tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70258585692514622512024-03-05T09:07:14.800-05:00Fresh From The IceAll things hockey and Dallas Stars, with a little extra sports here and there, check it out!Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.comBlogger233125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-26822565368433817572011-01-12T21:53:00.003-05:002011-01-12T22:44:11.195-05:00Mid-Season ReportOnce again, school has kept me off the internet and particularly away from writing hockey. This is very disappointing and I apologize to any who were hoping to read something.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On the bright (understatement, more like blindingly good) side, the Stars are having what might be their best regular season since the early 2000s. As of January 12th, the Stars were comfortably sitting in 3rd place in the Western Conference with a 7-point lead over the Ducks, who reside in 7th place.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The team's forwards have been <b>phenomenal</b>. </div><div><br /></div><div>A usual top line of James Neal, Brad Richards, and Loui Eriksson have combined to score 50 goals and 129 points in the first 44 games. Richards is on pace to best his career high of 91 points while Loui should set a career high in points for the fourth straight season. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the second, or rather the 1B line, Brenden Morrow and Mike Ribeiro form their usual deadly tandem and have had Jamie Benn on the wing for the majority of the season. They've combined for 39 goals and 94 points so far, with Morrow on pace to best his career high of 36 goals.</div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the forwards have swapped lines throughout the season depending on their level of play, but the bottom 6 group was recently bolstered by the re-acquisition of <b>Jamie Langenbrunner. </b>A Dallas Star from the '99 Cup team, Langenbrunner started off rough in New Jersey this season but still managed 4 goals and 14 points through 34 games. His defensive play, and more significantly his leadership skills, bolster a group that has already played well this season. Steve Ott heads the group offensively, with 9 goals and 19 points through 44 games and, of course, a team-leading 108 penalty minutes. Langenbrunner and Ott now play on a 3rd line that typically includes either Adam Burish, who has 4 goals and 6 points, or Tom Wandell, who has 3 goals and 4 points. The fourth line shuffles between Brandon Segal, who has 4 goals and 9 points, Brian Sutherby (2g, 4pts), Toby Petersen (1g, 3pts), and Krys Barch (1g, 2pts). Also, the Stars have used Aaron Gagnon as an injury call-up, and he has 2 assists in 7 games.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's not very easy by the offensive numbers to tell that the Stars' offense has improved much over last season, but take the fact that last year, the Stars' worst forward in plus/minus was Steve Ott at -14, and the team only had 6 regular players with plus ratings overall. Comparatively, this season Ott is tied with Toby Petersen for lowest +/- at -7, but only 7 regulars have a minus rating. That's a pretty significant improvement, especially when you consider that the Stars have generally been outshot all season. Major credit for this of course goes to Kari Lehtonen, who we'll talk about later.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Stars' defense has been an interesting tale all season.</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite a true number 1 D-man, the team has done fairly well. Stalwarts Stephane Robidas and Nicklas Grossman continue to be the top shutdown pair for the team, and Robidas is also the highest scoring defender with 3 goals and 19 points. Right behind Robidas offensively is Trevor Daley, who has 3 goals and 16 points and has shown more flashes of the Mike Green potential he has, rather than last season's aimless speedster. Defensively his game has improved too, as Daley leads the blueline with a +10 rating. Also on the chart are stay-at-home veteran Karlis Skrastins (2g, 5 pts, Even), young and still learning Matt Niskanen (0g, 6pts, Even), and the underrated duo of Jeff Woywitka (5a, +7) and Mark Fistric (2g, 3pts, -1). Rookie Philip Larsen, still developing his potential in the AHL, has managed 2 assists and a plus-1 rating in 6 games.</div><div><br /></div><div>As far as goaltenders go, my opinion has been completely changed compared to my concerns over the summer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Kari Lehtonen has remained healthy, and with an 18-10-5 record, 2.59 GAA and .926% SP, has kept the team afloat in many games that they should have lost based on the play of the skaters. He's had very few moments where he hasn't looked better than Marty Turco did in his last two seasons of being a Dallas Star, and if he keeps up this level of play, the Stars could go deep into the playoffs. Back-up Andrew Raycroft has been solid, posting an 8-3-0 record, a 2.05 GAA and a .934% SP, and leading the Stars to their only two shutouts this season. Richard Bachman played 9:35 in one game this year, and stopped all 4 shots he faced. After gaining some pro experience, he'll be a solid prospect. And don't forget about Jack Campbell.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, the team has worked hard and largely earned their seat as the Pacific Division leader so far. With very few injuries having affected the team, and appearing to have set the distractions of ownership issues to the side, Dallas could have quite a run in the playoffs this season. And with prospects like Campbell, Bachman, Gagnon, Larsen, Travis Morin, and Severin Blindenbacher in the pipeline, expect a fairly bright future in Dallas.</div>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-70400306277023281722010-11-12T16:19:00.002-05:002010-11-12T16:49:15.341-05:00Stars Season Still on the Right TrackSo the Stars had a fantastic first half of October.<div><br /></div><div>Now that the season's in full swing, they've slowed down a bit and have resumed the usual patterns of wins and losses. They've slipped down to 10th in the Conference, but it is once again an extremely competitive West. If the Stars can bounce back from some recent tough losses, like the game last night against Los Angeles, they can definitely fight for a lower-4 playoff spot.</div><div><br /></div><div>The differences in the negatives between this season and last will, to be redundant, make the difference in the Stars season.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last year, the worries were centered around just about everything. Our top veterans were either getting injured or playing inconsistently, our defense was infinitely weak, and Marty Turco was having one of the worst seasons of his life. On top of that, players, staff, and management were all distracted by the risky ownership situation. Divisional rivals Los Angeles and Phoenix were having surprisingly outstanding seasons, San Jose was a typical powerhouse, and Anaheim has never been an easy team for Dallas to beat. Along with the rest of the Western Conference being neck and neck, a struggling Stars team once again missed the playoffs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Over the summer, it was difficult to tell the direction things would go in the season. General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk decided on some interesting moves, releasing veterans Mike Modano, Marty Turco, and Jere Lehtinen, while bringing in Adam Burish and Andrew Raycroft.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, the Stars leapt out of the gate with a 5-1 start, and even with a less exciting 8-6 record through 14 games now, the team looks solid. The offense is being led by the youthful trio of Loui Eriksson, Jamie Benn, and James Neal, as well as the talents of Brad Richards, Brenden Morrow, and Mike Ribeiro. The defense is stronger behind the solid Stephane Robidas, Karlis Skrastins, and Nicklas Grossman, as well as the improvements of Matt Niskanen, Trevor Daley, and Mark Fistric. Kari Lehtonen has been the reason behind at least half of Dallas' success this year, and has played outstandingly well thanks to his improved training over the summer.</div><div><br /></div><div>The primary player to watch is Lehtonen. If he stays healthy, he'll give Dallas a chance every night. If he gets hurt, the Stars will either have to rely on Andrew Raycroft, or more likely give up a key player for a starting goaltender.</div><div>(Did I seriously just type that? Suuuch cliche writing.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Surprising notes: Brad Richards has been in the top 10 NHL scoring leaders for most of the season so far, and Loui Eriksson's been in the top 20 in goals for most of the season as well. Mike Ribeiro still hasn't scored a goal. Tom Wandell hasn't scored a point beyond the game against the Panthers, where he scored two goals. </div>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-56019031456889717892010-10-22T18:11:00.002-04:002010-10-22T18:37:55.531-04:00Stars 5-1, Jamie Benn's BackThe Stars defeated the Florida Panthers 4-1 yesterday, and oh what a sweet win it was.<div><br /></div><div>Jamie Benn (3 assists) returned from injury to spark life into the Stars' third line. Playing with Steve Ott (1 goal) and Tom Wandell (2 goals), the line controlled the entire game and played like a top scoring line, rather than a checking 3rd line. James Neal also had a goal, while Loui Eriksson, Niklas Grossman, Stephane Robidas, and Karlis Skrastins had assists. Kari Lehtonen made 28 saves on 29 shots and would have had a shutout if not for a screened deflection goal by Stephen Weiss. Adam Burish won his first fight of the season, but also got ejected for instigating the fight after Mike Ribeiro was elbowed by Dennis Wideman.</div><div><br /></div><div>A major improvement in the Stars game was on defense, especially on the penalty kill. The Stars cut off a lot of shot opportunities and didn't give up a power-play goal. Their defensive play was solid, and while Lehtonen still played spectacularly, it was much better to see him only face 29 shots rather than the customary 35-40. If the Stars can cut that number down to stay in the range of 25-30, they'll stay at this level of play for the rest of the year.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Stars now have a much more dangerous forward line-up with Benn back:</div><div><br /></div><div>Neal - Richards - Eriksson</div><div>Morrow - Ribeiro - Burish</div><div>Benn - Ott - Wandell</div><div>Barch/Sutherby - Petersen - Segal</div><div><br /></div><div>All top three lines can bring a consistent offensive threat, while the fourth line features prize-fighter Barch, defensive specialist Toby Petersen, who can often pop in a goal here and there, and Brandon Segal's physical play and nose for the puck (though not always the net). Brian Sutherby can step in at any time and play well, though he's the lowest on the team in +/- with a -3.</div><div><br /></div><div>The defense, which has struggled this year, looked a lot stronger last night. And despite a rather high shots-against total, only Mark Fistric (-1), Barch (-1), and Sutherby are minus players for the Stars.</div><div><br /></div><div>Grossman - Robidas</div><div>Daley - Fistric</div><div>Skrastins - Niskanen/Woywitka</div><div><br /></div><div>And through 6 games, the defense has combined for 11 points (though only one goal, from Robidas).</div><div><br /></div><div>Kari Lehtonen, of course, has played so well for the Stars that their defensive shortcomings have only resulted in one loss so far. He faced myriad numbers of shots on goal when playing in Atlanta, so he's used to a heavy workload. He makes 35-40 saves a night, and hasn't shown that he needs a rest yet. Still, it wouldn't be bad to give Andrew Raycroft or Brent Krahn a start before the season hits 10 games.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The Stars are about to start a long home game stretch, which has the potential to boost the Stars record even further, seeing as their only home games so far were a 4-1 thumping of Detroit and an intense shootout win over St. Louis.</div>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-21391807173704377332010-10-19T16:26:00.002-04:002010-10-19T17:08:28.486-04:00And So It EndsThe Stars finally lost a game. <div><br /></div><div>The Tampa Bay Lightning, also on a roll before losing 6-0 in their game before last night, came out with a vengeance. The Stars came out cocky and sleepy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Honestly, the final score of 5-4 Tampa has almost no indication of what a terrible game Dallas played. The Stars didn't really come out ready to play until the final 5 minutes. They only managed 4 goals because Mike Smith, who only faced 19 shots altogether, and saved 15, was so off rhythm that his normal level of play faltered. The game could have easily been closer to 8-2 if not for Kari Lehtonen's 39 saves for Dallas.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, Marc Crawford best summed up the reason for Dallas' loss in a post game interview:</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"We couldn't kill a penalty to save our lives."</div><div><br /></div><div>Darn right, Marc. The Stars' PK has been off since the start of the season, but it really became a factor tonight as the Bolts scored 4 of their 5 goals on the PP, including one just seconds after Toby Petersen opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal. The Stars took a lot of penalties in that game and also failed to score on any of their own power-plays.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, the Stars' defensive game sucks. A weak top 6 lacks a true number one d-man, while the forward corps lacks a solid penalty killing center that doesn't get much of a load offensively.</div><div><br /></div><div>Offensively, the Stars were mostly invisible. For much of the game, only Brandon Segal and Stephane Robidas had more than one shot. Adam Burish's first goal as a Star came off a flubbed play by the Bolts and a smart pass by Ribeiro. Toby Petersen's shorthanded goal was mostly a one-man effort, Brenden Morrow's goal was a fluke, and the one truly good goal, James Neal from Brad Richards, came with only a minute left in the game.</div><div><br /></div><div>Weird stat of the game: Only Brian Sutherby was a minus for Dallas, while only Teddy Purcell was a plus player for Tampa (several on each team were even).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Fortunately, despite this poor game (and a poor start for the PK), the Stars have still managed to come out with a 4-1-0 record so far, and Thursday's game against Florida offers the opportunity for another win with the Panthers off to a bad start. Follow the @FreshFromTheIce Twitter feed for live game updates and constant thoughts on the NHL!</div>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-91458586932615291952010-10-17T13:24:00.002-04:002010-10-17T14:11:06.047-04:00Roster issues? Don't panicSo the Stars won in a shootout against the Blues last night, keeping their record a perfect 4-0-0 to start the season. A key note from that game is the fact that the Stars were able to not only beat the Blues (who destroyed us last year), but also came back from a poor start to push the game to a shootout, where we showed a superiority similar to the 05-06 season.<br /><div>While the dynamic duo of Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow looked lost, and failed to score, the line of James Neal, Brad Richards, and Loui Eriksson was on fire. After the early collapse where everyone looked awful, the trio amped up their game and combined for the two actual goals that Dallas scored. Then in the shootout, Loui and Rich scored while Lehtonen had a few awesome saves. </div><div><br /></div><div>And of course, Ribsy won the shootout.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, this post is to point out the crowd that the Stars have up front. As of last night, the lines were:</div><div><br />Neal - Richards - Eriksson</div><div>Morrow - Ribeiro - Burish</div><div>Wandell - Ott - Petersen</div><div>Barch - Sutherby - Segal</div><div><br /></div><div>Which all in all, isn't that bad. Wandell's been invisible lately, and Segal hasn't continued last year's rampage (hardly expected anyways), but aside from that, everything looks good.</div><div><br /></div><div>But wait, Jamie Benn's about to come back from a concussion. What do we do now?</div><div>Benn's a top line scoring threat with some good physical play. Sounds like a Morrow-Ribeiro-Benn unit would fare pretty well. But where does small-things man Adam Burish, who's had solid chemistry with the Morrow line, end up? He could play the third line, but where would Toby Petersen/Tom Wandell go? Either one could go to the fourth line, but where would sparkplug Brian Sutherby, who plays his role perfectly, have to go? Surely not to the AHL. That's where we send players like Fabian Brunnstrom. </div><div><br /></div><div>To make matters a little more confusing, we just called up Aaron Gagnon from the Texas Stars. He'll likely get to spend time as the 13th forward, but if he proves he can play in the big league, we'll have a real issue on our hands.</div><div><br /></div><div>The solution? Well, there's two that I can think of.</div><div><br /></div><div>Option A: Put Benn on the third line, try and create a third offensively dangerous trio. Lines would be:</div><div>Neal - Richards - Eriksson</div><div>Morrow - Ribeiro - Burish</div><div>Ott - Wandell/Petersen - Benn</div><div>Barch - Sutherby/Gagnon - Segal</div><div><br /></div><div>It could either end up working perfectly, or end in disaster. I'd give it one game, depending on the outcome from that, keep it or go for...</div><div><br /></div><div>Option B: Package a forward and a draft pick for a solid defenseman.</div><div>Most everyone in the hockey world agrees that the Stars are thin on defense. A top six of:</div><div><br /></div><div>Grossman - Robidas</div><div>Niskanen - Daley</div><div>Fistric - Skrastins</div><div><br /></div><div>Isn't exactly intimidating. And with Jeff Woywitka as the 7th D, and prospect Philip Larsen still about a year away, Dallas could do with a solid veteran.</div><div><br /></div><div>An offer of a 2nd round pick plus Wandell or Sutherby wouldn't exactly get a superstar, but it could swing a good deal if Nieuwendyk plays his cards right.</div><div>Let's say a 2nd rounder plus Wandell gets us (example only) Cody Franson. Yeah yeah yeah it would never happen, whatever. That leaves Dallas with these lines:</div><div><br /></div><div>Neal - Richards - Eriksson</div><div>Morrow - Ribeiro - Burish</div><div>Benn - Ott - Petersen</div><div>Barch - Sutherby - Segal</div><div><br /></div><div>Franson - Robidas </div><div>Grossman - Skrastins</div><div>Fistric - Niskanen/Daley</div><div><br /></div><div>That'd be quite the improvement. </div><div><br /></div><div>Obviously, Dallas won't be able to wrangle away such a rising star as Franson, but if a deal can be made to get a top defender, I'd say do it. There's plenty of youth on the way to take the place of a forward anyways (Sceviour, Gagnon, Glennie, Backman).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>By the way, I have respect for Kari Lehtonen now. The man can play goal.</div>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-10619681508788492932010-10-15T11:30:00.003-04:002010-10-15T12:08:11.599-04:00Stars 4, Red Wings 1, My Ego = Through the RoofOk, so last night's win against Detroit was just about the best win ever.<div>1) We finally won 3 games in a row. Hasn't happened since early 08-09.</div><div>2) We beat the Detroit Red Wings, a team I really really despise.</div><div>3) Do I need a three? We beat Detroit.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yeah, in case you can't tell, I'm highly biased against the Detroit Red Wings. There are many players on their roster that I respect as individuals (Modano, Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Howard) but as a team, I hate them no matter what. Kinda like how people view the New York Yankees. They do so well, with some good players, but that's exactly why you hate them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyways, to the game itself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Brad Richards had his third straight multi-point game, further leading me to suspect that he has a severe inability to score only one point during a game. But hey, as long as he does score, no problems with multiple points instead of just one. </div><div>Just like I predicted on Twitter, Ribeiro and Morrow combined on a play (with a little help from Adam Burish) to keep up their goal-a-game pace. Morrow has 4 goals, Ribeiro has 5 assists.</div><div>Speaking of Adam Burish, the ex-Hawk played a really solid game last night. He was key in setting up the Morrow goal, and played a really good game along the boards. As Ralph Strangis put it, he'll be the "little things" guy on that line. </div><div>James Neal finally stepped up his play. In the first period, he took a couple unnecessary penalties, but after an intermission where I assume Marc Crawford called him out, Neal looked much better the rest of the game. He made a smooth play to set up Brad Richards, who set up Loui Eriksson for a goal, and then scored his own late in the game by battling with Brad Stuart before getting off a backhander that fooled Osgood.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, the difference maker was special teams and goaltending. The Stars killed off four Detroit power-plays and Brad Richards potted an early power-play goal, while Kari Lehtonen made some incredible saves on chances. The one goal that slipped past him was un-stoppable, and he still got an arm on it before it fell in the net. Osgood looked tired, and the Morrow goal definitely shouldn't have gotten past him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mike Modano got a 45-second salute from the fans during the "official" welcome back moment, but received applause constantly throughout the game. He made some pretty good plays, but with third line duties, it was apparent that he was frustrated with the rest of the team's play.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>One of the bigger stories from the game will be the hit on Johan Franzen by Mark Fistric that likely resulted in a concussion for Franzen. The Wings claim the hit was dirty. I say the hit was clean, just in a bad area (Franzen hit the boards at a bad angle), but you guys decide for yourselves:</div><div><br /></div><div><object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0X5D86RQ3VU&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0X5D86RQ3VU&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="440" height="390"></embed></object></div><div><br /></div><div>Yeah, an elbow was there, but it wasn't blatantly thrown towards Franzen with intent to injure. I think the landing did worse than the hit. Either it's clean, or Fistface is REALLY sneaky.</div>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-32642123595659792772010-10-11T17:17:00.002-04:002010-10-11T17:43:43.048-04:00Public Intoxication, Public "Kojak"'s, Public Salary Cap MismanagementOk, so I missed my posting on the last Stars game. Essentially, it was a higher-scoring repeat of the game against the Devils. Morrow had two goals, and Jamie Benn and Stephane Robidas each potted their first of the year. Ribeiro of course had the shootout winner, but he gets the spotlight later in this article.<div>The main concern coming out of Dallas' first two games is that the Stars' offense won't be able to keep pulling through for a mediocre blueline. Sure, Robidas, Nick Grossman, and Karlis Skrastins have solid reputations, but all three are best suited to being second-pairing defenders and they're struggling to keep up with the inefficiencies/growing pains of Matt Niskanen, Fistface Fistric, and Trevor Daley. And the fact remains that in the first two games, we've given up seven goals.</div><div><br /></div><div>But now down to the news that's relevant:</div><div><br /></div><div>-First off, Mike Ribeiro made the mid-day buzz after word of last night's arrest for public intoxication got out. Ribeiro, Joe Nieuwendyk, and other Stars officials made statements about it not long after, but it's still an embarrassing moment. It led to a ton of Twitter buzz, but maybe Ribeiro will turn it into inspiration to prove that he's not a drunk, or whatever's being said.</div><div><br /></div><div>-What made an even bigger buzz (still going) in the social hockey world was James Wisniewski's obscene (and often scene in high schools) gesture to Sean Avery during a scrap. Bob McKenzie has coined it as a 'Kojak,' and you either already get it from there, or you will when you youtube the incident. A lot of debate went on about the type of punishment Wis should recieve, but it comes down to another McKenzie quote: "If it can't be shown on network TV, it deserves punishment." The TSN analyst was responding to many who were comparing Avery's suspension in 08-09 and Nick Boynton's two separate 1-game suspensions, and saying that players make gestures and comments equally as volatile and Wisniewski's pretty much all the time. However, Wisniewski was caught on TV and in order to keep up a good public image (or whatever's left of it) the NHL must take action. Expect a 1 or 2 game suspension.</div><div><br /></div><div>-The most recent buzz item going around the league is how the Devils will likely play a game today with only 15 players dressed, about 5 or 6 less than usual. This is primarily due to a slew of injuries combined with the fact that the team was already right up against the cap. There's still a possibility that the Devils could find a way to call up some minor league players, but already the incident has been added to a long list of poor cap decisions by Lou Lamoriello, including the Kovalchuk contract fiasco and the Mogilny and Malakhov signings and subsequent KHL demotions. It remains to be seen what will come of the situation.</div>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-82446642509899421722010-10-09T10:22:00.002-04:002010-10-09T10:36:40.906-04:00Stars 4, Devils 3Well, the Stars finally won a season-opener, the first time in 3 years. Beating a team that we haven't won on the road against in a decade felt pretty good too.<br /><br />Overall, here's hoping that last night's game was a strong indicator of the rest of the season.<br /><br />Unlike many games in the last two years, where Dallas would start strong and then falter in the final two periods, the opposite was true. Kari Lehtonen let in two quick goals in the first 8 minutes, but came back with a strong 27-save effort and only let in one other goal. Meanwhile, the Stars surged back on the strength of Loui Eriksson, who showed that he intends to be the number one Dallas sniper for years to come.<br /><br />Offensively, everything went as it should. Captain Brenden Morrow scored a goal from Mike Ribeiro and Fistface Fistric, Brad Richards assisted on Loui's first goal and scored what ended up as the game-tying goal, and James Neal assisted on Loui's first and Richards' first. Surprisingly absent from the scoresheet were Jamie Benn and Steve Ott, but Benn led the team in shots with 5, while Ott played the pest with Krys Barch as a healthy scratch. Adam Burish also had 4 shots. If one game is anything to go by, Brandon Segal's tear last year was a fluke, which is very believeable.<br /><br />Defensively, after the opening two goals, the Stars were tight, but under the radar. They made a few mistakes in the beginning but resumed normal expectations later on. Sadly, Matt Niskanen made the game summary as the man who messed up and forced Lehtonen to up his game in overtime.<br /><br />Some interesting notes: Jason Arnott proved that he's still a powerhouse, reminding Dallas fans of how we lost the 2000 Cup Final by scoring during the second period. Ilya Kovalchuk didn't score, but he had two assists. Has New Jersey turned him into a better playmaker? We'll see.<br /><br />Last, but definitely not least, Mike Modano showed Joe Nieuwendyk that it was a mistake to let him leave, as he scored in the Detroit season-opener last night.Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-90753758105112814942010-08-09T12:51:00.003-04:002010-08-09T13:45:48.393-04:00Revamps for Cup ChampsEverybody talks about how much the Hawks had to change over the summer, and while it certainly is significant for one summer, check out these other team revamps:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anaheim Ducks:</span><br /><br />Pre-08/09 <span style="font-style: italic;">(Depth Chart by The Hockey News)</span> vs. pre-10/11 (Depth chart by me, including assumptions about Kariya and Selanne)<br /><br />Kunitz - - Getzlaf - - Perry---------------------------------Ryan - - Getzlaf - - Perry<br />Sutherby - Morrison - Marchant-------------------------Kariya - Koivu - - Selanne<br />Moen - - Pahlsson - R. Niedermayer--------------------Blake - Marchant - Lupul<br />May - - - Carter - - Ryan--------------------------Beleskey - Chipchura - Voros/Parros<br /><br />S. Niedermayer - Pronger----------------------------------Visnovsky - - Sbisa<br />Schneider - - Beauchemin----------------------------------Sutton - - - Lydman<br />O'Donnell - - Huskins------------------------------------Mikkelson - Festerling<br />Montador - - - Evans--------------------------------------Brookbank - Syrvet<br /><br />Giguere - Hiller--------------------------------------------Hiller - McElhinney<br /><br /><br />Tell me that's not a major revamp (though obviously over a larger span of time).<br /><br />More to come on this later.Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-22087816627491113812010-08-06T22:52:00.002-04:002010-08-06T23:12:53.579-04:00Brunnstrom deserves zero hypeNot a lot of time to write today, working on many a recording for several different bands.<br /><br />However, I've got a piece of criticism to throw out into the world wide web.<br /><br />Why the heck did Dallas re-sign Fabian Brunnstrom, and why did Mike Heika place him in the same category as Jamie Benn in a Dallas Morning News article a few days ago?<br />As far as I can tell, all the hype for Brunnstrom faded pretty quickly last season, and was completely gone at the end of his 49-game, 2-goal, 9-assist year that included an 8-game demotion to the AHL, where he didn't manage more than a goal in 8 games (not a sign of someone beyond the talent of the AHL). So why is he even slated for fourth-line time this year?<br />The big issue for Fabian at the beginning of his rookie season was the fact that he probably needed second-line time, but the Stars also had Loui Eriksson, James Neal, Brenden Morrow, Steve Ott, Jere Lehtinen, Sean Avery, Mark Parrish, Chris Conner, Krys Barch, Landon Wilson, Joel Lundqvist, B.J. Crombeen, and Ray Sawada all vying for a roster spot on the wing. Fortunately for Brunnstrom's chances, Crombeen got traded early, Sawada didn't make it out of camp and Morrow got injured early. Wilson was mainly an AHL filler/call-up guy, and Parrish, Lundqvist, Lehtinen, and Conner all played rather inconsistently that year. So he capitalized on the opportunity and potted 17 goals.<br />At the beginning of last season, the Stars were way thinner on wing. Eriksson, Neal, Morrow, Ott, and Barch were the only wingers with solid roster spots along with Brunnstrom. He definitely could have topped Ott for a role on the second line. But instead, Jamie Benn steals his thunder with an awe-inspiring rookie year, Ott pumps out 22 goals, Lehtinen maintains a roster spot, and Brunnstrom sputters out of the gate and ends up with 2 goals. Even Brandon Segal, a former fringe player, impressed more people with his 5 goals and 10 points in 19 games after a deadline move from Anaheim.<br />So all in all, if Brunnstrom even grabs a roster spot this season, don't expect much out of him.Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-10978256579780569912010-08-03T14:15:00.002-04:002010-08-03T14:33:53.882-04:00Modano To Red Wings Official On FridayFriday will be a sad day for anybody who's a Stars fan.<br /><br />Mike Modano's signing with the Detroit Red Wings will be made official during a press conference on Friday at 2:30 PM. According to Helene St. James of Free Press Sports, the deal is worth $1.25M for a year, which is about the numbers most people expected Mo to sign for after Nieuwendyk announced that they'd let him become a UFA. He'll likely have a third-line role between Jiri Hudler and Dan Cleary.<br /><br />Modano had a solid season last year, with 14 goals and 30 points in 59 games. More importantly, he continued his role as a strong leader on the team, even with the captaincy on Brenden Morrow's jersey. Despite his age, Modano's always been revered for his excellent conditioning, and there's no reason to expect that he won't be as youthful as ever.<br /><br />I'd expect Modano to score around 40-50 points this season, but with Hudler (23 goals in 08-09 with Detroit, point-per-game player in KHL last year) and Cleary (two 20-goal seasons in Detroit) around him, you can probably safely raise that barrier to 50-60 points. If either Hudler or Cleary (or whatever defensemen get assigned to that line) are particularly productive in assists, Modano could probably hit 20 goals again, and if Hudler and Cleary hit 20 goals, then you can definitely expect 30-40 assists for Mikey.<br /><br /><br />So, even though I hate the Red Wings, I'll hate them less this year, in honor of Modano. Good luck in Detroit Mike, I'm hoping you'll get to the playoffs and maybe even the Cup Finals!!Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-15558278173657805352010-08-01T00:02:00.000-04:002010-08-02T00:03:17.730-04:00Turco To Hawks? Dallas Should Take NiemiOk, so according to WGNTV and a crapload of tweets, Marty Turco has signed with Chicago for $1.75M for a year. This comes not long after Niemi gets his arbitration award, which was a perfectly reasonable $2.75M.<br /><br />What the **** is Chicago thinking right now?<br /><br />There is an INSANELY obvious money-saving solution waiting for them—dump Cristobal Huet and his over-paid back-up role in the AHL, take a tandem of Niemi and Corey Crawford all the way to another Stanley Cup title and somewhere along the way dump the Brian Campbell contract. They'd keep a future star goaltender (or a future Cam Ward, says the cynic in me), avoid most of their cap issues, and keep a solid core of the roster.<br /><br />Instead, they make an offer to Marty Turco, who I highly respect, but I have to say he's got a lot less going for him. Niemi is younger, probably more talented, and has a Cup ring before he's anywhere close to hitting his prime as a netminder. Sure, Turco signed for less money, but with less payment comes a poorer product. Turco can definitely give them a solid regular season and get them into the playoffs–however, what happens once the playoffs role around? Turco will inevitably falter, and the Hawks will have to desperately hope that one of Crawford or Huet can replicate Niemi's playoff run. Which is HIGHLY unlikely.<br /><br />Mr. Nieuwendyk. I know I criticized you earlier for letting go of Turk, but this is your big chance. Throw a TON of money at Niemi with, say, anywhere from 2 to 5 years on the contract, and take advantage of the Hawks mistake while letting them have, for a lack of a funnier term, our sloppy seconds worth of Turco. Seriously, even if it means dropping Raycroft or Lehtonen to the minors (which needs to happen anyways, really), this deal would SO be worth it. Niemi is going to be a star (or at least as good as Cam Ward, who seems to have relapses of stardom every now and then) and the Hawks are making the worst possible decision if they let him go in favor of Turco. Take advantage of it and I will take back any criticism I've ever given to you.<br /><br /><br />On another note, I have to point out that there is absolutely no way that the Hawks could keep any combination of Turco, Niemi, and Huet. Not only would none of those guys be happy in a back-up role, but you've also got a very impatient Corey Crawford in the AHL who needs a full-time role. If I were Chicago, I'd drop all Turco rumors (at this moment being dismissed by Hawks sources and TheFourthPeriod as inaccurate), shove Huet into the AHL and maybe even trade him, and then go with Niemi/Crawford as a beastly goalie tandem.<br /><br /><br />At this very moment though, lots of new reports saying Dan Roan of WGNTV was the only guy apparently aware of any deal going on between Turco and Chicago. Several tweets from legit sources were out there right after, but all cited WGNTV as where they heard it. So it's actually pretty likely that there's no Turco deal, and he's still a UFA. For the sake of theory, though, I'm publishing this post.Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-56106910699081541022010-07-30T17:38:00.001-04:002010-07-30T17:42:01.522-04:00Steve Yzerman is a GeniusAnd if the other 10 billion hockey blogs out there haven't shown you why, let me try to explain real quick.<br /><br />First of all, Tampa Bay has been a disaster area since the pre-lockout days (excluding 03-04) and it's no easy task to turn a team from fender-bender to Cup-contender in a single summer. <br /><br />The wheels were set in motion by Brian Lawton, who smartly grabbed Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman in the draft. Key pieces were already in place in the form of Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis, Paul Ranger, Mattias Ohlund, and Mike Smith.<br /><br />But Mr. Yzerman has played a part in bringing Simon Gagne, Dan Ellis, Pavel Kubina, Brett Clark, Dominic Moore, Chris Durno, and Marc-Antoine Pouliot to the team. All of those guys with the possible exceptions of Durno and Pouliot will be key players on Tampa this year, and Durno and Pouliot could fill valuable roles as well. <br /><br />If you look at the potential line-up for the Lightning at this moment, it's actually composed of some pretty solid players:<br /><br />Gagne - - - - Lecavalier - - - - St. Louis<br />Malone - - - - Stamkos - - - - Downie<br />Purcell - - - - Moore - - - - Hall (Minors)<br />Szczechura(Minors) - Pouliot - Persson(?)<br /><br />But that's just judging from who's on the actual roster. Tampa also has Blair Jones, Martins Karsums, and James Wright ready to be called up at any time, and prospects Juraj Simek, Mitch Fritz, and Dana Tyrell are all but ready for a bigger role with the team.<br /><br />As for defense, things are a little thinner, but not awful:<br /><br />Ohlund - - Kubina<br />Clark - - Ranger<br />Hedman - - Lundin<br />Smaby - - Roy/Vernace<br /><br />And in the wings, defenders Matt Lashoff, Vladimir Mihalik, and Ty Wishart are all NHL-capable and probably even ready for a full role.<br /><br />In goal, I envie the tandem of Dan Ellis and Mike Smith. Especially because both of those guys were Stars prospects at one point. Despite the inconsistencies of each of these netminders, they each have the talent to fill in for each other if one starts faltering. Ellis has the better record as a starter, but Mike Smith was an excellent 20+ games back-up in his years in Dallas, and he can do it again.<br /><br /><br />Steve Yzerman, I applaud how well you've put together this team. I hope you make the playoffs this year.Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-20195186207133391072010-07-30T00:58:00.002-04:002010-07-30T01:57:36.968-04:00Let the Rantings ContinueOk, so the other day I pretty much tore up the Stars roster, remarked on every aspect that I hated, but also pointed out the bright spots.<br /><br />Now, I'll do the same with The Stars coaching staff and management. <br /><br />Keep in mind: I mean no personal offense to human beings referred to this article, and I get it: They're a heck of a lot more successful than I am, so I should shut up. But I've got some bones to pick with them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Coaching Staff:</span><br /><br />Alright, first off, I was extremely displeased with the hiring of Marc Crawford. He was a good old part of the dandy Colorado days when they won the Cup in '96, and he has a decent W-L-T record as a bench-runner for the Avs in general.<br />But first of all, anybody who's a true Dallas Stars fan HATES the Avalanche as a team, and probably has somewhat of a tough finding any of their players (aside from Joe Sakic) who can truly be revered regardless of who you are. <br />Second of all, after Crawford's fairly good track record in the Mile High City, he joined the Canucks. True, he holds the team wins record, that makes me hopeful. But he was also the guy who never took them anywhere playoffs-wise, and we've had enough playoff trouble already. Then, he had a disastrous two-year tenure with the Kings, where he didn't make the playoffs but didn't get them terribly high draft picks, and got bad reviews of behind-the-scenes attitude. <br />However, the guy's got an okay record overall, and I am a big critic. Personally, it felt like a huge downgrade to go from Tippett to Crawford.<br /><br />Willie Desjardins is the new guy. I know very little about him (as in, I listened to his radio interview but that's all), but as far as I can tell, he's cool. Had a strong run with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL, lots of kudos thrown his way, and he shares last names with a defenseman who I was a fan of. Nothing against this man unless he somehow magically screws up the whole team, which I don't see on the horizon.<br /><br />Charlie Huddy was a pretty dang solid defender back in his NHL days with the Oilers, Kings, Sabres, and Blues. I have never heard any negative feedback about this man. As far as I'm concerned, he's cool too.<br /><br />Stu Barnes is a man I have respected since the day I knew he was on the Stars, back in the summer of 2003 when I really started picking up on hockey. Recently I've delved into his past as a player and discovered just how solid and reliable of a player he was. Yet another guy who I wish I had seen in his prime. Now? He's an awesome coach, and I wish he had a bench role rather than viewing from above (not heaven). Regardless, good to have him on the staff.<br /><br />As little as I know about Desjardins and Huddy, I know even less about Mr. Mike Valley, seeing as he doesn't have a profile on the Stars website like the others. I do, however, have the greatest sympathy for him as he'll get stuck dealing with Leht-down-nen and Raycroft. God sooth your soul, Mr. Valley.<br /><br />Now, on to <span style="font-weight:bold;">The Management:</span><br /><br />To get down to business, Joe Nieuwendyk is awesome. Anyone (including myself) who says otherwise should get their head checked. He was great as a player, he led us to the Stanley Cup, and he's been a consistently good general manager. <br />However, I have just one question:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Why the _____ did he let Mike Modano go?!?</span><br /><br />Sure, there's a matter of whether he'll retire or not. But we've all been keeping track of how much Mikey's been training and we all know he's still got at least one more solid season in him.<br />Sure, there's the fact that the Stars have less than zero dollars to spend on anything, but whatever we gave Adam Burish and Andrew Raycroft surely wasn't a necessary purchase, and that money could have gone towards a one-year contract for Modano.<br />Sure, there's the fact that.. well, no, there's really no other reason to let Modano go. Anaheim still hasn't dropped Selanne and they didn't drop Niedermayer until Scotty said so. Other teams have had similar waiting games played with key players because they were, in fact, key players.<br />But Joe just drops Modano like a sack of potatoes and says, "Thanks for your service, come get a desk job if you want, but we're going to go pay for a fourth-liner and a crappy goalie with your potential money. Have a nice summer!" I just don't get it.<br /><br />Les Jackson is a confusing man to me. He was one of our most influential and important scouts, and a great assistant GM before the 08-09 season, and yet, when he was given a Co-GM role for a year, he was almost silent. Now, he didn't do anything stupid, but there was nothing to prove that he should keep the job. I'm glad we didn't him go (though one could argue we need him less than Modano), but seriously Les, pick up your game a little bit. <br /><br />Brett Hull's season of being a co-General Manager admittedly didn't go all that well. However, that's understandable, seeing as he had almost no executive experience beforehand. Fortunately, the Stars held on to him as a Exec. VP and Alternate Governor, so once he gets his feet wet, we could possibly try again.<br /><br />Joe Nieuwendyk made a really smart move in keeping Frank Provenzano as an assistant GM. Not only has the man been quietly reliable, but Provenzano's name even sounds like he's fit for any job you assign to him. <br /><br /><br />Lastly, you may have noticed that I'm incredibly pissed off at Tom Hicks Sr. for not selling the team to someone with a bit of money available.<br /><br />That's because I am.<br /><br />This is ridiculous Mr. Hicks. We haven't spent money on a high-end free agent since the beginning of time, and around now when we could really use one, you and your broke self are rejecting offers from people who would pay you more money than you currently have for a team you can't afford, and from what I've heard, you're doing the same thing to the Texas Rangers too. Hey Mr. Bettman, quit messing with contracts that don't break written CBA laws and come get a broke man to give an NHL team back their respectability! <br /><br />P.S. Hey Mr. Balsillie, if you're done trying to move a team to Hamilton, then go ahead and buy the Stars as long as you keep them here.Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-7009037794030531402010-07-28T13:32:00.002-04:002010-07-28T14:09:47.210-04:00Stars' Summer So Far..So, it's been forever since I've posted. You can thank my school for that.<br /><br />The Stars' summer has sucked, to be plainly honest.<br /><br />First off, the ridiculous (if somewhat forced) decisions by Nieuwendyk to release Mike Modano, Marty Turco, and Jere Lehtinen from the team. Basically, no more memories of the good years.<br /><br />Second, we've hardly got enough money to make new offers to RFA's James Neal, Nicklas Grossman, and Matt Niskanen, and then we go and throw some cash at Andrew Raycroft and Adam Burish? Don't get me wrong, Burish is a tough guy who can put in some solid minutes and defend the rest of the team. But isn't that why we have Steve Ott and Krys Barch in the line-up? Not to mention Brenden Morrow and James Neal, both of whom can defend themselves pretty well if necessary. We've even got Luke Gazdic as a prospect. Burish is a good guy, but we don't need him.<br /><br />As for Raycroft, the dude went on a worse downward spiral than Alex Auld, who bothered me last year. Oh, and we have the man who attracts injuries like a flower gets bees—Kari Lehtonen—as the starting goalie? I think I know which NHL team has the worst 1-2 punch in the league.<br /><br />The only bright spot is that a top six forward group of Brenden Morrow, Mike Ribeiro, Jamie Benn, James Neal, Brad Richards, and Loui Eriksson isn't half bad. Throw in Steve Ott's developing scoring touch, Brandon Segal's 10-points-in-19-games post-deadline run, and Tom Wandell's 15 points as a rookie before injury, and there's some potential goal-scoring depth in the mix that the Stars haven't felt in a while. Toby Petersen and Brian Sutherby are reliable third or fourth liners, and apparently we've decided to give Fabian Brunnstrom one last chance.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Potential forward lines:</span><br />Morrow - Ribeiro - Benn<br />Neal/Ott - Richards -Eriksson<br />Ott/Neal - Wandell - Segal/Burish<br />Sutherby - Petersen - Brunnstrom/Burish<br /><br /><br />On defense, the Stars have been getting thin over the years, and last year we sent our top defensive prospect in Ivan Vishnevskiy to Atlanta for Kari Injury Lehtonen. However, Stephane Robidas is still a solid leader. Nicklas Grossman hasn't lost a step, and he can hold his own in the defensive zone. Karlis Skrastins is a bona-fide shot blocking star if he stays healthy, and Trevor Daley can easily regain his high-scoring form. Niskanen's still a little shaky, but he has a lot of potential and Mark Fistric has had more than enough AHL seasoning. Jeff Woywitka can step in when needed and Philip Larsen is looking more and more like he's ready for the big time, especially after getting an assist and a plus 1 rating in 2 games last year. Beyond that, the future is clouded.<br /><br />In goal, I really really dislike the tandem of Lehtonen/Raycroft, in case you didn't pick up on that. However, we've got a brighter future. Matt Climie was a solid performer in the AHL last season as he led the Texas Stars to the Calder Cup Finals in their first year. Richard Bachman was a solid goalie in college, and hopefully this coming season, he'll get some quality AHL time as a backup. Brent Krahn isn't my favorite goalie prospect ever, but he was solid in the AHL as well and will likely be the first call-up when Lehtonen gets injured.<br /><br /><br />Overall, it'll be a rough season in Dallas, but we'll get plenty of glimpses at what our future could hold. And who knows; if Lehtonen manages to stay healthy, he was a highly touted prospect and he's had good numbers before. The playoffs could possibly be in the picture.Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-21815501446119163792009-10-25T22:14:00.003-04:002009-10-25T22:59:12.398-04:00Dallas Stars: Week 4 (plus a game)Today's post is a day late due to the fact that the Stars played St. Louis yesterday. My only available time to write coincided with the game's start time. Anyways;<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dallas vs. Los Angeles: 4-1 Loss<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>The Stars certainly didn't have their game on Monday against the Kings. They seemed sluggish the entire night, and were unable to even stifle the one line they decided to focus on. Ryan Smyth, Anze Kopitar, and Justin Williams were all huge scoring threats, and all three capitalized on the mistakes that seemed to be made by every Stars player.<br />Jamie Benn appeared to spark the Stars towards a win, as he ended a first period scoring drought by pounding in a goal with 2:42 left. However, the Stars' rookie was the only bright spot.<br />In the second period, the Kings' top line knocked in three goals past Marty Turco, and they never lost momentum as they continuously hounded the Stars' defenders, and the forwards never really had time to play offense.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><iframe src="http://www.nhl.tv/team/embed.jsp?hlg=20092010,2,107" frameborder="0" height="289" width="410"></iframe><br /><br /><br />Dallas @ Anaheim: 4-2 Win<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Wednesday was Dallas' redeeming night. They were determined to make up for Monday's painful loss to the Kings, and they did so in style.<br />Two of Dallas' most reliable scorers in Brenden Morrow and Loui Eriksson cashed in, while Trevor Daley finally got himself on the scoresheet along with Steve Ott. The Ducks attempted to mount a comeback in the third period, but the Stars never allowed them to tie the game, and Ott's empty net goal crushed whatever hopes they could possibly have had with 9 seconds left in the game.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><iframe src="http://www.nhl.tv/team/embed.jsp?hlg=20092010,2,117" frameborder="0" height="289" width="410"></iframe><br /><br />Dallas @ Los Angeles: 5-4 OT Loss<br /></span>Thursday was Dallas' chance at revenge against the Kings, and they almost pulled it off. However, Michal Handzus ruined those hopes 55 seconds into overtime.<br />Anze Kopitar had a hat trick for the Kings, and despite James Neal's two-goal effort, Jamie Benn's second goal in his second game against L.A., and Mark Fistric's first career NHL goal, the Stars could not pull off a win. Regardless, the game was much more exciting and intense than the first match between the clubs.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.nhl.tv/team/embed.jsp?hlg=20092010,2,126" frameborder="0" height="289" width="410"></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dallas @ St. Louis: 4-1 Win</span><br />The Stars and the Blues had an intense rivalry begin last season. St. Louis, and particularly youngsters Patrik Berglund, T.J. Oshie, and David Perron, destroyed the Stars on several occasions last season, and headed into Saturday, another crushing defeat was feared.<br />However, the Stars did get to taste revenge. Thanks to James Neal and Loui Eriksson, the Stars were able to quickly crush the Blues' resolve, and Tom Wandell and Brian Sutherby potted goals in the third period to secure the win. St. Louis rookie Alex Pietrangelo did manage to score his first NHL goal, and to be plainly honest, I hate the Blues as a team but I love their young players, so it was pretty neat to see Pietrangelo finally rack up a goal.<br />Brad Richards was an absolute beast in the lineup, assisting on both Neal and Eriksson's goals. He turned the entire Blues penalty kill into a freeze frame from the point before firing the puck to Eriksson for a snapshot goal.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.nhl.tv/team/embed.jsp?hlg=20092010,2,138" frameborder="0" height="289" width="410"></iframe><br /><br />As a "side" note, the Blues game was chock full of nastiness. Krys Barch had his first big fight of the season, and everybody in blue wanted a piece of Steve Ott that night.<br /><br /><br />NOTES:<br />-Loui Eriksson, James Neal, and Brenden Morrow are all on pace for around 40 goals this season, which is pretty much a sigh of relief compared to having only Loui break 30 last year. Brad Richards, Mike Ribeiro, and Jamie Benn could all easily be on pace for 20+ goals as well.<br />-Richards also has over an assist per game so far, and is the first Stars player in about 3 years to top the stats sheet besides Ribeiro. He's finally truly earning the contract that we acquired in the Tampa trade.<br />-Fabian Brunnstrom has yet to score a goal this season.Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-27979873335279438462009-10-18T11:24:00.002-04:002009-10-18T12:01:44.023-04:00Dallas Stars Week 3[Sunday, October 11th - Sunday, October 18th]<br /><br />The Stars' 3rd week of the season was much more successful, as they went 2-1-1. They currently stand 7th in the West, at 3-1-3.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dallas @ Vancouver: 4-3 SO Loss<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>The Stars fired another shootout blank on Canada's west coast on Sunday, but the game was monumental regardless. Stars' rookie Jamie Benn scored his first ever NHL goal that night, which made the score 3-3 to send it into overtime.<br />Overall, the game was similar to the home opener against Nashville: the Stars did everything right, but just like Nashville, Vancouver had all their pieces in the right place and topped Dallas in the shootout.<br /><br />{Video highlights to be posted later!}<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dallas vs. Nashville: 6-0 Win<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>In the midst of a building rivalry, the Stars pulled off a massive defeat of the Nashville Predators at home this week. Expecting a challenging match from the team that won in a shootout opening night, the Stars came out charging hard and fast. However, the Preds had come off a crushing defeat already, and as a result were quite discouraged at their chances. Mike Ribeiro popped in the opening goal hardly a minute into the game, and the goals came in a downpour through the first period as the Stars went into the first intermission with a 4-0 lead.<br />Brenden Morrow scored two goals, James Neal had a career-high three assists, and Toby Petersen scored his first goal of the season as Dallas absolutely flattened the Predators.<br /><br />{Video highlights to be posted later!}<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dallas vs. Boston: 3-0 Loss<br /></span>The Stars could not carry their momentum into Friday's game against Boston, however. The Bruins came out and Marc Savard fired the gun that killed Dallas' energy for the game. They looked tired, slow, and often out of place, and the Bruins rolled over the Stars to win 3-0. Savard was a dangerous presence all game, and James Neal was the only Star who even managed to make himself noticeable on the ice.<br /><br />{Video highlights to be posted later!}<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dallas @ Chicago: 4-3 Win<br /></span>Whatever was said to the team between the Boston game and this Chicago game must have worked, because the Stars managed to recover from a poor first period to come out on top in the end. Chicago had their young players trying to take over the game, as Troy Brouwer, Jonathan Toews, and Niklas Hjlamarsson all cashed in. However, Dallas put their veterans to work, and Brenden Morrow, Mike Ribeiro, Toby Petersen, and Stephane Robidas all got on the scoreboard as the Stars fought to attain the 4-3 victory.<br /><br />{Video highlights to be posted later!}<br /><br /><br />NOTES:<br />-Mike Modano and Steve Ott are still out of the line-up with injuries, and neither have placed a definite date on their return. However, the Stars have played decently without them, and as such would only be stronger with the two back in the line-up.<br /><br />-Brenden Morrow leads the Stars in goals with 5; Brad Richards leads in assists and points, with 6 and 9, respectively; Jamie Benn is the highest scoring rookie on the team with a goal and 5 assists; Alex Auld has credit for two of Dallas' three wins. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-82014245943376264202009-10-10T11:22:00.002-04:002009-10-10T11:54:26.802-04:00Dallas Stars: Week 2So, I was a little late in writing a review for the Edmonton game, and now I've got to write both game reviews. Anybody think a post per week is a better idea?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dallas vs. Edmonton: 5-4 (OTL)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>The Stars' second game of the year featured lots of goals, some hard-hitting action, and unfortunately, a second straight shootout loss.<br />Brenden Morrow "arrived" for the season, scoring two goals and getting an assist as well. Along with several highlight reel hits, Morrow certainly looked like the captain that the Stars expect him to be. James Neal scored his 3rd goal of the season short-handed, staying at the top of Dallas' stats-sheet. Stephane Robidas also scored, getting his first goal of the season.<br /><br /><iframe width="400" height="289" frameborder="0" src="http://www.nhl.tv/team/embed.jsp?hlg=20092010,2,31"></iframe><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>The Stars did put up quite the fight. However, being notorious as a shootout-dominating team, starting the season that way was a little discomforting to a Stars fan like myself.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dallas vs. Calgary: 5-2 (W)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Despite losing both of their first two games in shootouts, the Stars came into the Pengrowth Saddledome on Friday as a well-rested team ready to take on the 4-0 Calgary Flames.<br />Back-up goaltender Alex Auld recieved his first test of the season by going up against the Flames, but the Stars did have an advantage over the other Alberta boys, who were forced to bring in back-up Curtis McEhlinney after having played the previous night in Edmonton.<br />The Stars took advantage of not feeling fatigued right away as Mike Ribeiro popped in a rebound past McEhlinney. The goals came from all around that night, as Brian Sutherby, Tom Wandell, Loui Eriksson, and Brad Richards all scored as well. Only Dion Phaneuf and Rene Bourque cracked the shell that was Alex Auld's goaltending. Judging by the way he played, Marty Turco will recieve plenty of rest this season.<br /><br /> <iframe width="400" height="289" frameborder="0" src="http://www.nhl.tv/team/embed.jsp?hlg=20092010,2,48"></iframe><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>The Stars did suffer their first non-goal this year, as a puck appeared to get stuffed into the net by a diving Fabian Brunnstrom. However, despite one video angle clearly revealing the puck going past the line, the official call was a no-goal <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>Steve Ott was called for goalie interference.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Stars play the Vancouver Canucks tomorrow to start off week 3 and to close their Canadian road trip. The Canucks got their first win in their last game, absolutely destroying the Montreal Canadiens. Which team will carry the momentum into tomorrow? We'll find out.<br /><br />STARS RULE!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-69505273452308361782009-10-03T23:09:00.002-04:002009-10-03T23:39:01.901-04:00Final: 3-2 Shootout Loss to NashvilleWell, the opening game of the year for Dallas was quite the intense game, although slightly a let down at the end.<br /><br />However, the team played really well, and showed that despite all of their troubles last season, they'll be able to solidly bounce back this year.<br /><br />[Video Highlights soon to come!]<br /><br />The most obvious standout was James Neal, who scored both of the Stars' goals in regulation and then hit the post in the shootout. He played outstanding, clearly returning to the level he was at last year. He'll be at the top of the charts offensively for Dallas all season long.<br /><br />Marty Turco didn't perform nearly as awful as some people have said he would, but there were a few holes in his game. He still lets a few too many rebounds escape his reach, and wasn't at his best during the shootout. However, he didn't make any risky passing plays that he's usually known for, and made a lot of key saves that could've had the Stars in a much deeper hole and without the small gain of one point from the shootout loss.<br /><br />The defense played way above the expectations of such an un-proven group. Newcomers Karlis Skrastins and Jeff Woywitka filled in seemlessly, and Skrastins especially proved his worth on the penalty kill.<br /><br />However, that leads to the one issue I had: special teams. Now obviously anybody who watched the game will agree, the Stars need to take less penalties and take advantage of their power-play more often. However, James Neal did manage to capitalize on a power-play goal, and the penalty kill only gave up one goal in four Nashville opportunities.<br /><br />Mike Ribeiro showed that he hasn't lost his niche in shootouts, of course. He scored a fantastic goal that kept the Stars in the game a little longer.<br /><br />J.P. Dumont had an awfully scary moment in the second period, hitting his head against the boards after taking a particularly rough, although clean, hit from Stephane Robidas. He was pretty shaken up, and having not seen the exact moment of the impact, I panicked when I saw him flat on the ice unmoving. I was glad to see that he left the ice on his own though, and hopefully he won't be injured for too long.<br /><br /><br />The next Stars game is against Edmonton on Tuesday, and they'll be on the road. If you don't get to catch the game (and you don't have DVR like me) then be sure to check back here, I'll have a postgame review!Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-79385875504017957952009-10-03T17:39:00.002-04:002009-10-03T17:52:50.469-04:00Pre-postOk, so the Stars game starts in a few hours, and I'm psyched!<br /><br />Of course, I have nothing to do for those couple of hours, so I figured I'd make a quick little post for now.<br /><br />AT&T Uverse with DVR has saved my life. I've watched most of the games they've already shown on Versus so far, including the very first game that featured Alex Ovechkin scoring two goals.<br /><br />The first Versus NHL game of the year featured the first goal of the season, the first save of the season, first check, first two-goal performance, first crunching hit, first fight, and first crushing defeat.<br /><br />Also in the good news category, every NHL game except one so far has had at least one team score 4 goals. The game that didn't was a 3-0 Colorado victory over Vancouver. High scoring is back!<br /><br /><br />I really can't express how much anticipation is in this room right now, from just me. I'm really excited about the new season, it should be a redeeming one. And if anybody doesn't think a team can rebound, just look at the Avalanche so far this season. Two wins already, and a lot of great young talent is there.<br /><br /><br />STARS RULE!Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-34454186927694677352009-09-20T15:25:00.003-04:002009-09-20T16:39:20.925-04:00Pre-season writingsSo, I realize that I'm still incredibly inconsistent with my posting, to the point where I missed the start of the pre-season. However, this time I'll set a date for my full return: Dallas' season opening game.<br /><br />For now, though, let's take a look at what the Stars have been up to relating to training camp and how their roster is shaping up:<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Roster Spots:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>The Stars retained most of their roster from last season, and with a few players returning from injury, the majority of their lines will be filled.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Offense</span><br />Up front, expect to see Brenden Morrow, Mike Ribeiro, Jere Lehtinen, James Neal, Brad Richards, Loui Eriksson, Steve Ott, Mike Modano, Fabian Brunnstrom, Brian Sutherby, Toby Petersen, and Krys Barch as the regular forwards. They each performed their jobs well, and were sorely missed when injured. The only holes in the lineup would be from injuries.<br />However, the Stars do have several players on the verge of joining the team. Jamie Benn is the next pure scorer for Dallas, and he proved it by scoring two goals in a recent pre-season win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ray Sawada is another candidate for cracking the lineup, although more as a grinder/checking player with a bit of offensive flair. He might be carried as the 13th forward for the team.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Defense<span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br />On the blue-line, the Stars look a little uncertain. Losing the mentorship of Darryl Sydor and Sergei Zubov was a tough blow, and Karlis Skrastins will be hard-pressed to make up for some of that. Stephane Robidas will also have to take another step towards the role of head veteran, and Trevor Daley will be expected to elevate his game. Nicklas Grossman should continue his steady play that has earned him the admiration of most Stars fans, and Matt Niskanen should be able to redeem himself from last year's erratic and often poor play, while Mark Fistric should finally get the full time NHL job he deserves. Andrew Hutchinson and Jeff Woywitka will be the backup defenders.<br />Waiting in the wings are several young players with hopes of reaching the NHL soon, the most prominent among them being Ivan Vishnevskiy. The offensively talented defenseman showed great improvements defensively last year, prompting the Stars to give him plenty of time to prove himself in training camp. However, management will likely decide that more improvement will come from top-line AHL time, rather than sporadic play with Dallas.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Goaltending<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>The Stars have relied on Marty Turco since his rookie season, and it's unlikely that anything will change this year. However, they will have a solid backup in Alex Auld, who will be able to provide Turco with more nights off than in recent seasons.<br />In the wings, Richard Bachman quietly sits under the radar, waiting to bring his superb skills to the NHL. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /></span>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-55862290628744729832009-08-10T14:19:00.003-04:002009-08-10T20:23:23.315-04:00Straying From the UsualSo today, I had some thoughts about the music world that I felt like letting out to see what other people thought. Seeing as I didn't feel like creating a new blog, I decided to post it on here:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">THE MYSTERY THAT IS "POP" MUSIC<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>Pop is perhaps the most broad genre of any music genre. However, the official definition of Pop Music is simply a shortening of the phrase Popular Music. So why do I call the genre a mystery?<br /><br />Pop can be; Hannah Montana, The Killers, ABAM, Nickelback, Lady Gaga, The Fray.<br />The diversity of the above listed bands is immediately clear.<br />Obviously, those aren't the only pop bands. But I'll use these six as my examples because in a way, they're the six subdivisions of pop.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1. Hannah Montana "Pop"</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>This is perhaps the subdivision of pop that I despise the most. Not just Disney artists, but any pop artist who fits under one of the following:<br />A) Letting the record company write songs for you,<br />B) Using Autotune or similar applications because you really suck at singing,<br />C) Never allowing your backing band to become famous (if listed as a single artist),<br />D) Wasting your own musical talent by allowing A,<br />E) Being more interested in the fame or money than the music.<br />Bands that allow themselves to get sucked into this style of pop really put the music industry to shame. The fact that they could just as easily write their own songs, book their own shows, gain fame via becoming local favorites, etc., but give that up because they don't want to wait that long, or put in that much effort, makes me sad that they have real fans. Also, if I was a member of, say, Demi Lovato's backing band, but I never got any credit, I'd be pretty pissed.<br />Other bands in this subdivision: Every band signed with Disney, most one-hit wonders<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2. The Killers "Pop"</span><br />The Killers and bands like them are considered pop bands for any of the following reasons:<br />A) The ability to constantly release hits that receive lucrative amounts of airplay,<br />B) The ability to draw a wide variety of fans,<br />C) The amount of fame they get while staying committed to the music,<br />D) The amount of money they get while committed to the music.<br />Some bands that fit the above qualifications are hard to qualify as pop by the actual sound of their music. The Killers' latest album doesn't seem to fit any genre except for a vague qualification of pop-rock. However, they often get classified as pop in articles in popular magazines because, well, as is the obvious case, they're popular. Their songs appeal to almost everyone, and because they name other well-known bands (U2, The Beatles, etc.) as influences, they're immediately accepted as having a good sound.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Other bands in this subdivision:</span> Collective Soul, Silversun Pickups, U2.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3. ABAM "Pop"<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>This subdivision is actually quite similar to The Killers "Pop" musically, but bands get put into this subdivision for any of the following reasons:<br />A) They give themselves the genre of Pop, Jpop, Power Pop, etc.,<br />B) They remain, or at least currently, a relatively unknown band when viewed in the entire scope of the music world,<br />C) They don't make a lot of money,<br />D) Their style is universally acceptable.<br />Often, a band that fits into this kind of pop is an indie band, hence their lack of relative popularity. Also common, any band classified as a "one-hit wonder" that didn't allow a record company to write the song for them, may have started out in this subdivision.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Other bands in this division: </span>The Tough Alliance, Molly Rockwell, Ben Cyllus, Eisley<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">4. Nickelback "Pop"<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>There are, for whatever reasons, a number of rock bands who's popularity shoot through the roof after one or two hit songs, and end up getting sucked into the pop music scene. Some of the reasons may be as follows:<br />A) The song/band has lyrical content that almost anyone could apply to a memorable moment in their life,<br />B) The song has an instantly catchy and easily memorizable melody,<br />C) The band manages to grab a spot on a Clear Channel playlist<br />D) The band has had a considerable following before becoming a "Pop" band and therefore has a large base to build on when they join the pop scene.<br />The majority of these bands' most popular songs will be soft rock, although on occasion a few loud ones (Animal I Have Become -Three Days Grace) will break through. This subdivision rose up in the late 90's, in the post-grunge era, and appealed to a lot of music fans who were looking for a quieter sound after listening to bands like Nirvana, Green Day, Rage Against The Machine, and other grunge bands.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Other bands in this division:</span> Hootie and the Blowfish, The Goo Goo Dolls, Three Days Grace<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">5. Lady Gaga "Pop"<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>Half of the artists in this subdivision are really R&B or Rap, but get classified as pop for any of the following reasons:<br />A) The artist is wildly popular on radio, or with videos on MTV, or both,<br />B) The artist makes a ridiculous amount of money (and shows it off in videos)<br />C) The popularity of the artist comes from the content of their lyrics or videos rather than in the music,<br />D) The artist isn't particularly keen on creativity, instead taking lyric ideas from other artists and displaying the concept with different words.<br />This is another subdivision of pop that often disgusts me, because the artists take more pride in the money and fame that they get than the actual potential quality of their music. And the fact that 90% of the time, the lyrical content is about sex, drugs, money, or fame continues to downgrade the kind of music these artists could be making. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br />Other artists in this subdivision: </span>Rihanna, T-Pain, Timbaland<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">6. The Fray "Pop"<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>This is the style of pop that pains me the most. It mainly encompasses Alt. Rock and Soft Rock bands, but the reasons they might get qualified in here go as follows:<br />A) The band produces a major hit that's instantly catchy, and then proceeds to release a bunch of mediocre songs that are instantly overhyped simply because it's the same band,<br />B) The band writes a number of songs with universally relatable lyrics, but allows the instrumentation to be arranged by a record company, in which case the songs end up sounding mediocre and often similar to each other,<br />C) The band releases a number of songs that they personally wrote and composed, but strangely, it's hard to distinguish one song from another.<br />To me, this is the lazy side of pop. The bands usually work hard to get to the pop scene, and then become lazy, write cliche songs, and yet manage to remain atop the pop scene for at least a year.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Other bands in this subdivision: </span>Shinedown, Nickelback (yes, they fit two), The Script, Jason Mraz<br /><br /><br /><br />Now, to get things straight, this writing doesn't mean I hate pop. The opposite actually; The Killers, Silversun Pickups, Collective Soul, ABAM, and The Tough Alliance are among my favorite bands. And I mean no offense to any musical talent any of the implied musicians may have; I simply criticize the way they go about using it. So, without rambling on any longer, please, comment with criticism/questions/applause etc.<br /><br />(P.S. I've been in a music mood lately, so this blog may become the subject of more music writings.)<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-16693362750932612922009-07-20T20:39:00.014-04:002009-08-02T17:10:48.842-04:00Free Agent Moves Around The NHLSo, in order to make it look like I frequently post to this blog, I'm going to try and spend more of my time thinking I'm bored writing about hockey.<br /><br />Today; A quick look at each team in the NHL to grade their free-agent additions and subtractions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anaheim: </span>(additions: Saku Koivu, Nick Boynton, Steve McCarthy / subtractions: Francois Beauchemin)<br />-The Ducks' biggest splash was signing long-time Canadiens center Saku Koivu. The Ducks didn't have a lot of offense down the middle after Ryan Getzlaf, so adding Koivu, who brings leadership, scoring, and defensive play, will really make a difference. However, after trading Chris Pronger to Philadelphia for Joffrey Lupul and Luca Sbisa, and losing Francois Beauchemin to the Maple Leafs, will the Ducks' defense be as dominating? Before, it was a top three of Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, and Francois Beauchemin. Now, it's a top three of Niedermayer (who's status of retired/active is debated every off-season), Nick Boynton, and Ryan Whitney. The top three remains a formidable group, but some of the intimidation factor has been lost.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Atlanta: </span>(additions: Nik Antropov, Jason Krog, Drew McIntyre, Peter Mannino, Noah Welch, Anthony Stewart, Tim Stapleton, Mike Vernace, Josh Gratton / subtractions: Clay Wilson, Brett Skinner)<br />-Atlanta has stayed relatively low-profile this off-season, mainly acquiring minor leaguers and prospects. Nik Antropov was the only major name added, as the Thrashers continue to search for that secondary scoring they've needed so dearly. Antropov recently became a high-end scorer; can he do the same job in Atlanta? Noah Welch may also be able to help a defense corps that's becoming younger and younger.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Boston: </span>(additions: Steve Begin, Dany Sabourin, Drew Fata, Drew Larman, Trent Whitfield, Derek Morris / subtractions: Steve Montador, Jeremy Reich, Shane Hnidy)<br />-Boston suffered relatively minor losses so far this off-season, and as a result, have added only fringe players and Derek Morris. Steve Begin may play a role as a checker and penalty killer, and Morris will be a good addition on defense, but the other additions will likely see time in the minors and as healthy scratches. The Bruins retained pretty much the same roster from last season, and will once again be a top contender.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buffalo: </span>(additions: Steve Montador, Cody McCormick / subtractions: Jaroslav Spacek, Mathieu Darche, Michael Funk)<br />-Despite an up-and-down season, the Sabres made very few moves to improve their team. When free-agent defender Jaroslav Spacek left, they quickly replaced him with veteran Steve Montador. Maxim Afineganov is also likely to leave the team, although he hasn't been signed by anyone yet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Calgary: </span>(additions: Jay Bouwmeester, Fredrik Sjostrom, Garth Murray, Riley Armstrong, Jason Jaffray, Staffan Kronwall, Nigel Dawes / subtractions: Jordan Leopold, Warren Peters, Adam Cracknell)<br />-The Flames went with big names up front the last time they underwent major revision; the result was another reasonably disappointing season. This year, after losing relatively nobody to free agency, and replacing Jordan Leopold with ex-Panthers star Jay Bouwmeester, the Flames went for depth and youth. Bouwmeester will obviously play a huge role on defense as the 3rd big name behind Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regeher. Sjostrom will be looked to provide a Rene-Bourque-esque season, and the other additions will be sparingly used.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Carolina: </span>(additions: Steven Goertzen, Jay Harrison, Andrew Alberts, Zack Fitzgerald / subtractions: Mark Flood, Dwight Helminen)<br />-Carolina surprised a lot of fans by returning to the playoffs this season, despite having made very few major moves. The same thing occured over this summer, as Andrew Alberts will likely be the only addition to play a significant role on the team. However, a full season out of the Eric/Erik duo of Staal and Cole should boost the Canes up the standings once again.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chicago: </span>(additions: Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky, John Madden, Richard Petiot, Danny Bois / subtractions: Matt Walker, Nikolai Khabibulin, Samuel Pahlsson, Martin Havlat)<br />-The Hawks made some major moves last summer on their way to a playoff run. This summer, they intend for their moves to do the same. In light of winger Martin Havlat's free agency, they went out and opted to sign the best replacement available, in the form of two-time Cup Finalist Marian Hossa. Hossa has been looking for a Stanley Cup win for several seasons, and made it to the Finals with Pittsburgh and Detroit in the past two seasons. He'll be expecting a Finals trip in Chicago. Chicago also added Tomas Kopecky, a Stanley Cup winner with the Wings two years ago, and John Madden, who's won several championships with New Jersey. Obviously, experience was the goal here. An interesting move however was letting Nikolai Khabibulin, the man who saved the Hawks season in goal, test the free agent market, while keeping the inconsistent Cristobal Huet, who must provide a much better season this year to prove his worth.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Colorado: </span>(additions: Craig Anderson, David Koci, Darren Haydar, Brett Skinner / subtractions: Ian Laperriere, Lawrence Nycholat, Tyler Arnason, Andrew Raycroft, Ben Guite, Nathan Smith, Cody McCormick)<br />-After the worst season in the history of the Avalanche, team management decided it was time to build from within. Free-agent additions failed them last season (particularly Andrew Raycroft and Darcy Tucker), so they'll look mainly to prospects to step in this year. Craig Anderson was signed to attempt to find stability in goal, while the hole left by Tyler Arnason will likely be filled by 1st round draft pick Matt Duchene.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Columbus: </span>(additions: Samuel Pahlsson, Mathieu Garon, Mathieu Roy / subtractions: Aaron Rome, Wade Dubielewicz)<br />-The Blue Jackets added most of their major pieces last summer, and it led to their first ever playoff round. Despite being swept by eventual Stanley Cup finalist Detroit, Columbus entered the off-season full of confidence. They added Mathieu Garon to be a veteran back-up to Steve Mason, while Samuel Pahlsson will strengthen the defensive play of the forwards.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dallas: </span>(additions: Alex Auld, Karlis Skrastins, Jeff Woywitka, Warren Peters / subtractions: Steve Begin, Chris Conner, Brendan Morrison)<br />-The Stars will be relying on the return of Brenden Morrow, Brad Richards, and Toby Petersen from injury, along with a revival by Marty Turco, to bring the team back up the standings. They replaced free agents Sergei Zubov and Darryl Sydor with Karlis Skrastins and Jeff Woywitka in the hopes that their younger defenders will take another step up. Alex Auld was brought in to be a solid back-up goaltender. They only lost two rental players and Chris Conner to free-agency, so the roster won't look a whole lot different in 09-10. (see previous blog post for more on the Stars)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Detroit: </span>(additions: Jeremy Williams, Kris Newbury, Doug Janik / subtractions: Marian Hossa, Ty Conklin, Tomas Kopecky, Mikael Samuelsson, Darren Haydar)<br />-The salary cap finally caught up to the Wings this off-season, as the Wings lost four vital pieces of last season's roster to free-agency. Marian Hossa was one of the leading scorers on the Red Wings and had chemistry with the whole team. Ty Conklin was a solid back-up goaltender who salvaged much of the Wings' season when Chris Osgood got rusty. Tomas Kopecky was a rising young player who could've been worth a lot in a trade, and Mikael Samuelsson was a strong defensive player and secondary scorer. The Wings could only add minor league depth via the free agency market.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Edmonton: </span>(additions: Nikolai Khabibulin, Chris Minard / subtractions: Dwayne Roloson, Dany Sabourin, Ales Kotalik, Mathieu Roy, Kyle Brodziak)<br />-The Oilers are depending on their young players to bounce back from disappointing seasons last year in order to move up the standings. They replaced a reliable goalie with another reliable goalie, and probably won't need to replace Ales Kotalik, who was only with the team for games after the trade deadline.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Florida: </span>(additions: Scott Clemmensen, Clay Wilson, Jordan Leopold, Jeff Taffe / subtractions: Jay Bouwmeester, Craig Anderson, Karlis Skrastins, Nick Boynton, Anthony Stewart, Drew Larman, Tanner Glass)<br />-Florida's defense corps suffered some losses over the summer and they just didn't have the budget to re-stock with other free agents. Jordan Leopold will be a welcome addition, but he alone won't be able to replace Jay Bouwmeester, Karlis Skrastins, and Nick Boynton. A year ago, Scott Clemmensen would have been considered a step down from Craig Anderson. However, after Clemmensen saved New Jersey's season in 08-09, it may be a step up in goal.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Los Angeles: </span>(additions: Rob Scuderi, Brandon Segal / subtractions: Matt Moulson, Brian Boyle)<br />-The Kings didn't make very many moves by the way of free agency. Rob Scuderi will be a good stay at home defender for the team, although they may regret letting the young Brian Boyle develop in New York instead of Los Angeles.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Minnesota: </span>(additions: Greg Zanon, Martin Havlat, Shane Hnidy, Wade Dubeiliwicz, Jon DiSalvatore, Nathan Smith / subtractions: Marian Gaborik, Corey Locke, Stephane Veilleux, Kurtis Foster)<br />-The Wild essentially played the replacement game, knowing which players they planned to lose to free agency, and replacing them with players of the same value. Marian Gaborik jumped ship to New York; Minnesota nabbed Martin Havlat from Chicago. Kurtis Foster bolted to Tampa Bay; the Wild signed Greg Zanon and Shane Hnidy to fill the gap. Stephane Veilleux was a good checking winger and might need a replacement, but his role wasn't so hard to replace. Wade Dubeiliwicz's signing has led to questions about the future of Josh Harding.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Montreal: </span>(additions: Jaroslav Spacek, Hal Gill, Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Mathieu Darche, Paul Mara, Travis Moen, Curtis Sanford / subtractions: Mike Komisarek, Chris Higgins, Alex Kovalev, Saku Koivu, Tom Kostopoulous)<br />-The Canadiens had a confusing season last year, starting off looking like they would ursurp the Red Wings as Cup champions (who were actually ursurped by Pittsburgh), and playing the entire first half as such. However, soon after the All-star game (which featured 4 members of the team), the Canadiens fell apart. They were one of the most inconsistent teams in the league, plummetted down the standings, and ended up in a battle for a final playoff spot.<br />To fix the problem, they went for a major revamp. Mike Komisarek and Alex Kovalev were two members that made it to the all-star game, Saku Koivu was the face of the franchise for many years, and Chris Higgins was an up-and-coming goal scoring winger. All of them were let off to free agency. Replacing Komisarek; Jaroslav Spacek, Hal Gill, and Paul Mara. The Canadiens are determined to have the best defense in the league, and a group including Spacek, Gill, Mara, Andrei Markov, and Roman Hamrlik is fairly intimidating. Up front, Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri, and Travis Moen will fill the gaps left by Kovalev, Higgins, Koivu, and Tom Kostopoulous.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nashville: </span>(additions: Ben Guite, Peter Olvecky, Ben Eaves / subtractions: Vernon Fiddler, Greg Zanon, Scott Nichol, Jed Ortmeyer)<br />-The moves made by the Predators have been so largely insignificant that I almost forgot to write about them (sorry Preds fans!). They lost a few of their less-known players, but have the means to replace them. Alexander Sulzer will be taking over Greg Zanon's place on the blueline, while Vernon Fiddler's spot will be filled by Patric Hornqvist.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">New Jersey: </span>(additions: Yann Danis, Cory Murphy / subtractions: Scott Clemmensen, Mike Rupp, John Madden, Brian Gionta, Jon DiSalvatore)<br />-The Devils had an interesting season in 08-09, facing the obstacle of trying to win without Martin Broduer in net for a majority of the season. Luckily, Scott Clemmensen stepped in, and Zach Parise stepped up, and the Devils were able to salvage most of their season. However, the playoffs turned into yet another disappointment, and New Jersey management let several ex-key players test free agency waters. Gone are Clemmensen, scorer Brian Gionta, and long-time defensive specialist John Madden. Gionta and Madden haven't been replaced via free agency, so it's likely we'll see some young faces in the Devils' line-up this year. Yann Danis will be looked upon to be a sparingly used back-up as Broduer will return to his 70+ games/40+ wins status.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NY Islanders: </span>(additions: Dwayne Roloson, Scott Munroe, Brett Westgarth, Jeremy Reich, Greg Moore, Matt Moulson, Greg Mauldin, Mark Flood, Martin Biron / subtractions: Chris Lee, Peter Mannino, Yann Danis, Joe Callahan)<br />-The Islanders mostly made small changes, bolstering their depth in the minors while hoping that their young players on the roster will continue to improve. The most interesting part of the Isles' off-season so far is the fact that, barring a retirement-due-to-injury by Rick DiPietro, New York will have 3 potential #1 goaltenders. Dwayne Roloson, Martin Biron, and DiPietro all have the potential to be top goaltenders, and have all been paid the money to do so. My guess? The Islanders will use one goaltender as trade bait to pick up a top forward, and have already warned the goaltender they plan to do so with.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NY Rangers: </span>(additions: Donald Brashear, Marian Gaborik, Tyler Arnason, Corey Locke, Chris Higgins, Brian Boyle, Ales Kotalik, Enver Lisin / subtractions: Colton Orr, Fredrik Sjostrom, Nik Antropov, Greg Moore, Doug Janik, Paul Mara, Lauri Korpikoski)<br />-The Rangers are in the midst of remodeling, and although many agree that Glen Sather is the man who needs to be away from the team, he insists the problem lies in the team, and so New York has endured yet another summer of player shuffling. Out goes Nik Antropov, who was added at the trade deadline for scoring but let go in order to acquire more of the same in the form of Marian Gaborik. Definitely an upgrade, although Gaborik's health is eternally questionable. Paul Mara abandoned the big city's defense, and while nobody from free agency (unless Brian Boyle returns to the blueline, an unlikely situation) can replace him, prospect Bobby Sanguinetti may finally be ready to join the big leagues. Chris Higgins, Tyler Arnason and Ales Kotalik come in to bolster a forward group that released Lauri Korpikoski, Donald Brashear replaces Colton Orr as resident thug, and one ex-highly touted-Coyote (Fredrik Sjostrom) for another (Enver Lisin).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ottawa: </span>(additions: Alex Kovalev / subtractions: Greg Mauldin, Drew Fata, Danny Bois, ?Dany Heatley?)<br />-The biggest off-season news in Ottawa has yet to finish playing out. Other than the strange choice by Alex Kovalev to sign with the Sens, Dany Heatley has been the only major player to be involved in rumors. The right-winger is apparently unhappy with his situation in Ottawa, and has been approached by several teams with contract/trade offers. He's also apparently picky, as no firm decision has been reached as to what his status will be at the start of next season.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Philadelphia: </span>(additions: Ray Emery, Brian Boucher, Ian Laperriere, Lukas Kaspar, Krys Kolanos, Jason Ward / subtractions: Mike Knuble, Scott Munroe, Antero Nittymaki, Andrew Alberts, Martin Biron)<br />-The Flyers underwent several big changes during the off-season. They entirely restocked their goaltending, letting Antero Nittymaki and Martin Biron walk and bringing in Ray Emery and Brian Boucher. They also gave up points (Mike Knuble, Joffrey Lupul) for toughness and defensive responsibility (Ian Laperriere, Chris Pronger).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Phoenix: </span>(additions: Vernon Fiddler, Jason Labarbera, Adrian Aucoin, Lauri Korpikoski / subtractions: Garth Murray, Steven Goertzen, Nigel Dawes, Enver Lisin, Ryan Lannon)<br />-Wherever the Coyotes end up after the NHL season starts, they'll have a relatively solid roster to take with them. Adrian Aucoin was added to bolster the defense, Jason Larbarbera will solidify the goaltending, and Vernon Fiddler will be a good checking center. GM Don Maloney is still considering making an offer to free-agent Alex Tanguay, but the main drama of the team's summer has been the financial situation and whether or not someone will buy the team.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pittsburgh: </span>(additions: Nate Guenin, Chris Lee, Chris Conner, Jay McKee, Brent Johnson / subtractions: Hal Gill, Mathieu Garon, Rob Scuderi, Jeff Taffe, Chris Minard)<br />-Last season's Stanley Cup champions spent the summer trying to retain the majority of their roster to make another run next season, and just like the Red Wings before them, they were successful. Hal Gill was substituted with Jay McKee, while the Penguins expect a prospect to fill in Rob Scuderi's spot. Mathieu Garon's spot on the team will be filled by Brent Johnson, unless John Curry takes a major step up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">San Jose: </span>(additions: Scott Nichol, Joe Callahan, Jed Ortmeyer, Dwight Helminen / subtractions: Brian Boucher, Riley Armstrong, Brett Westgarth, Travis Moen, Lukas Kaspar)<br />-The Sharks kept up on their pattern of being regular-season dominators and post-season failures, and GM Doug Wilson demanded major changes. Surprisingly though, the team made relatively minor changes, spending money on resigning the majority of last year's roster, only losing Brian Boucher, and replacing Travis Moen with Scott Nichol.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">St. Louis: </span>(additions: Ty Conklin, Barry Tallackson, Adam Cracknell, Brendan Bell / subtractions: Jeff Woywitka, Jay McKee, Trent Whitfield)<br />-The Blues made it to the playoffs after a long hiatus last season, and kept the majority of their roster this season. Ty Conklin will be the next attempt at stabilizing the goaltender position, while a return from injury by Erik Johnson and a step up by Steve Wagner should fill in the gaps left by Jay McKee and Jeff Woywitka.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tampa Bay: </span>(additions: Mattias Ohlund, Matt Walker, Stephane Veilleux, Kurtis Foster, Antero Nittymaki / subtractions: David Koci, Richard Petiot, Brandon Segal, Noah Welch, Cory Murphy, Jason Ward)<br />-Many things held Tampa back from being an improved team last year, but a major one was a lack of defensive strength. So the Lightning went out and signed Mattias Ohlund, Kurtis Foster, and Matt Walker to bolster the blueline. They also signed Antero Nittymaki to help out the goaltending, and Stephane Veilluex will buff up the forward lines.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Toronto: </span>(additions: Colton Orr, Francois Beauchemin, Mike Komisarek, Garnet Exelby / subtractions: Jeremy Williams, Kris Newbury, Jay Harrison, Tim Stapleton)<br />-The Leafs decided to boost their young defensive corps with veterans Francois Beauchemin and Mike Komisarek to give the team some stability while they develop from within. Look for Luke Schenn, Mikhail Grabovski, and Lee Stempniak to take big steps up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vancouver: </span>(additions: Aaron Rome, Lawrence Nycholat, Andrew Raycroft, Tanner Glass, Mike Funk / subtractions: Mattias Ohlund, Jason Labarbera, Jason Krog, Drew MacIntyre, Jason Jaffray, Zack Fitzgerald, Curtis Sanford)<br />-The Canucks made a lot of minor changes to their roster, but also let Mattias Ohlund leave the defense corps slightly weaker. They're hoping that a prospect or minor leaguer can step up, unless a free agent and/or trade presents a better opportunity.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Washington: </span>(additions: Mike Knuble, Brendan Morrison / subtractions: Donald Brashear, Brent Johnson)<br />-The Caps had an outstanding season last year, although they fell short of their desire for the Stanley Cup. However, they only improved their roster as Brent Johnson left the team due to the sudden surge of prowess shown by Simeon Varlamov, and they added Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison for just a little bit more scoring.<br /><br /><br />This report came out way later than I expected, but I'm pretty sure it's up to date as of August 2nd, 4:10 PM.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-33234944237951839662009-07-08T22:12:00.003-04:002009-07-10T12:52:33.196-04:00Long Absence—Stars reportFor quite some time now, various things have prevented me from blogging, school and working with my band, Drayned (myspace.com/drayneband) amongst them.<br /><br />However, tonight I managed to secure some time to write.<br /><br />Let's start with examining the changes made by the Dallas Stars since I last checked in:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">New Players: </span>The Stars have added Alex Auld, Karlis Skrastins, Jeff Woywitka, and Warren Peters through free agency/trade over the summer so far.<br /><br />With Tobias Stephan and Brent Krahn failing to provide a steady back-up presence in goal, and prospects Tyler Beskorowany, Matt Climie, and Richard Bachman needing seasoning with the new Texas Stars AHL team, the Stars brought in Alex Auld from the Ottawa Senators. Auld was a surprise last season, coming from a reputation of inconsistency to ursurp Martin Gerber as the Sens starter. However, he failed to stay at that level of performance, and became expendable after Brian Elliot showed some strong play and the Senators traded for Pascal Leclaire. With Marty Turco perfectly capable of bouncing back from last season's poor play, Auld will be a reliable veteran back-up, the likes of which haven't been seen in Dallas in several seasons.<br /><br />A combination of age and salary cap limits have forced the Stars to let longtime fan-favorite defenders Sergei Zubov and Darryl Sydor test the free agent market. Zubov, facing the trials of age and injury, managed only 10 games this past season. However, his leadership will be sorely missed. Darryl Sydor is a consistent defenseman who will surely have a solid NHL job in another location this coming season. He's been on a couple Stanley Cup teams.<br />To make up for the loss of these two defenders, the Stars have brought in Karlis Skrastins and Jeff Woywitka. Skrastins is a servicable defender who had an iron man streak for many seasons. He'll be a solid veteran addition. Woywitka had a tough time breaking into the NHL, but last season he was a steady presence for the St. Louis Blues.<br />However, the Stars have a serviceable crew of Trevor Daley, Stephane Robidas, Nicklas Grossman, Matt Niskanen, Mark Fistric, and Andrew Hutchinson already signed. Skrastins will surely get a role, perhaps replacing Fistric, but Woywitka and Hutchinson will have to vie for ice time in training camp, and one of Fistric, Woywitka, and Hutchinson will have to accept a role as a veteran leader in the AHL.<br /><br />Up front, the Stars only added Warren Peters, who is likely to accept an AHL job. The Stars will have Brenden Morrow and Brad Richards returning from injury, leaving the following players vying for ice time (listed by official stars.nhl.com positions):<br />CENTER: Mike Ribeiro, Mike Modano, Brad Richards, Brian Sutherby, Toby Petersen, Tom Wandell<br />LEFT WING: Brenden Morrow, Steve Ott, Loui Eriksson, Fabian Brunnstrom, James Neal<br />RIGHT WING: Jere Lehtinen, Krystofer Barch<br /><br />Now, obviously, a couple players will swing over to play right wing, most likely Steve Ott and Brian Sutherby. Left wing presents a problem, as Morrow, Eriksson, Brunnstrom, and Neal can all play roles as scorers. Morrow and Neal can play top line roles, but Brunnstrom is the only one suited for a third-line-scorer role. Wandell will be a top center with the Texas Stars, and Ribeiro, Richards, Modano, and Petersen had no problems last season being on the lines they were.<br />The lines could then play out as such:<br /><br />Morrow-Ribeiro-Lehtinen<br />Eriksson-Richards-Ott<br />Neal-Modano-Sutherby<br />Brunnstrom-Petersen-Barch<br /><br />Last season developed some chemistry which will be interesting to work out. While Morrow was injured, Steve Ott took a role as enforcer/scorer on his line. Not long after, the line of Ott-Ribeiro-Lehtinen became one of the Stars' most productive, and most efficient at creating scoring chances. Ott reached career highs of 19 goals and 27 assists for 46 points. Whether he can return to that level on a line with Eriksson and Richards remains to be seen, if the lines are formed as predicted above.<br /><br /><br />The other major change the Stars made during the summer was the decision to no longer go with the dual GM role of Les Jackson and Brett Hull. Replacing the duo is former Maple Leafs, Panthers, Devils, Flames, and Stars center Joe Nieuwendyk. Nieuwendyk's hiring was accepted happily by many fans, as he was a fan favorite during his days with the Stars, and won the Conn Smythe trophy in 1999.<br /><br /><br />In the 2009 NHL draft, the Stars chose Scott Glennie, Alex Chiasson, Reilly Smith, Tomas Vincour, and Curtis McKenzie. While none of those players had big enough names to come out from under the shadow of John Tavares and Victor Hedman, they caught the eyes of Stars personnel.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Scott Glenie: </span>A right winger for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL for the last two seasons, Glennie is a speedy playmaker. Last season he scored 28 goals and 42 assists in only 55 games. He also cut his penalty minute total in half, from 50 PIMs in his first season (during which he scored 26 goals and 32 assists) to 25 PIMs in 08-09. He'll likely play another year of junior before enduring some AHL seasoning.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Alex Chiasson: </span>Another right winger, Chiasson played for the Des Moines Bucaneers in 08-09. A tough playmaker, Chiasson scored 17 goals and 33 assists for 50 points in 56 games, while garnering 101 PIMs. He'll need a few more years of seasoning before attempting to crack the lineup.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Reilly Smith: </span>In light of the lack of true right wingers with the Stars, Smith, yet another right winger, was drafted out of the OPJHL as a long-term project. In 08-09, Smith played in 13 games with the St. Michael's Buzzers, scoring 2 goals and 7 assists. He also had 22 minutes.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tomas Vincour: </span>Drafted out of the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL, Vincour is a low-scoring center. In 49 games last year, Vincour scored 17 goals and 19 assists.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Curtis McKenzie</span>: A left-winger for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL, McKenzie is another long term project for the Stars. He scored 3 goals and 7 assists in 49 games for the Vees, while recieving 81 PIMs.<br /><br /><br />While most of the changes made by the Stars aren't terribly major, the biggest impact will be from captain Brenden Morrow returning from an injury-riddled season. Expect a steadier season from Marty Turco, and a younger, more mobile defense corps.Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025858569251462251.post-12621588800562078892009-04-28T11:39:00.004-04:002009-04-29T18:20:12.615-04:00First Round MusingsWell, the first round's just about over by the time that I'm starting this blog, and while I don't have the time to recap every series, here are some interesting things to note (get out a sheet of paper, really):<br /><br />-Of the 8 first round series, only two have made it to seven games (NJD vs CAR, NYR vs WAS). However, 3 of those series made it to the intense mark of six games, meaning in those three match-ups, the teams were fairly equal, but one gained more momentum and won it all.<br /><br />-The leading scorer of the post-season so far is Evgeni Malkin. Interestingly enough, it's not very common to see the regular season scoring leader top the playoffs in scoring, for whatever reason. However, with the experience of a Finals appearance last year, Malkin's Penguins could go all the way again this year, leaving the possibility of the top regular and post- season scorer being the same man.<br /><br />-Detroit's 4-game sweep marked the first time since 2002 that the team who won the Cup made it beyond the first round the next year, while Pittsburgh's 4-2 series win over Philadelphia marked the first time since that same year that both finalists made it past round 1.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">San Jose vs. Anaheim<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Result: Anaheim wins series 4-2<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span>Perhaps the most surprising, yet not fully unexpected, upset of the first round, eighth seeded Anaheim, who struggled to even stay in playoff contention, took down the top seeded, President's Trophy-winning, San Jose Sharks, who are annually expected to go the distance and win a Cup, and annually disappoint the league and their fans.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Series difference-maker: Jonas Hiller (Ducks goaltender) </span>Hiller was shifting between backup and starting goalie throughout the year as J.S. Giguere suffered through numerous inconsistencies, but was always rock solid when called upon. He kept the Sharks' goal total low enough to allow the Ducks a victory every night.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Boston vs. Montreal<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Result: Boston wins series 4-0<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Coming into the playoffs in their 100th season, the Canadiens had a year of many struggles, but were expected to contend fairly well. Instead, they went up against a Bruins team that had dominated the Eastern Conference all year and weren't ready to slow down just yet. In a crushing sweep, the Bruins took down the Habs like lightning, leading many to wonder just what challenge actually awaits Boston.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Series difference-maker: Michael Ryder (Bruins winger)</span> Ryder came back to haunt his former team in the first round, scoring 4 goals and 7 points in 4 games for Boston.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Detroit vs. Columbus<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Result: Detroit wins series 4-0<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Perhaps the only series that ended exactly as predicted, the first-time-post-seasoner-Blue Jackets entered the playoffs hyped up, but with a poor match-up that resulted in a crushing defeat at the hands of defending champs Detroit. However, the supposed parity increase in the NHL has finally played out, as the Blue-Jackets, previously the only team in the league to have never made the playoffs, finally tasted the first round. And if the fans in Ohio are any proof, the Jackets want more.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Series difference-maker: Henrik Zetterberg (Red Wings Center/Winger) </span>Although the entire Wings team was balanced out in terms of scoring and defensive play, there's no denying that Zetterberg is one of Detroit's ultimate leaders, and with 3 goals to lead the team, not to mention his outstanding defensive play, he'll lead the Wings wherever they go.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Washington vs. New York Rangers<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span><span><span style="font-style: italic;">Result: Washington wins series 4-3</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><br /></span><span>One of the NHL's 7-game series, the Caps pulled off an upset, coming back from a Rangers 3-1 series lead to upset the boys in blue. After the Rangers chased goalie Jose Theodore from the Washington net, rookie goalie Simeon Varlamov came in and stole the show, and the comeback ended on Washington ice in game 7 with a 2-1 win.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Series difference-maker: Simeon Varlamov (Capitals goaltender) </span>With Alex Ovechkin being harassed by Marc Staal and Alexander Semin and Nick Backstrom proving ineffective without him, it was up to the rookie Varlamov, who changed the series momentum in game 5 when he shut out the Rangers 4-0 for the second time. Comparisons to Mr. Cam Ward have already begun, and while it's a bit early, it looks good for Washington. Next up? Pittsburgh.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vancouver vs. St. Louis<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Result: Vancouver wins series 4-0<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>The first series to end (Boston's sweep of Montreal and Detroit's sweep of Columbus ended only a few days later) proved that while an underdog team can carry plenty of momentum, consistent goaltending will take you all the way. That was the story, as the Blues could not rely on the scoring of David Backes and Brad Boyes to get past the wall of Roberto Luongo. And surprisingly balanced scoring made sure that the Canucks topped the Blues in only four games.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Series difference-maker: Sedin Twins (Canucks center and left winger) </span>It's practically impossible to seperate these two in any way. They duo dominated the series along with right winger Alex Burrows, making precision passes and sniper-like accuracy on net turn into goals. While Burrows had three goals, Daniel Sedin led with 2 goals and 5 points, while Henrik Sedin had a goal and 4 points.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">New Jersey vs. Carolina<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Result: Carolina wins series 4-3<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>There might not have been a more dead-locked series in the first round than this 7-gamer between the Devils and the Hurricanes. The Devils had Zach Parise to pour in goals, a world-reknowned defense to shut down the Canes, and star goalie Martin Broduer in net in case all else failed. The Canes had Eric Staal to lead on offense, a somewhat inexperienced, but still strong defense, and former Conn Smythe winner Cam Ward in goal. Through the first six games, it was literally a back and forth series. Two games went into overtime, with New Jersey winning one and Carolina winning the other. Although the Canes dominated in game 6, winning 4-0, it appeared that the Devils had the series locked up with a 3-2 lead going into the final period of game seven. However, goals by Jussi Jokinen and the heroic Eric Staal gave the Canes a 4-3 win and a chance in the second round.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Series-difference maker: Eric Staal (Hurricanes center) </span>With 5 goals and 7 points, the Canes future captain stayed on a point-per-game pace throughout the series and was the leading goal-scorer as well. Although counterpart Zach Parise played perhaps as heroicly as Staal, the Canes came out on top thanks to their leader.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Chicago vs. Calgary<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Result: Chicago wins series 4-2<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>The story of this series was toughness and experience (Calgary) up against energetic youth (Chicago). The Flames were led by gritty veteran Jarome Iginla and solid netminder Miika Kiprusoff, while the Blackhawks had the goal-scoring and leadership of Jonathan Toews and the netminding of former Stanley Cup winner Nikolai Khabibulin. Many people gave the series to Calgary because of the lack of experience (17 players never having played in the playoffs) that Chicago had in their lineup. However, the Hawks managed to overwhelm the defensive efforts of the Flames and moved on to the second round.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Series difference-maker: <span style="font-style: italic;">Jonathan Toews (Chicago Center) </span></span>Despite being so young, the future Chicago captain dominated the series with his gritty play. He had 2 goals and 6 points to tie for second on team scoring, and kept up the morale of the team even as they lost games 3 and 4 in Calgary.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Result: Pittsburgh wins series 4-2<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>The series with the most heated rivalry already in place became intense right off the bat. Both teams relied on scoring, as Pittsburgh had the dynamic duo of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, while the Flyers relied upon Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, among others. In the end, though, the superb goaltending of Marc-Andre Fluery bested the efforts of Martin Biron, and the Penguins came out on top. Next up, the dream series of Pittsburgh vs. Washington.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Series difference-maker: <span style="font-style: italic;">Evgeni Malkin (Penguins center) </span></span>Despite the hype surrounding Sid the Kid, Malking quietly lead the playoffs in scoring through the first round, and potted 4 goals and 9 points total.<br /></span>Texas Youth for Political Awarenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15803544786784812364noreply@blogger.com2