overtime, where Joe Pavelski netted the game winner in the 2nd minute of OT.
“Every game we lose, we give them more life, but I like our position better than theirs,” Morrow said. “The third period was our downfall. We have to move on, earn our breaks. We earned this 3-2 lead.”
- Yahoo! Sport
