Draft, Free Agency & The Vern......By Sara Townley

What a week it has been for the Dallas Stars and the fans of the guys in Victory Green! Here are my feelings toward some of the recent actions taken by the Stars:

photo by Sara Townley

Vern Fiddler to don the Victory Green sweater again after deciding to test free agency! I don’t know about you guys, but I sure was glad to see that he had been re-signed. After the solid run he had the last few months through the playoffs, it was obvious that he wanted to be a part of a successful Dallas Stars franchise. I knew long before then that he was happy here – witnessing his interactions with fans, seeing him joke around with teammates, and, my personal favorite, watching him imitate the famous Antoine Roussel shootout goal move from the Chicago game last season at practice in Frisco to the absolute delight of the original himself, sealed the deal for me. He’s a hard-nosed player that possesses veteran abilities without holding his experience over the younger guys’ heads – got to respect him for that. Vern, I’m glad you’re back!

            Draft day for the Stars was a productive one, that’s for sure. 7 defensemen, 1 forward, along with a goaltender and I’d say that Jim Nill and the rest of the Dallas Stars front office went out and got exactly the type of players needed to compliment this organization whether it be through play or tradability.  

            And now on to the moves that everyone’s buzzing about, the acquisitions of Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky (the Stars also acquired Ludvig Karlsson in the Spezza trade). I’ll admit that after watching bits and pieces of different games involving Ottawa in past seasons, including being in the AAC and seeing how the Stars handled them last season, the one player that I couldn’t pry my eyes away from was not Jason Spezza or Ales Hemsky – Erik Karlsson, you’re one impressive defenseman. I’m not in any way knocking their talent or desire to play this game, but in fact what I am trying to say is, I think this move may be just as beneficial for these guys, Spezza especially, as it will be for the Stars. Jim Nill knew what he wanted in a center, had a player decided upon in his head, and he managed to make it all happen. From what I have read, both guys are good teammates and I’m hoping that carries over from Ottawa to Dallas. 

photo by Sara Townley

           

            Although I believe those trades were good decisions, the Stars didn't make these without paying a price. For many fans, it was a sad day to see that Alex Chiasson will no longer be a part of the Dallas squad. He was the headliner in the trade involving 2 other players and a pick in next year’s draft. Chiasson had some great games here and is one of a very small group of guys who can say he has the experience of playing on the same line with the dominating duo of Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. I believe that coach Lindy Ruff gave him ample time to get a good run started here in Dallas, and despite his efforts, I just don’t think he found a real groove to fit into. He’s a young player who will continue to grow and improve; perhaps Ottawa is the best place for him to do so.

Jim Nill may be considered a genius by fans for many reasons, but overall he knows where he wants the Dallas Stars to be and he’s set on getting them there. We appreciate it Mr. Nill, and it looks like they’re well on the way to being at the top where they belong. Now if you could kindly get Antoine, Cody, and Brenden re-signed, we would love you even more!

            Just one more thing - I can’t conclude this article without mentioning former, (forever to us) Dallas Star, Stephane Robidas. Congrats, Robi! Sure, I was interested in all things Stars during free agency frenzy, but the one name I waited to see followed by the words “signed a deal with,” was Stephane. Although I will always miss having you in Stars gear, I’m glad you went to a team that I believe will appreciate you for not only your play, but your heart and character, as well. They’re a lucky bunch to have you and you’ve got tons of Stars fans who will continue to wish you well for the rest of your career, no matter what colors you put on to hit the ice. 

Sara Townley covers the Dallas Stars for the Texas Sports Review Follow her on Twitter @TexSR_StarsTalk & @TexSR_Sara

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Dallas Stars Off-Season Series Part 5 : Lindy Ruff

              

By Sara Townley

Part 5 – Lindy Ruff

photo courtesy of nhl.com 

               

               Are the rumors of Ray “The Wizard” Whitney’s possible retirement true?  Which guys will be tested in trade waters?  Will Rich Peverley return?  How will last year’s rookies improve over the summer now that the first year is under their belts? – All questions that will soon be answered and could change the lineups we've come to love.  But before we leave this season in the past and place all of our focus onto the next, there’s one last thing I believe is worth mentioning.  Although there are plenty of other elements and people important to the Stars and their success this season, none made a better impression than Lindy Ruff.

                

               

photo by Sara Townley

               To say it simply, he’s a mastermind.  Witnessing him coaching the Stars for the first time in September at the Fort Worth Convention Center during pre-season practice was impressive to say the least. Sure, he made me laugh while running their drills when the only phrase you could hear him repeat was “Let’s Go Boys!” in between whistles – I can’t explain why I thought it was so funny, because every coach of every team runs drills similar to these and has to talk his team through them somehow.  It just had a certain charm to it and seemed almost iconic.  That phrase became a household saying on Stars game nights and a cheer my dad would use when the guys would prepare to take the first faceoff.  I soon realized that coach Ruff’s personality was perfect for these Stars and if you couldn’t tell by the guys’ interactions with him, you definitely noticed it in the way they played.

               

               Lindy obviously knows this game like the back of his hand and has the ability to read each player. He pushes them to achieve what he knows they are capable of, even if they do not know it themselves. He’s also gutsy and that’s something we haven’t seen around here in a while.  Line manipulation is a strength of his, along with his intelligence when it comes to choosing who to surround himself with, given that the rest of the coaching staff seemed to excel with him around.  If there is nothing else that impresses you about Lindy Ruff, as a Stars fan, let it be his decision making in the area of leadership.  Ruff assigned the Captain name to Jamie Benn at the start of the season, and I believe that set the tone for every single player.  Top notch choice and Lindy knew it.  He knew exactly how well it would work out for the Stars, just like he knew what Dallas needed in order to shine.

                

               It’s more than just experience as a player and coach that makes Lindy so great.  It’s a combination of passion, personality, drive, and real faith in his players that makes him spectacular.  He found his stride here in his Dallas and is now the father of the Stars family.  Although there are many others who deserve recognition for all of the hard work they've put in for this time, including Tom Gaglardi and Jim Nill, there’s no denying the impact Lindy Ruff had this year.

                

photo by Sara Townley

               With the NHL draft being just a couple short weeks away and the July 1^st free agency date looming near, the off-season is about to begin heating up – a sign the start of next season is approaching. Looking ahead, I see this Stars team picking up where they left off; at the start of something great with even more success to come.  I expect the atmosphere in the AAC to thrive, which could lead to creating an incredible home-ice advantage, one that every team dreams of, but none deserve more than these Dallas Stars. (Props to Jeff K. and Michael Gruber for rockin’ the house every home game – the fans love you and you make this atmosphere possible!)  With other integral elements ready to go for next season such as the Stars broadcast team in Razor & Ralph being signed long term, The Ticket coverage with Bruce LeVine and Josh Bogorad set to continue on, and fans thirsting for more excellent hockey from the guys like we've had a pleasure of watching all season long, it seems as though the stage is already set for next season.

This year “a new star was rising” and now it’s here to stay.   Victory Green looks good on you, boys, and we’ll continue to wear it with pride.

See y'all in October! 

Sara Townley covers the Dallas Stars for the Texas Sports Review Follow her on Twitter @TexSR_StarsTalk

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Dallas Stars Off-Season Series Part 4 : Goaltender Talk

By Sara Townley

Part 4 – Goaltender Talk

               

         

photo by Sara Townley

“Keep calm and Kari on,” “Leht-none-in,” and “The Big Finn” are just a few of the most common cheers for our starting goaltender that I've heard this season. There is no doubt that Kari has some serious backing here in Dallas, but there are plenty of doubters out there as well. The big question yet to be answered - is Kari THE guy?

                

          Chicago has Corey Crawford, Montreal has Carey Price, the Rangers have Henrik Lundqvist, and the one that impresses me most – Boston has Tuukka Rask. Those are just a handful of big name goaltenders in the league with skills and the save percentages to match the hype; all have proven themselves during both the season and post season, each has unwavering confidence , and all are faces of their franchises. When considering how much these goaltenders mean to their teams and the league itself, is Kari the same caliber for the boys in Victory Green?

                

          I thoroughly enjoy watching Tuukka Rask, partially for the temper tantrums he throws when he’s occasionally scored upon, but I enjoy watching him mostly for how smooth he is and how calm he remains under pressure. He never takes his eye off of the puck and that amount of focus is mesmerizing. He doesn't dare turn his back when resetting the puck behind the net until he’s certain a Bruin has it taken care of and the way he goes about controlling the puck in situations like that is unlike any other goalie in the league. He has his own style of angry and aggressive play that’s working for him. What I feel we need is a guy with qualities like this and more importantly, consistency, to net-mind for the Stars. If it isn't Kari, who is it? Someone yet to be discovered or perhaps someone we've seen before that, after some practice at the AHL level, is finally ready to man the big pipes?

          The Texas Stars have a few of goaltenders they have relied on for success this year (Nilstorp, Campbell, and Robinson), but their success at that level hasn't translated to the NHL and/or hasn't been game tested in the NHL yet. It’s tough to say what fate has in store for these goaltenders currently, but making it this far into the Calder Cup playoffs definitely isn't hurting their chances at a Dallas roster spot next season. Plus, the extra attention from Mike Valley during this playoff run is surely a step in the right direction. 

                

           I fully expect Tim Thomas to hang up the Dallas Stars uniform, although I feel like the trade for Thomas with Dan Ellis was an incredibly smart move by the Stars staff.  They absolutely don’t need me to tell them that; I guarantee you they already know. I’m not confident the Stars would've made it as far as they did if Ellis had stayed as the backup, so in my mind the trade was exactly the right move at the right time.

photo by Sara Townley

  

Looking back over the season, Kari, without a doubt, had numerous games where he was dominant and in absolute control. He had his hand in helping the Stars make it to the playoffs and had a fair amount of success in that series. He also gained Olympic experience this year and even brought home a bronze medal for his country’s effort in Sochi, which may be another reason why he has some pretty good support as a Star. What I believe it comes down to is how he truly feels and how lucky the Stars staff is at searching for goaltenders, both a starter and a backup, which may prove to be even more difficult than the search for an answer to the defensive issues.

          If Kari really wants to be here next year in Dallas, desires the training necessary to become a goaltender on par with those listed above, he just may prove to be THE guy the Stars need. 

                

         

          

Look for the wrap-up to this series next week!

Sara Townley covers the Dallas Stars for the Texas Sports Review Follow her on Twitter @TexSR_StarsTalk

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"Storybook" : Stars Shootout Win Over Boston 11/5/13

               We could sit here and talk about contracts, free agents, salary caps, trade rumors, etc, but don’t you get enough of that already? I mean, who wants to listen to someone (me) go on and on about something they really know nothing about? Well, at least not more than the other hundreds of articles out there about it. It’s all just a whole lot of “if/then” scenarios that get old after a while. Instead, I’d like to take a little walk down memory lane.  In these upcoming recaps, we will re-live some of my personal favorite moments of the past season. That sounds fun right?!?  So here we go, in chronological order.

 Let the good times roll : 1. Dallas Shootout win over Boston 11/5/13

BOSTON, MA - Jamie Benn #14 of the Dallas Stars celebrates his goal in the first period with his teammates against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on November 5, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

               Let me paint the scene for you: Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley get traded out of Boston. Two players who had helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 2011. Tyler leaves on a not-so-warm sendoff with stories of partying, irresponsibility-you’ve heard the rumors. It’s both guys first game against their old team. In Boston. In TD Garden. In front of ~18,000 of some of the most “colorful” fans in the league (see Bottle Throwing 101). Exciting isn't it?

               There’s just something about playing against your former team no matter on what terms you left. You can be professional about it and say all the right “PC” things, but it matters. It gets in your head. You want to prove them wrong. You want them to feel the pain of what they lost. And that’s exactly what Pevs and Segs did.

               But, they didn't do it alone. An early goal by Jamie Benn put the Stars up on the board first. They wouldn't score again until late in the third period. With less than 3 min left, Vern Fiddler scored the game-tying penalty shot goal that propelled the Stars into overtime. Although both teams showed moments of dominate puck possession, neither could produce that game winning goal, and after the 5 min OT it was time to settle it in a shootout.

               For those of you who don’t know, or for those that need a refresher, shootout rules are basically as follows. Each team initially selects three players to participate with the home team deciding which team shoots first. All three players from each team will be able to shoot unless the outcome is decided before the last player. After those six players, if the result is still a tie, the shootout will proceed to a sudden death format.

               Patrice Bergeron was elected to go first from the Bruins and he puts it in the net. Jamie Benn was up next for the Stars but his shot was blocked. Next up for the Bruins was Jarome Iginla but he couldn't get his shot by Kari Lehtonen. Cue Tyler Seguin. The fans had shown Tyler just what they thought of him all night by booing him every time he touched the puck. The shootout was no different. In a post-game interview Tyler said he was just trying to do something different against his former net minder teammate and it paid off. Tyler scored to keep the Stars hopes alive much to the dismay of the home crowd. 

Enter one of my favorite scenes of this season. After his shootout goal, Tyler proceeds to skate back to his bench for the ritual fist bumps. In doing so he has to pass his former bench. Tyler says he didn't do this on purpose, but as he skated by his former teammates it appeared to the TV audience that he was fake or “air” fist bumping all the Bruins players. On purpose or not, to me it sent a message. The proverbial middle finger, if you will (seriously, Google it).

               In a matter of seconds Tyler quieted the Boston faithful and exacted a little unspoken revenge. But it wasn’t over yet. There were still two shooters left. Lehtonen saves a wrist shot from former Star Loui Eriksson and Tuukka Rask answers with his own save on a shot from Alex Chiasson.

It was time for Sudden Death. The Bruins put their trust in David Krejci but he couldn't get it past Kari. Cue Rich Peverley. The stage is now set for Revenge Part Deux. A goal by Peverley here would win the game. It would allow Dallas to deliver Boston its first home loss to the Stars since January 2006. It would also help fuel the argument of “who won the trade.” A quick shot by Peverley ends it. #ThankYouBoston

Peverley and Seguin get their revenge, the Stars win against one of the best teams in the league, and fans get a glimpse into the potential of what the team could be and would go on to be. It was glorious. I couldn't have written a better ending myself.  

                To quote Razor’s in-game commentary, “Storybook!”

Kacy contributed this story for the Texas Sports Review

Follow her at @thatgirlKacy12

Follow Stars Talk @TexSR_StarsTalk

Dallas Stars Off-Season Series Part 3 : Dallas D-Men

       

         By Sara Townley 

         Part 3 - Dallas D-Men

Dillon and Benn vs St. Louis Blues        photo by Sara Townley

                There were quite a few defensemen that we had the pleasure of watching throughout the season. Despite the vast amount of talent possessed by all of them in their own ways, the defense core as whole is an area that the Stars have to look toward improving. They know this and plenty of fans, media outlets, and opposing teams have bombarded the Stars with reminders of it all season long. I fully expect moves to be made this off-season with the D-Men and among them, perhaps even a few shockers.

                

               

Jordie Benn   photo by Sara Townley

This season, I loved what the Stars got out of Jordie Benn. His wicked moves when scoring during a shootout were awesome, but what really stood out to me was his ability to keep the puck in at the blue line and hold the zone. At times, he was the master of icing, but he knew when to take the call and when to keep from doing so. I personally love the Jordie Benn and Brenden Dillon defense pair, but if these two stay paired together into the next season they've got to get some of the kinks worked out. There was a pretty good stretch this season where they were heavily relied on by coach Ruff. During that time they were the driving force on defense and showed up to play, but these two also had plenty of other games when they were plagued by mistakes and turnovers which was mind-numbing.

                

               By the end of the season, all the talk regarding defense had shifted to Trevor Daley and Alex Goligoski. This was the pair that the coaching staff leaned on the most, and rightfully so, because they seem to be able to do a bit of everything. Their endurance is impressive and their scoring ability is worth taking notice. Daley’s goal straight out of the penalty box on home ice during the playoffs may very well have been my favorite moment out of the entire series – the AAC exploded with excitement and it was madness in the best sense of the word. Now speaking of his counterpart, I know a ton of Stars fans that have felt their fair share of frustration toward Goligoski this season, but he made us all seemingly forget that frustration when he lit up the ice in the last few months. Perhaps consistency is what we’re all looking for most out of him.

                

Daley, Gonchar, Connauton Warm Ups                photo by Sara Townley

             

            I'm not quite sure what to expect out of the Gonchar pair with his alternating partners in Aaron Rome and Kevin Connauton. Each of them has qualities that I love, but on the other hand I am not confident that they mesh well without speed (Rome), checking abilities (Connauton), and age setting in (Gonchar). Rome and Connauton never seemed to be able to get it together enough to avoid the revolving door of playing one game then sitting and watching the next game from home. I believe that was a bit of a detriment to both guys, going from idle to ice time all season long made it difficult for them to get in the groove and maintain their play. If I had to choose which guy to keep and which to let go, I’d be hard pressed to give you an answer.  Ultimately I think my decision would come down to the speed that Connauton provides. It breaks my heart knowing that the world of hockey is also a business involving trades and movement of players day in and day out despite how hard they work and that they’re all really nice guys who have made true friends with their teammates here in Dallas. It would be tough seeing any of them go after a season or more of rooting for them.

                

               We saw quite a few of the Texas Stars defensive players throughout the season including Cameron Gaunce, Jamie Oleksiak early on, and Patrik Nemeth closing out the season. Nemeth - I would be willing to bet that anyone you asked would tell you how much they liked seeing Nemeth at work. This is a guy who is ready to play at the NHL level and I’m positive the AHL would hate to see him go. He’s quick and focused and his hits rock any guy that crosses his path. Plus, for the short time that he was paired with Jordie Benn during Brenden Dillon’s absence, their style of play complimented each other very well. Oleksiak – Is he ready yet? That’s been the question for months now. He’s big and has a presence on the ice because of that (he’s nicknamed “Big Rig” for a reason), but whenever he has seen time here in Dallas, there isn’t much that he has left for us to remember him by. I have appreciated his style of defense when I've witnessed it at the AHL level, and it would be great if that would translate to success with the big boys. Gaunce – He had decent games when he was here in Dallas and he seemed eager to learn from the veteran players at practice and at games, but I don’t foresee him making the move out of the AHL just yet. He is a good go-to guy if necessary and I expect him to remain in that role for some time to come.

   If I was to make a few predictions on some potential moves to improve the defense this off season, I’d guess that action will be taken with the Gonchar – Rome/Connauton pair, the Texas Stars D-men will get some serious looks, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Stars organization scours the league for a real deal to be made on an outstanding defenseman.

Look for Part 4 of this off-season series next week!

               

               

Sara Townley covers the Dallas Stars for the Texas Sports Review Follow her on Twitter @TexSR_StarsTalk

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Dallas Stars Off-Season Series Part 2 : Colton Sceviour

By Sara Townley

Part 2 – Colton Sceviour

Christina Shapiro/Texas Stars

  

            First off, I would like to take a moment and brag about Mr. Sceviour. In every game that he played, he was all over the ice and wasn’t afraid to take charge of the puck despite being an AHL call up in the NHL world. I fell in love with Colton Sceviour’s game play this season and he just may be the rookie that, for what it’s worth, I’m most proud of. 

www.texasstarshockey.com

            I attended a Dallas Stars practice in Frisco one Saturday morning in January, where I watched Colton practice with the Stars, graciously take pictures and sign autographs with every fan that requested him, then after leaving the rink in DFW a little after 2pm, went out and played hard four hours later in Cedar Park sporting his #7 Texas Stars jersey. 

I’m sure that it’s understood if you’re in the AHL, you can be called up and sent back at a moment’s notice, but that can’t make it any easier on a player. Especially when signing autographs hours prior, a fan asks you how long you’ll be sticking around this time and the only way you can answer is by saying, “I’m not too sure” and smile, while knowing that you’re currently on your way out. It broke my heart a little after learning he played later that evening in Cedar Park; he knew when he was asked by that fan hours earlier that he was gearing up to go right then and there, but I’m sure it wasn’t an easy question to answer at the time just having found out himself that he was heading back. It seemed to me that Colton took it all in stride, still managing to be a productive player and scorer no matter what level or which ice he set foot on.

Jerome Miron/Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Though the circumstances that allowed Sceviour to remain at the NHL level through the post-season were tragic (Rich Peverley’s episode along with numerous other injuries to players), I sure hope that the Dallas Stars organization and fans alike are as impressed by him as I was. I know that roster space is hard to come by and that picking up a guy means losing one to allow an open spot, but it would be nice if there was a way to keep him around here in Dallas. 

Colton wore #22 with pride and I sure thought he played hard and consistently enough to earn himself a permanent spot. He’s determined and has true goal scoring abilities; a real asset. 

  

Sara Townley

Look for part 3 of this off-season series in the next week!

Sara Townley covers the Dallas Stars for the Texas Sports Review Follow her on Twitter @TexSR_StarsTalk

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Dallas Stars Off-Season Series Part 1 : Free Agents, Fan Favorites

By Sara Townley

Even though the Dallas Stars’ season has recently ended and the guys have begun their short period of relaxation prior to off-season training, there are a few things that we as fans can think about while we anxiously await the arrival of October and game 1 of the 2014-2015 season. I am by no means an expert, but based on my time spent cheering the team on this year and in past seasons, from a fan’s perspective, there are a few things that I hope to see from the Stars during this off-season.  Look for updates to this series each week as I outline what I look forward to seeing during this summer from the Stars!

Part 1 – Free Agents, Fan Favorites

Like I’ve said before, I’m no expert and I’m not focusing on the money aspect of any player’s contracts, but in terms of likeability, being a fan favorite, and what the untrained eye sees throughout a season, there are a few guys that are getting ready to hit free agency, restricted and non-restricted, that we’re (and when I say “we’re” what I really mean is me) hoping not to have to part with. 

There’s a whole host of guys in the Stars organization at the AHL level that will be hitting free agency as well, I’m just going to be focusing on our local Dallas guys for now. With six guys in need of new contracts, I would love to see the Stars tie down Cody Eakin, Antoine Roussel, and Brenden Dillon for the long haul - don’t worry, I’ll be discussing the others in need of contracts in a later post.

All three guys, Eakin, Roussel, and Dillon, are RFA’s, which is good for us as fans who would love to see them stick around. It would be nice to see contracts done and taken care of pretty quick this off-season instead of potentially being drug out over the summer with all of us constantly checking our phones for updates and awaiting news of their deals. I’m fairly certain that the guys are just as eager as we are to get this all squared away! I believe the Stars organization realizes how important these young guys are to the team. The season ended on a high note for both Cody and Antoine, which absolutely helps their cause. With Brenden being injured at the tail end of the season and the beginning of the playoff run that Dallas participated in, the situation is a bit different for him. He did not leave us with many lingering thoughts of recent play, but you cannot overlook the entirety of his season.

  

 Both Cody and Antoine bring speed and some goal scoring ability, but most importantly they never seem to quit. They skate and skate until they just can’t anymore.  I honestly think that the phrase “give up” has never entered either one of their vocabularies and therefore makes them such dependable players. Cody is great when taking face-offs and adds some extra padding when it comes to scoring and supporting Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin in that area. Although Roussel tallies up the penalty minutes, both the fans and the team lights up whenever he’s in for his shift and on the warpath for his next big hit, especially when it’s in perfect sync with his line mate for much of the season, Ryan Garbutt. I believe the Stars need a guy like him around who isn’t afraid to take a penalty when he knows that the game needs a healthy dose of physical play (and perhaps a bloody nose for the next guy that decides to test him). He has a ton of heart, you can feel it, and that’s his style of play. We can only hope that doesn’t count against him when the Stars start talking new contracts. Also, quick side note on Roussel that’s worth some serious praise– he’s been lightin’ things up over at the IIHF World Championships - Atta boy, Antoine!

Brenden Dillon, in my opinion, is a slightly different story than the previous guys I mentioned. For starters, he’s a defenseman and that’s an area that the Stars have had some issues with this season. I suspect that some serious moves may take place in the area of defense for the Stars and I’m thinking that more is going to be asked of Dillon in future seasons if he is to stick around here for years to come.  Many times, Dillon leaves me yearning for a hit that’s followed through completely and I truly believe that even a small improvement in this area for Dillon would make a huge impact on game play. We’re all waiting for him to make his presence known, to strike fear into the opposing team, and make smart plays that we know he is capable of. He’s a well-liked player and one of my favorites to watch at games and practices, but they have to get him signed so we can continue to enjoy watching him as a Star.

Look for part 2 of this off-season series in the next week!

 
Sara Townley covers the Dallas Stars for the Texas Sports Review

Follow her on Twitter @TexSR_StarsTalk

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