Dallas Stars Report Card Halfway Through the Season

At times, the 2009-2010 version of the Dallas Stars have been a spectacular success. Joe Nieuwendyk's faster, younger squad have exhibited flashes of brilliance flying down the ice at a dizzying pace lighting up the goal lamp.

At other times however, like last night's game against the New Jersey Devils, they have been a much different team. They look slow, turn pucks over, miss scoring opportunities, and fail to prevent the opposing team's power play from having an impact.

It is indeed the best of times and worst of times to be a Stars fan this year. The inconsistency this team has shown in the first half has many wondering on a nightly basis which version of the 09-10 Stars will show up...

Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?

Jamie Benn: B+
The rookie winger has adjusted very well to NHL style competition. He has registered 8 goals, and 20 points his first half season. For most of the season he has played on one of the top two lines and has been productive.

Fabian Brunnstrom: F
After lighting up 17 goals last season, many expected the young Swede to continue improving. Unfortunately, Brunnstrom has gone through a sophomore slump scoring only one goal in 23 games thus far. Plagued by injuries, Brunnstrom is having difficulty finding consistency in his game. If he wants to improve for the second half, he will have to start winning more puck battles and showing more fire in his game.

Loui Eriksson: A
After having a breakout season last year, many wondered what Eriksson would do for an encore. All he has done is register 17 goals and 23 assists through the first half. Add to that the fact that he is a +3 player... and some would argue that he could be a viable Selke candidate at the end of the season.

Jere Lehtinen: C+
For much of the last three seasons, Star's lifer Jere Lehtinen has been plagued by various injuries, which have prevented him from regaining his Selke form. This season is no exception. Although his offensive contributions have waned, his leadership has been vital in a team filled with young players. On most nights, Lehtinen is still able to be a valuable shut-down guy, and still passes the puck well.

Mike Modano: B-
Now in the twilight of his career, Modano is increasingly having a difficult time finding a role in the organization he helped grow. With the revelation of Wandell as a viable center, Modano is often relegated as a fourth line center. However, Modano is still the Stars go-to-guy on the faceoff dot, and his superior conditioning has allowed him to continue to skate with the young guns in the league. Needless to say, he is still the face of the franchise and a vital part of the Dallas Stars.

Brenden Morrow: B-
Many fans would agree that having Morrow back in the lineup after an injury filled 08-09 campaign has been a good thing. His hard-nosed, grinding style of play has been essential in the first half of the season, as he has scored 13 goals this half. But he can do better, especially in the assist department where he only has 13.

James Neal: A+
Halfway through this season 22 year old James Neal is only 6 goals away from equaling the 24 goals he had all of last season. He has been a gem in an otherwise dull season, and a guy who the organization could choose to build around is they decide to go in that direction.

Steve Ott: B
Last season Steve Ott surprised everyone, including himself, when he put up 19 goals. He's a little off that pace this season, but it does not matter. It is not his role to score goals, his role is to be the agitator, and boy is he good at it.

Toby Petersen: C+
To be honest, Petersen is not the most noticeable player on the ice.He does not have a lot of flash or sizzle, but who can when you are habitually put on the bottom two lines. He's been a spare part who has shown a propensity to be able to check well. That is never a bad thing.

Mike Ribeiro: C-
Perhaps no player has struggled more under the new Crawford system than Mike Ribeiro. "Ribs" is a guy who likes to slow things down, and show a little razzle-dazzle through the offensive zone. The Stars need him to be better in the second half if they have a shot at making the playoffs. That being said, Ribeiro is still on a 20 goal pace, and has shown to be rather crafty at times.

Brad Richards: A+
In a season of such inconsistency for the Stars... Brad Richards has consistently been the best player night in and night out.

Tom Wandell: B-
The kid can skate, and has supplanted Mike Modano as the #3 center. Now that he is getting more playing time, I would like to see him put up more goals. In the month of December he only had one. That has to change.

Trevor Daley: C
The new system the Stars operate under is perfectly suited for Daley's skill set. Unfortunately, he has yet to take full advantage of this and has failed to play to his potential.

Mark Fistric: B
He's been reliable on the back-end leading the Stars in the plus/minus category with a +8 rating.

Nicklas Grossman: B+
Grossman has benefited greatly from being paired up with Robidas for most of the first half. He is second on the team in plus/minus with a +6 rating, despite the fact that he often goes up against the best players in the league.

Matt Niskanen: F
Once a promising young defenseman, Niskanen has taken a downward spiral and suffered from a bankruptcy in confidence. Opposing teams have little trouble skating by him on most nights, and the pace at which he turns the puck over is dizzying. Get him off the team.

Stephane Robidas: B+
He's been the best Stars defenseman this half season, and was probably the best last season as well. And that's exactly the problem.

Karlis Skrastins: C+
His biggest problem might be the fact that he's often paired up with Daley.

Alex Auld: B
After not having a reliable backup last season, the Stars went out and got Alex Auld. What they received was big goalie, who has played exceptionally well on most nights. I guess that's all you can ask from your back-up right?

Marty Turco: C-
Much like the Stars, he's either really good, or really bad. It has been perplexing to see Turco steal a goal from an opposing player one shot... and let in an Egyptian cotton soft goal the next shot. His sudden struggles in the shootout have been problematic... Out of any player, the Stars need Turco to play his best. A playoff berth depends on it.


Dallas Stars: C-
There is no question that this win-one, lose-one version of the Dallas Stars have been a disappointment to watch for much of the first half. The new Crawford system has attempted to change the very DNA of the franchise, by instituting a more wide open, dynamic style of play. So while Dallas has often gotten to three goals, they also tend to give up four or more goals on many nights.

You can't win if the other team scores more goals than you... I've always said that.

That's exactly why as of today, the Stars sit in the 10th spot in the Western Conference- six points behind the Nashville Predators for the 8th and final playoff spot.

If the Stars hope to have a surge in the second half of the season, they will have to do several things:

1) Marty Turco has to regain his form. In his last 7 starts, he has given up three of more goals 6 times. Many of the goals being of the "soft" variety. He has to be better.

2) Pay attention to the details of the game. Things like getting out of your own zone, finishing checks, getting to the front of the net, which have been staples of Stars hockey have been noticeably absent in the first half.

3) Acquire a #1 defenseman. Look, I like Robidas as much as the next guy... but when he is considered your #1 defenseman you have a big problem. The Stars need a big, fast defenseman who can move the puck well and shut down the opposing teams best players. This is unlikely to happen however because of the financial fiasco Tom Hicks is currently in.

4) Improve the penalty kill. Dallas has the fifth worst penalty killing team...

5) Get on a run. There is a belief that if this team can just get on a winning streak of more than two games, they can start making waves in the Western Conference.

The bar in Dallas is always set high... the fans expect at the very least a playoff berth. That may or may not be fair, but it is the situation the Stars find themselves in. It is my belief that the next ten games will likely determine whether the Stars have the mettle to compete for a playoff spot, and show what kind of character this team really has..

Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?

OH CANADA!

They don't hand out gold medals before the Olympic games are actually played, but a case can be made to just hand Canada the gold medal in hockey right now.

That's because team Canada announced their team today.

Take a look at this roster:

Forwards:

Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins)

Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks)

Dany Heatley (San Jose Sharks)

Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames)

Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks)

Brenden Morrow (Dallas Stars)

Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Mike Richards (Philadelphia Flyers)

Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks)

Eric Staal (Carolina Hurricanes)

Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks)

Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks)

Defense:

Dan Boyle (San Jose Sharks)

Drew Doughty (L.A. Kings)

Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks)

Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks)

Chris Pronger (Philadelphia Flyers)

Brent Seabrook (Chicago Blackhawks)

Shea Weber (Nashville Predators)

Goalies:

Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils)

Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks)

Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Yikes...

This team is the deepest, most talented collection of players I have seen in Olympic competition.

Team USA announces their team New Year's day during the Winter Classic.

Hicks asks MLB for bailout

It appears as if the Texas Rangers, and by extension, the Dallas Stars are in a financial pickle.

It was reported on Yahoo News earlier today that Rangers' owner Tom Hicks had to borrow $15 million from Major League Baseball to, "meet financial obligations."

Neither Hicks or any front- office personnel would comment on the Rangers financial woes, but a MLB source speaking on the condition of anonymity said that, "He [Tom Hicks] won't be running the team much longer."

The surprise announcement comes a few months after it was revealed that Hicks Sports Group defaulted on a $525 million loan, and thus an announcement was made by Hicks that he was looking to sell his baseball club.

So what does this mean for the Rangers and the Stars?

For the Rangers who are already in the bottom third of player salaries, it likely means that they will not make any major moves to bring in a big ticket player before the trade deadline, thus making it harder to compete for a long awaited playoff berth.

Another year of the Rangers looking outside the playoff bubble will continue to erode the Rangers' fan base, which is already fed up with Hicks.

Bottom line... this could do some serious damage to the organization in the long run if they don't get sold quickly.

As for the Dallas Stars...

Well, they are in the unusual spot of not spending up to the cap as they have in previous years, and it is widely reported that the Stars have set an internal budget of $46 million.

After the second day of free agency, the Stars watched other teams pick up some marquee names, while Dallas made a small move picking up veteran d-man, Karlis Skrastins, and resigning Stars' lifer Jere Lehtinen to an incentive laden one year deal. They are still waiting on a decision on whether or not Swedish goalie Jonas Gustavvsson will sign with them, or go to Toronto.

With such a tight budget, it is difficult to imagine that the Stars will be able to re-sign Sergei Zubov.


_____________________________________________
Texas Rangers by the numbers according to Forbes:

Texas had the 15th highest revenue in the MLB in 2008, raking in $176 million in revenue.

Current team value: $405 million (Hicks purchased the team in 1998 for $250 million)

Operating Inc: $17.4 million

Player Expenses: $91 million

Gate Receipts: $36 million


All values/graphics according to Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/33/baseball-values-09_Texas-Rangers_337656.html

Meet the Press' David Gregory Talks Hockey

I found a great interview courtesy of the New York Times with David Gregory, who of course is the new moderator of Meet the Press, and his found passion for the Washington Capitals and hockey in general...here is the interview:

30 Seconds With David Gregory, Newly Minted Capitals Fan

By JOSHUA ROBINSON

After a decade of covering Washington and almost five months as host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” David Gregory knows his way around the capital. But more recently, with the help of his 6-year-old son, Max, Gregory is getting to know the Washington Capitals, who are in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It is a pleasant distraction, he said, from the daily talk of bailouts, lobbyists and Supreme Court justices.

Q: How did you come to be a Capitals fan?

Gregory: I have to be totally honest about this. I’m from Los Angeles, what do I know about hockey? But I have a 6-year-old boy who has become a fanatic. I mean, the Caps have been great the last couple of years and it’s been so fun to watch, but he has really led me into this. I remember seeing Gretzky with the Kings growing up in L.A. So I was into it a little bit, but nothing like now. Just to hear my boy rattle off these guys’ names and get so excited.

He was watching the other night when they won Game 7. He was dancing around and he said, ‘You know, I could cry.’ So he’s into, I’m into it. It’s a lot of fun.

The other thing that cracks me up is that my son is learning about this and learning all these Russian names. He’s rattling off all these names and mangling the pronunciation, but really being into it. My mother came into town yesterday and the whole ride back from the airport, he’s going down the lines, like ‘Yeah, Brashear’s the enforcer, he fights all the time.’

Q: What do you do to keep up with your son?

Gregory: I watch, I go, I try to learn. I have a couple of buddies that I go with who know a lot more about it than I do. And I’ve picked it up. I have to say, seeing hockey in person is awesome. I have an appreciation for the explosiveness and speed and control of Ovechkin. It’s something that I almost immediately identified and have been able to appreciate.

I also think the experience of being at a Caps game is great. The fans are great. It can get a little rough around the edges when you’ve got kids there, but not as bad as football.

Q: That’s what a lot of people say once they actually go to a game. did it change your perspective at all?

Gregory: I actually liked watching it on TV — I think H.D. helps a lot. But yeah, we’re watching it on TV, we’re going in person, and I’m actually trying to get clearance from my wife to see if we can go on Monday.

Q: There’s never been a better time to be a hockey fan in D.C., right?

Gregory: No better time. When you’ve got a guy like Ovechkin. There’s a lot of upfront stars between Semin and Green, it’s a great group. But Ovechkin, even to somebody like me who doesn’t know the sport very well, it doesn’t take long to appreciate his skill and his artistry on the ice. It’s no mystery why this guy has caught the imagination of so many people.

Q: If hockey is a new passion for you, what did you watch before?

Gregory: I’m a big baseball fan. I grew up in L.A. as a big Dodger fan — still a big Dodger fan. I love my Nationals as well and we have seats. We go out there all the time. Baseball has always been my thing.

Q: It must easier to watch the Capitals than the Nationals these days.
Gregory: Well, they’re in rebuilding mode, but they’re still fun to watch. But the other day I said, ‘Son, do you want to go to the baseball game?’ And he just said back, ‘Dad, that’s really nice, but the Caps are going to be on.’ So of course, we figured out a way to keep an eye on the Caps at the baseball game.

Q: Do you ever think how life might be different if Sunday mornings you were hosting “Meet the N.H.L.?”

Gregory: Life would be very different. I don’t think I’d be qualified for that. You know, it is fun, and I’ve had a little more occasion to talk analytically about sports. And it’s great, I don’t have to worry about being down the middle about that. I can be a fan, I can be totally partisan about sports and nobody’s going to say a thing. It’s very, very liberating. In a time when there’s so much going on in the country and there are such big problems, it’s great to worry about sports.

Q: Just how much do you worry?

Gregory: When I was a kid, I used to really worry about Steve Garvey and how well he did. And that would be a source of some stress or distress or happiness throughout the day. But now I can’t be sent into a tailspin if a team loses. For me, it’s at the point of just being a terrific distraction.

Q: Do you see any parallels between the sports you follow and the politics you cover?

Gregory: You know, in politics and in sports, we tend to be drawn to personalities, drawn to the people. That’s what we find most animating. And you have these outsize personalities that sort of transcend the teams.

Q: Political coverage is so infused with sports jargon. Why is that?

Gregory: First of all, so many people who cover politics also really like sports. And the infrastructure of electoral politics is so much like sports: you’ve got different sides, superstars and standout personalities. And what’s the difference between running a political campaign and making the starting lineup for a baseball team? You start calibrating your message differently, you start shifting up your batting order.

Q: And what’s election night but the championship game? One winner, one loser and a score.

Gregory: Exactly. That’s the big night from all the angles.

Ice-chips: Sharks, Caps have to dig deep.

Shark-bait
I think now would be an appropriate time for Capital and Shark fans to panic.

These are two teams that were heavily favored not just to win their opening round match-up, but also to make it to the Stanley Cup finals.

For the Capitals, losing to the New York Rangers in the first round would not be cause for major concern. There is a belief that the team is still a year or two away from being serious contenders, and right now the fan-base is content with just making the playoffs. The Sharks however must figure out a way to dig deep and beat the Ducks... or risk becoming irrelevant in California.

If Anaheim upsets San Jose heads will roll in the offseason. There is only one thing worse than not making the playoffs in the NHL... and that is being considered playoff chokers. Last year Ron Wilson lost his job because of their playoff ineptitude. This year you could see management blow the whole thing up and start from scratch.

Canucks impress in opening series
Is it just me, or do the Canucks all of the sudden look like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender? Luongo really is the x-factor in the series, as Vancouver runs over St.Louis. I predicted the Blues would win the series but you may have to take out the brooms and give the series to Vancouver.

Theodore

This picture makes me happy that photoshop exists

Western Conference Playoff Preview (Round One)

Offense:
San Jose ranked top ten in goals for, and have the most consistent scoring team in the NHL. They are deep down the middle with guys like Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski, and have a great supporting cast with the emergence of Setoguchi, Michalek and Clowe. They play fast hockey and are able to develop their offense off the rush. Anaheim ranked 14th in goals per game this year, and have their own list of impressive forwards. At the end of the day though San Jose's speed gives them the decided advantage.
Edge: San Jose

Defense:
The Sharks are not only a great scoring team, they have a terrific defense as well. They finished top three in the NHL in least goals given up (behind Boston and Minnesota) and have extremely talented defenseman who can move the puck around quickly. Not to be outdone the ducks have great size in their d-corp. However Anaheim's defensive studs (Pronger, Rob & Scott Niedermayer) are a combined -25. Not good enough.
Edge: San Jose

Special Teams:
Both teams rank top 5 on the powerplay, but vary greatly when it comes to penalty kill. Anaheim has been atrocious this year killing off just 79% of powerplays, while San Jose has been less charitable ranking top 5 in penalty kill %.
Edge: San Jose

Goaltending:
Giguere has battled personal problems this season and will not be in the pipes for the playoffs, giving Jonas Hiller the nod in goal. He has impressive numbers, but he has never been in a playoff series. Nabokov is ready to reclaim the brilliance he had in last years post season and make a run for the cup.
Edge: San Jose

Verdict:
All the pressure is on San Jose to win the cup this year. They have the most talented group of players in the league and can play in any style of game that comes their way. Will they wilt under the pressure to succeed as they have in the past? Only time will tell. But this series reminds me of the Oilers/Stars opening round match-up in 1999. It will be a grueling hard, hard hitting contest that will take its toll on whatever team advances.
San Jose wins in five games








Offense:
Detroit's offense flows like diarrhea compared to the constipated offensive numbers Columbus puts up. The Red Wing offense led by Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Hossa put up almost 70 more goals than Columbus in 08-09 (good for #1 overall). This one is no contest.
Edge: Detroit

Defense:
Any Ken Hitchcock coached team is going to be good defensively, and this group is no different. If they can clog up the middle, and frustrate Detroit's militaristic offense they have a very good shot at winning the series. Detroit may have Lidstrom but they also were in the bottom 3rd in the leauge in goals allowed.
Edge: Columbus

Special Teams:
The best powerplay in the league (Detroit) will be on showcase against the worst (Columbus). Both Columbus and Detroit have unimpressive penalty kill numbers, but given how efficient the Red Wing powerplay is, you'd think Detroit has a huge advantage, especially in a league where special teams are so important.
Edge: Detroit

Goaltending:
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Osgood is the most overrated goalie in hockey. He was mediocre again this year especially when you consider how good his opponent has been. Columbus's Steve Mason has been a revelation this season. The rookie netminder is the primary reason the Blue Jackets are making their first trip to the playoffs posting earth-shattering 10 shut-outs this season. He will HAVE to be a difference maker in the series.
Edge: Columbus

Verdict:
On paper, there is no way Columbus should win this series. They are a team that is making their first trip to the playoffs, trying to fend off the defending Stanley Cup champions. If Columbus has any designs on winning it will have to come down to two things. (1)- Hitchcock has to make the team believe they can win. (2) Mason HAS to be spectacular. There is little room for error for the young Blue Jackets, unfortunately Detroit is Detroit.
Detroit wins in six games








Offense:
Vancouver not only has better numbers than St Louis in this category, but their players have much more experience in playoff hockey. The Sundin twins should skate circles around the scrappy Blues. The Canucks are just too deep and talented to be outdone here.
Edge: Vancouver

Defense:
It would appear as if both teams have been fairly good defensively as they each rank in the top half in goals against, but a closer look at the numbers shows a bit of a different story. Vancouver has five minus players on their roster, while St.Louis has 19! Now obviously the Blues have had injury problems all season long, but having 19 players with a minus rating does not bode well, especially going into the playoffs.
Edge: Vancouver

Special Teams:
St.Louis has better penalty kill and powerplay numbers than Vancouver.
Edge: St.Louis

Goaltending:
Luongo is the Canucks' x-factor. His big frame, and impressive skill allows him to make timely saves and make Vanouver a victor on most nights. Chris Mason is a young promising goaltender, but walking into a Canadian playoff building can mess with your mind. The pressure will be high on both backstops in this series.

Verdict:
To say that the Blues have been red hot lately would be an understatement. For much of the season they were in the Western conference basement only to shock everyone with a playoff berth. They had points in 9 of their last 10 games and look like a dangerous squad right now. However, since Sundin landed in Vancouver they have been a different team. They look hungry, and will be under a mountain of pressure from their fans. I'm predicting the first major upset of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs.
St.Louis wins in 6 games








Offense:
Depth down the middle is Calgary's strength. Just look at these names and the numbers they have put up, Iginla (35 goals), Cammalleri (39 goals), Jokinen (29 goals),Langkow (21 goals). Not bad. The Blackhawks will be led by young Toews, Kane who will be making their first foray into the post season. I was compelled to not give anyone the edge here, but if you look at the season series between the two teams, the numbers are too hard to ignore. Chicago outscored Calgary 19-7 in the four games they played this year.
Edge: Chicago

Defense:
Calgary has a lot of injuries on the blue-line and they are facing the likes of Cambell, Keith and Barker. Additionally, Calgary will be leaning on Aucoin, Phaneuf and Leopold on the back end who are a combined -34. Chicago also managed to rank top 5 in goals against despite platooning goalies.
Edge: Chicago

Special Teams:
Lately, Calgary's powerplay has flamed out going 0 for their last 42 powerplay chances. Chicago boasts one of the best puck moving defenseman in Cambell, who will be able to quarter back their effort. However, Calgary also owns a top 5 penalty kill, so it will depend how many penalties Calgary takes.
Edge: Even

Goaltending:
Khabibulin has been very good this year platooning with Huet in net. Unfortunately Kiprusoff has been inconsistent at stretches this year. If he gets going though, he will be a force to deal with.
Edge: Chicago

Verdict:
Can the young, upstart Blackhawks making their first trip to the postseason in ages beat the experienced talented Flames? Can Kane.Toews carry the Hawks to the second round? Can Joel Quenneville and his "Q-Stache" outcoach the empirical Mike Keenan? Plenty if solid story lines to salivate over.
Chicago wins in 7 games.