Stars May Be Buyers at the Deadline

The Dallas Stars' hot play of late is not going un-noticed around the league. Winners of five games in a row, and going for their sixth in-a-row tonight against Colorado, the Stars are hunting down that 5th playoff spot in the West. This is the type of team the pundits around the league envisioned when they were previewing the league last summer. After a rough start, they have finally gotten here.

The strong play of younger players and new arrivals have really boosted the Stars in their play. James Neal and Loui Eriksson have both been having banner years - although he probably won't win it (the competition is VERY stiff), Neal is in the chatter about contenders for the Calder Memorial Trophy, the award given to the league's top rookie. Although quiet in the points department, Brian Sutherby has really chipped in with some great physical play since his acquisition in December. And, of course, there's Brad Richards. After a slow start, he has become the Stars' leading scorer.

There are rumors that the Stars may still be in the hunt for that "missing piece" before the trade deadline at the end of this month, though, and I have to agree that it's a strong possibility. Although the offensive side of things has looked pretty strong all season, the defense has been suspect at times, as has the goaltending, and those are areas the Stars may want to shore up before the deadline passes.

Before suffering a broken hand in last night's game against the Avalanche, Toronto's Tomas Kaberle was one of the most talked about names for available top-tier defensemen. Kaberle has a no trade clause in his contract, but he has said many times before that he is willing to waive it if he is not in the Maple Leafs' long-term plans. It still appears he isn't, but with this injury, he may be much more difficult to move at the deadline. I wouldn't completely rule him out, however, as he is arguably the most talented defenseman available when he's healthy.

Because of this injury, I think the Stars will look elsewhere. They still want a puck-moving defensemen who is a proven contributor, but I believe they want someone who can step into that role as soon as he's acquired. They may look at another Canadian team in the Eastern Conference - the Ottawa Senators. Filip Kuba is in the final year of his contract, and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Sens will probably want to get what they can for him while they are able, and the Stars are a prime canidate. Kuba is a capable, offensive-minded D-man who knows how to chip in and be mobile. Kuba has 25 points this year (1 G, 24 A) through 41 games.

Whether or not the Stars look for a goaltender remains to be seen. With Marty Turco's strong play of late, and the organization's announcement that they're not looking at anyone else to start games this year, that speculation is starting to dwindle. They may wish to get another able veteran if they can find one at a reasonable price (no small feat) if they are worried about Stephan's lack of experience for a playoff run, but more than likely they will stay put in this area. Personally, as I have stated before, I would like to see them sign Curtis Sanford. He'd be a lot more comforting as a backup if things get serious. Let's just hope no rash decisions are made...the chemistry is finally looking good this season.

Dallas Stars Resting, Healing & Preparing

I didn't get to weigh in on this weekend's game yet - a gritty 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche - but that game was won with a lot of heart. These Stars are beat up and were tired, finishing up their third game in four nights, and were just trying to scrape out some points before getting four days off. Thankfully, they are getting that rest now, and were able to get 2 points out of Friday night's match.

Mike Modano got the shootout winner against the Avs, which gives him 11 goals on the year - just one back of Loui Erikson, who leads the team. In the last two games, he's had two goals and an assist, along with a shootout game-winner. Not so bad for a 38-year old.

A few notables - there was a very good article by Stars' play-by-play man Ralph Strangis posted on the team's website today. I think, because he's with the team, he might be pulling back a bit and changing a few nouns and adjectives here and there, but overall it's a pretty honest and accurate piece. Of the two fine men on our broadcast team, Razor is obviously the more outspoken one usually, so it's refreshing to here Ralphie really weigh in on something. And he did a nice job.

Also, On the injury front, there's not a lot of new developments. Obviously Morrow is still lost for the foreseeable future, most likely the rest of the season. Ott has been doing well in rehab, but is looking at mid to late January for his return. Lehtinen and Zubov are being viewed kind of day-to-day, but both are doubtful for Wednesday. The closest to return is Joel Lundqvist, who has been out since late October with a shoulder injury. He is not expected to skate on Wednesday, however.

And lastly, the Stars recalled forward Tom Wandell from the Swedish Elite League this weekend. How's THAT for a call up? You have to board a plane and hop the ocean in order to join your NHL team...don't hear that happen very often. But, the Stars were really pressed for skaters. With most of the eligible call ups already on the team (James Neal, Chris Connor and Toby Peterson), the Stars had to dig deep. All the way to Europe deep. Wandell participated in a partial team skate on Sunday, but some of the veterans were excused from practice that day (Modano, Ribeiro, Richards, etc.). So, we won't get a good idea of what line he'll play on and what his chemistry will be with his linemates until today or tomorrow. Wandell was the Stars' 5th round choice in the 2005 draft (146th overall). He's expected to wear number 48 when he makes his debut on Wednesday.

Stars Down Flames, Look Forward

The Dallas Stars went into Calgary, Alberta, last night, and after Sean Avery took himself out of games for the forseeable future, still had to face a hot Calgary team on the ice. The 3-2 victory over the Flames was one of the best wins for the club so far this year, and has fans all over hoping that this is the start of something good. With the victory on Sunday over the Oilers, it was the first back-to-back regular-season wins for the Stars since February of this year.

The Stars have a tough stretch ahead of them to keep the momentum going. They will immediately take the ice again tonight for another match against Edmonton, and then return home for a 3-game stand with the Avalanche, Coyotes & Red Wings. And while many people may argue that schedule isn't filled with the conference's top competitors (excepting the Red Wings, of course), the Stars are still playing with a very depleted roster, and even games that might once have been forgone conclusions will be closely contested.

And, the Avs may be starting to come together this season. After a host of setbacks (injuries, poor performances), similar to those of the Stars, Colorado is beginning to look pretty dangerous. They've won their last two games and look more like the team they were forcasted to be this season.

To quickly return to the Sean Avery issue - and I won't stay here long - I'm interested in hearing what you all might think about how his role with the Stars in the future will be effected. Eklund (that anonymous hockey blogger) - has told me he believes this to be the ticket for Sean Avery out of Dallas. While I don't know that I agree 100%, I can't see how the rest of the team can welcome him fully back into the fold, when they didn't seem to be very happy with him before the comments. Mike Modano's response is also interesting:

"It's unacceptable. Our perception around the league has been tarnished a bit. Our attitude with the refs has been rough this year. We don’t get the benefit of doubt because we're very vocal in those areas. In the past, we've been a quiet, confident group, and we simply need to get back to that.''

Sean Avery has a guaranteed contract in Dallas, which limits how the Stars can react to this kind of situation. But, they still have the ability to place him on Waivers or trade him, if another team is willing to take this mess on. In a response about Avery's return to the team, if that happens, Modano hinted that it might not be an easy thing:

It's going to take some time. It certainly will be a situation we'll have to address when that time comes ... if it does.

I know Mo wasn't 100% comfortable with the "C" on his chest, but those are the kind of quotes that come from a good captain. And I think the Stars should let him take this team again, and make it official. I also believe that Mark Parrish would make a nice "A" alternate as well to take Modano's place.

Pre-Season Game 5: Colorado 3, Stars 1

Well, it was a different game, but the same result against the Avs in Colorado on Wednesday night. The Stars lost by 2 points once again, falling to Colorado 3-1. I was going to be on Twitter, tweeting the game, but was told that this was the one preseason game that was going to be radio broadcast. So, I settled in for the Red Sox/Angels game instead. Then, it turns out the game wasn't broadcast. So, sorry about the lack of a play-by-play on the game again. But, hopefully I will get the opportunity to keep you all up to date on the next game. However, with the changes made to the NHL site, you can't get the "live" feed of it the same way you used to. You can get it on the iPhone, but unfortunately this blogger hasn't got one of those. Donations are accepted to the iPhone fund, though, if you're feeling generous...

So, Steve Ott netted his second goal of the pre-season, and Matt Climie, currently third on the Stars depth chart in net, played the whole game. He finished with 25 saves on 28 shots. Not too bad for the young guy - he was facing some pretty good shooters from the Avs - Smyth, Wolski, Sakic, Stastny...etc. The Avs got great play in net from Peter Budaj, who saved 29 of the 30 shots he faced, and earned the #1 star of the game.

From what I've read, the Stars were in the game for the most part. They pulled to within a goal at the 4:56 mark of the third period, and played Colorado tough. They're going to need to play them tougher when the games start counting, and that's just around the corner now.

The Stars are back in Dallas today for another matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 'Hawks beat the Stars 4-3 last Sunday, and it'll be good to see them with an opportunity to even the score. I expect to see Marty Turco in goal tonight, although it would be good to give Tobias Stephan some time as well...I thought we'd see him last night for part of the game. Perhaps tonight will be a split in net. Only 8 more days until opening night!

The Stars in Colorado

I do feel kind of bad that I didn’t get the chance to Twitter Sunday night’s 4-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks to you folks, and write a bit of a wrap-up about it. And I thought about doing one today; just a chance to pour over the stats and have a look at what might be gleaned from them. But, when thinking about it further (I swear, not out of laziness - well, not completely), I decided to let the missed opportunity be just that, and move on.

I don’t know about you (I really don’t - the comments section is REALLY quiet - c’mon boys and girls, make some noise!), but I love it when the Dallas Morning News or the Dallas Stars' website runs a bit of a “human interest” piece, and lets you into the Life of an NHL Hockey Player. I guess it stems from wanting to be a pro sports figure of some sort since I was a kid. The sport changed several times, but the dream never did - it’s like that for lots of boys and girls I’d imagine. But, the more I learn about how whirlwind and fast-paced the hockey players’ lives are, the more I feel like I missed the boat.

Case in point. If you haven’t read it yet, there’s a great blog piece by Matt Niskanen out on the Stars website today. I recommend it - it’s a quick read. And, there’s another piece in the DMN about Landon Wilson - journeyman forward and son of the Stars’ very own Rick Wilson.

Just a few quick notes for you. The team was expected to announce some cuts today (or possibly early tomorrow) to get the working number down to around 30. No word on those moves yet. The Stars hit the ice again on Wednesday in another pre-season tilt, this time against the Colorado Avalanche. Not a surprise for those of you reading the links above, as at least one mentioned the Stars’ team-building exercises in the mountains of Colorado.

Pre-Season Game 2: Colorado 4, Dallas 2

The Stars dropped their pre-season home-opener versus the Colorado Avalanche tonight, 4-2. Once again, the game was not broadcast via television or radio - we’re getting closer to those soon though - so the opinions and thoughts being shared tonight are no more than analysis derived from pouring over the box score and reading notes from around the league.

I will say, though, that starting the year 0-2 is better in the pre-season than in the regular. So, it’s good that the Stars are getting it out of their season before the Games That Count start. The coaches will tell you that it really doesn’t matter (the wins and losses) in the preseason, because they’re there to analyze lines, observe how young players react to a game played at NHL speed, and get a feel for how the other bench coaches. And they’re right, of course. That doesn’t mean that Dave Tippett wouldn’t have liked to get that win on home ice, though.

Mike Ribeiro, Brendan Morrow and heralded European Fabian Brunnstrom all had two points in the match - Both Morrow and Ribeiro had a goal and an assist, and Brunnstrom pitched in two helpers. Great news, because Ribeiro and Morrow seem to be picking up right where they left off last season with their great play, and Brunnstrom is showing how he’ll fit in with the scoring talent that the Stars have.

For the Avs, perennial Star-killer Ryan Smyth had a goal and an assist. Without seeing the play, I can only picture it in my head, but I imagine he was the gritty, hard-nose player he’s always been, and will have the year he should have had last year when the Avs signed him as a free agent. The only question will remain - can he stay injury-free? He’s only played 73 games over the past two seasons, and he appears to be well-rested this year. I have a feeling he’s going to be the Avs toughest weapon as the season moves on.

In off-ice notes - the Stars announced that rookie prospects, defensemen Trevor Ludwig and Guillaume Monast, signed three-year entry-level contracts. Ludwig, son of former Stars defenseman Craig Ludwig, is expected to play for Idaho of the East Coast League and Monast will return to Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior League, the team he skated for last season.

The Stars take to the ice again on Saturday, when they play the St. Louis Blues at the American Airlines Center at 7pm. Don’t forget - the Stars are having an Open House event Saturday morning, and everyone in attendance will get two free tickets to one of the remaining three home pre-season games. I’ll see you there!

Claude Lemieux Pondering a Return?

One of my favorite hockey bloggers, Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo's Puck Daddy Blog, commented on the rumors of a comeback return by infamous former Avalanche hit man and one-time Dallas Star, Claude Lemieux.

The Two-Line Pass sent over this headline last night from French language sports news outlet RDS: "Claude Lemieux tente un retour." And while we're not exactly Babel Fish over here, I believe the loose translation is, "Claude Lemieux is coming back to the NHL to own all your asses and win another Conn Smythe."

While I don't necessarily agree that this is a smart move by Claude, it does raise some interesting questions. Namely - where would he return? Who wants a 43-year old enforcer in today's NHL? Wyshynski said: "What about a line of Steve Ott-Sean Avery-Claude Lemieux on the Dallas Stars?". While a line of Ott, Avery and an in-his-prime Claude Lemieux is a very juicy thought, I don't know that this guy has what it takes any more. Besides, his last stint in Dallas only lasted for a few months. After coming over to the Stars as part of the Jamie Langenbrunner/Joe Nieuwendyk/Jason Arnott swap with the New Jersey Devils, he played in 32 regular-season games for the Stars and only tallied 6 points (2 G, 4 A) and 14 penalty minutes. In the 7 playoff games he was in, he could only muster 1 point (an assist), though he did have 10 PIMs. I barely noticed he was HERE. Can he do much more than this today? Hmmm...prolly not. But, good luck Claude! Just not on our team. What do you think?