At least we're not the Canucks!

AKA: YAY!  CENTER ICE!!

To start off, my girlfriend let me buy Center Ice.  This may not be profound to you young, single guys but to you married types I'm sure you understand.  So much thanks to the Best Girlfriend in the World^TM!  It does help that she loves hockey; Stars hockey!

On to the title I chose to use.  The stars are off to a rough season.  The more I think about it the more I feel like we've lost our chemistry (except Ribs).  I was talking to one of my coworkers the other day and I described it as this: "It looks like a bunch of skilled hockey players who were just put together for the first time ... All Star Game, slightly less skill."

I'm sure different people will argue it differently, and when it comes down to it, there are different thoughts on each player, but as an overall explanation, I think that's what it comes down to.

I did comment on one specific player - and it's not totally his fault.  We're only two games in so far but Mike Ribeiro has been billed as "the play maker".  Forgive me if I add "the Five Million Dollar play maker".  I'm all about giving players the chance to have a slump, the chance to be over-billed ... I'm not the kind of guy who normally holds on to things like this - but WHERE ARE You RIBS!

The Fanatics LOVE Ribs.  We chant for him, we cheer for him, we hold inappropriate signs for him.  But in the 2 games plus the pre-season I've seen NOTHING spectacular from him.  Not a single thing.

On the positive side, here's a player whose name you don't hear me chanting very often ... Trevor Daley.  After two games Daley has the most points on the team - with one goal per game.  DALEY!  TWO GOALS!  TWO GAMES!  That's not an average, ladies and gentlemen, that's a statistic!  Think he'll come anywhere near keeping it up?

As for the title of the post?  In jumping around Center Ice tonight I watched the final 10 minutes of the Capitals hosting the Canucks ... who had 10 shots on goal for the night.  Yes, 10 shots FOR THE NIGHT.  Come on Stars fans, we're off to a slow start, but when is the last time you said that about your team?

Allow me to make a prediction - this slow start sucks, but it won't last.  The boys are building confidence and chemistry ... while we, as fans, don't see why the chemistry and confidence were gone, it was.  Another week of practice, playing and Tippett's foot up their ass ... you'll see the Stars you thought you'd see on opening night.

Ribeiro & Lundqvist assured for next season

Ribs' arbitration hearing is canceled, stars sign him for 1 year 2.8mil.

Lundqvist also signs with the Stars, 2 years valued at 1.45mil (700k year 1, 750k year two). Lundqvist's was smart enough to get a one way contract, meaning it doesn't matter if he plays in Iowa or Dallas, he gets paid the same. I expect we'll see a whole lot of him in Dallas, possibly in a top line.

See, this, to me, is just as exciting as all the FA bs. Also, worth noting, had we signed a $6mil player, we wouldn't have been able to make those two signings. Just a thought.

linkage to dallasnews article

Smarter Hockey = Winning Games

Did you realize that Dallas has not given up more than one power play goal in a game since before the All Star break? How about only allowing four power play goals in the last 37 attempts by the opponents we have faced since the break? Turco and now more importantly Smitty are a big part of why that number is as low as it is. You would think we would have the top penalty killing unit in the NHL right now and maybe we do, but we still sit 11th overall. And it doesn’t start with goaltending, credit the rest of the team for stepping up to block shots, lift sticks and heavy pressure on the teams who get that man advantage at least twice in a game. Also notice that in the eight games we have played, we have only been penalized the 37 times which comes out less than four per game. Two of the seven contests we only gave up two minors so also credit the team for not taking those mental penalties in the games.

That brings me to my next point which is why I think the Stars are playing better hockey now then they have been all year. Look back at the Anaheim game when Jussi scores the lone goal on the power play, then at the Colorado game when we have seven different goal scorers and eleven different assisters not counting the multi-point players like Halpern, Ribeiro, Boucher and Lehtinen. Then look at the difference between the two teams. I sat and watched the Colorado Anaheim game last night and Colorado won the game 2-0 on 29 shots while Anaheim threw 39 at Budaj and couldn’t get one past, much like the 32 shots thrown at Smitty on Saturday. We know when we play teams like Anaheim that it is going to be a close game. The three games we have played Colorado have also been close but have been higher scoring. We had an offensive rush for the first time in a long time and I hope it continues for the rest of the season. 30+ shots on net, physical precedence, smart passes and great offensive rushes resulting in goals will excel this team to the top and past the first round of the playoffs! Keep it up boys, you’re looking good!!

A Dunk in the Shark Tank

After a rough 45 minutes Dallas finally joined the game with an offensive flurry in the 3rd period of tonights game. While I had a hard time keeping focus when the game started the 3rd I found myself sitting on the edge of my couch, if sitting at all!

Mike Ribeiro worked hard to show Scott and I that we chose the right guy as our Player of the Week with his assist and goal and Boucher made me proud to own his jersey with an AMAZING 3rd period last second (quite literally) goal that looked more like he was trying to hit a fly with a fly swatter then the puck with a stick.

It was great to see Mikey Mo back on in uniform tonight, but I think Tippet made the right move by not putting him on as one of the opening three shooters in the shootout. Scott and I had a few words about that, but Mo's hands were shakey tonight. I think it'll take him a few games to get back to anything close to his former self, but I also think just having him on the ice has got to feel good for our boys.

With that said, the first 2 periods were rough. It seemed like the boys decided "Mike's back, he'll play offense" ... and boy were they wrong. He had to get back, he had to get ice time, to remember the feeling of another player throwing him against the boards. I'm not trying to say bad things about our boy. I'm crazy excited to have him back out there and I think next week he'll be much more agile and his hands will remember the subtle nuances in the wrist flicks etc ... but I'm honest about his performance tonight.

Congratulations Stars, you earned tonights points in that 3rd period and even more, you handed the last team in the league without one, an overtime and shootout loss.

GO STARS GO!