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?
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