Vincent Sliva
Our New Dallas Stars Column Looks Back At The Hockey Week That Was And Then Will Be.
Your Dallas Stars are good. How good? Best in the National Hockey League good — at least according to standings. Led by the “New Triplets”, this fast-and-furious squad has Tokyo Drifted through the first quarter of the season to become the darlings of the hockey world.
While the NHL flirts with with ideas of soccer style nets and banning goalie helmets to increase scoring , the Stars are lauded for their scoring prowess in a season that has seen the lowest goals per game since 2003. That's a Pre-Facebook, not-yet-post-F*r*i*e*n*d*s world.
Stars general manager Jim Nill's vision to assemble a creative, defensively responsible, puck possession team is starting to become a reality, as the Dallas Stars have morphed into the South's version of the Detroit Red Wings.
But y'all knew this already, eh? So let's get current with a look back at the team's most recent home stand, and the upcoming three-game road stint that kicks off with tonight's contest with the Minnesota Wild.
• VICTORY GREEN™ vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-1.
It was a sloppy game from our heroes, one in which a very nice final score against a bottom-feeding team does not tell the whole story. As Coach Lindy Ruff stated after the game: “I'm pretty frustrated with the way we played. We had a total lack of mental focus. I know we won 5-1, but we'll lose games if we play like that.”
• Darkness Music vs. Calgary Flames, 1-3.
Welp, Ruff was right: You play like crap, you lose like crap, even to crappy teams. Especially to crappy teams. That's two crappy losses to the Crap Flames this season. Trade everyone, this team sucks.
• VICTORY GREEN™ vs Montreal Canadiens, 6-2.
A limping Canadien (Canadian) squad wanders in the Stars home barn on a losing streak with several key players out. What happens next? They get lit up like a Christmas tree. Or, um, Holiday Tree. No offense intended. Wanna see what a hockey thing looks like? Watch Tyler Seguin score on the heels of Jamie Benn doing his best Brenden Morrow impersonation at the 2:48 mark of this scoring recap.
The Captain, Jamie Benn, takes top honors here. Continuing his reign of terror upon the league, the 2014 Art Ross Trophy winner leads the league in goals with 22. Best hockey player in the entire world? That's for the fans to decide.
• Monday, December 21, at Minnesota Wild. • Tuesday, December 22, at Chicago Blackhawks. • Saturday, December 26, at St. Louis Blues. Flip it. Stick it. See ya later, bye. — LehtMoJoe
This will be a tough Central Division match-up against one of the few non-plural noun teams in the world of known sports. Prediction: Goaltenders duel, defense of Wild(s) edges out the Stars, 2-1. Can't win 'em all folks.
Last year's Stanley Cup winners will make way for this year's (and all subsequent years') Stanley Cup winner. Prediction: Stars roll 4-2.
The closest competitor in the division will give the Stars all they can handle. Tarasenko may or may not score a couple of hat tricks, but it ain't matter none. Prediction: Stars win 12-10.
