Dallas Stars Escape New York; Beat Islanders 5-4 In A Shootout
by Art Middleton on Oct 9, 2010 9:03 PM CDT
in Dallas Stars Game Recaps
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PrintThe Dallas Stars are 2-0-0 to start the 2010-2011 season... You can't ask for a much better start than that. You can however ask for some certain areas of the Stars game to improve because if you looked at the game sheet and hadn't seen the goals scored, you would have swore that the Islanders had skated to a dominant win in their season opener.
But thanks to Kari Lehtonen who turned in a fantastic 43 save performance and had an additional three saves in the shootoout, the Stars did manage to hang on for a win despite the fact the Islanders in the third period and in overtime pretty much had complete ownership of the puck.
The Stars did have a much better start to tonight's game than they did 24 hours before as they raced out to a 2-0 lead twelve minutes into the game. They also had a 3-1 lead early in the second period and a 4-2 lead early in the third, but credit the Islanders for being very plucky and taking advantage of a worn down Stars club near the end.
Brenden Morrow tallied twice in the game for the Stars. Stephane Robidas and Jamie Benn also added goals. Mike Ribeiro scored the lone shootout goal for either team.
After the jump.. More thoughts on the game!
- The Islanders took advantage of Stars penalties - some well deserved calls, some not so much - and victimized the Stars by going 3 for 8 on the power play. The Stars themselves managed to tally a power play goal and went 1 for 7 on their own power play, although there were times they did look like they'd threaten for more. Lots of work still needed on the special teams.
- Jamie Benn left the game after a particularly nasty loooking hit by James Wisniewski in the third period. The hit itself was fairly clean, as Wisniewski has his shoulder down and didn't leave his feet. Benn's face appeared to clip the top of the dasher board in front of the Islanders bench on that hit. marc Crawford after the game announced he was fine.
- We spoke many times during the summer of how it was very possible that if Kari Lehtonen can stay healthy, he would steal some wins for Dallas as he was that good. This game is now exhibit A in that argument. Many in the game thread and in message boards suggested that if this was a Marty Turco game, he may not have held the fort down as well as Kari did. I don't know about that myself, but seeing what we saw from Lehtonen tonight should have all Stars fans very encouraged.
- The defense... It wasn't horrible, but there is still lots of room for improvement. Trevor Daley looked much better tonight and had an assist. Matt Niskanen is on the other end of that spectrum and for whatever reason looks shaky every time he gets the puck on his stick. Robidas was kind of in the middle of all that. Great on the goal he scored, but those two penalties he took in the third.. yeesh!
- Since when did Jon Sim become such an annoying gnat of a player?
- Brad Richards had two assists... Ribeiro also had two helpers. Ribs looks all kinds of focused on the ice in the first two games and has appeared to have bought in fully to coach Crawford's system. Morrow's three goals have come off Ribeiro passes.
- So was much of the third period a result of the Stars running out of gas or was it the youthful legs of the Islanders finally being put to work? Probably a combination of the two which was fully apparent on the two times Robidas from behind his net tried to clear puck off the boards only to have the puck both times float clear over the glass. It was very "un-Robi" like and was likely the result of mental and physical fatigue caused by the rested Islanders immense pressure in the third period.
- The shootout: Richards still tries to bull rush with no results... James Neal at least got a shot on goal instead of hitting the post or missing completely, so he's already way ahead of last year's shootout chances... Was it just me or did it just feel like Ribs was going to score before even even took his first stride towards the net?
- 2-0 to start the season on the road is something you can't downplay especially with this team. It would have been very easy if the Stars had even lost both of these games in overtime to have gone with a "here we go again" attitude, but for a second straight night, we've seen a Stars team that may not be the better team overall, but will continue to fight.
- If but for a short time very early in this season we get to say "Your First Place In The Pacific Division Dallas Stars!" Enjoy it!
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I love Turco
But alot of those plays where we cough up the puck would’ve ended up in the back of the net and this game would’ve been over early. Lets hope new Lehts can stay healthy because he looks like the guy he was drafted to be.
"Success is never ending, failure is never final."
Yep
plus the two Blackhawk highlights ESPN showed of Chicago losing, Turco seemed to let in pretty soft goals.
I know it’s weird to allow 7 goals in two games and be happy with your goalie, but I was pleasantly surprised with how Lehtonen played. Hope he makes GM Newy look good! Go Stars!!
Nisky is a +3 over the last two games.
Haters gonna hate…
One of the last Matt Niskanen supporters in Dallas....
he's really shown well so far
I’m extremely glad he’s proving me wrong
The Stars will have a 3 game win streak within their first 6 games. Mark my words!
I agree with Art's assessment
He did not play well tonight I don’t care what the stat sheet says. He had to be bailed out by his teammates a couple times when he couldn’t shake the other teams forwards. He was coughing up pucks, and generally just looked nervous. Granted it’s only one game but I wouldn’t be touting plus/minus after his performance tonight.
There were a number of times though
where he hustled and beat the NY forwards to the puck, cleared it out of the zone, and too the hit. He never used to do that. He never used to hustle OR take a hit. So he is improving. He just has a lot to improve from compared to last season.
The Stars will have a 3 game win streak within their first 6 games. Mark my words!
Yeah but
what you’ve just described is a typical play for a defensemen. I know what you mean and you’re right but that’s exactly what he should have been doing the whole night and all last season. I didn’t see many of the other d guys struggling as much on routine transitional play. There were some mistakes by a bunch of players during the course of the whole game but they aren’t coming off as bad of a season as Niskanen. I know Robidas isn’t going to throw the puck off the ice twice every game. He’ll bounce back. I’m looking for some consistency from Nisky. He not only has to survive (which is what I would call what he did last night) he has to be better every night. I can’t give him credit for just not sucking as much. :) He was off last night.
Kari was awesome...
tonight! My goodness! I hope Benn will be alright tho, that still has me hurting from seeing that hit.
Lehtonen really did what he could.
Let’s hope he can play 50 games or even a bit more.
Where are the nitros… This was a mental game…
My wife came in the room shortly after we blew the 4-2 lead and asked how the game was going.
I said was tempted to say “New season same crap?” because the last 2 years all this team has done was find ways to lose. But we wont the shootout so maybe it isn’t the same crap afterall.
"Success is never ending, failure is never final."
Saw some things I really liked tonight
and obviously some things that I didn’t. I will cut them just the tiniest bit of slack, since they were gassed on the second night of the back to back, facing yet another team for their home opener. That is no small task. Here’s some things I noticed:
Good:
Daley seemed a little calmer tonight
Niskanen is definitely improved from last year (though still needs work)
Lehtonen is the freakin man, and all of you Joe haters need to apologize.
They continuously stuck up for each other (See: Sim pushing morrow after the play)
They refused to give up, and gave it everything they had.
We won a freaking shootout.
Bad:
Way too many freaking shots
They panicked a bit in the last half of the 3rd
Daley still screens Kari a lot.
Robidas….well….I think its safe to say he WILL NOT EVER DO THAT AGAIN
Overall, a great start, but they just relaxed too much until it was almost too late. I’ll take the win, and I’m looking forward to seeing them on Thursday
The Stars will have a 3 game win streak within their first 6 games. Mark my words!
Another good.
Got whats typically a hard east coast swing out of the way as well as a back to back with four out of four points.
"Success is never ending, failure is never final."
absolutely!
2 road wins, and 2 wins on a back to back! that goes a loooong way
The Stars will have a 3 game win streak within their first 6 games. Mark my words!
It always seems we get these Northeast games in January or in the middle of a busy part of the schedule.
Now its out of the way, a few days off to rest and won’t have near the impact.
"Success is never ending, failure is never final."
Wooooooowie.
They did not play well, but a win is a win no matter how ugly.
Course, it didn’t help that the refs were atrocious. I’m awaiting some kind of explanation as to why Josh Bailey was able to sweep away Kari’s stick without a call.
Here's to all us girls who love hockey...and the men who play it.
by Brad_Richards_Rocks on Oct 9, 2010 9:14 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
because the refs sucked...
The Stars will have a 3 game win streak within their first 6 games. Mark my words!
I thought
The exact same thing but wasn’t sure if the rule was different but I noticed something else troubling. Daley, not only screen Kari but didn’t even give Kari his stick. Unacceptable.
The shot differentials
Are the concerning thing.
Karis numbers are not good but… The screens… The skrastins deflection… That’s not all on him. That was just bad luck tonight.
The penalties are a concern but look at last night… Only one pp against.
I don’t think tonight is representative of what they’ll be this season in a lot of ways.
by Brad Gardner on Oct 9, 2010 9:17 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
3 for 7 or 8 on the PK is atrocious....
I agree, they won’t be that bad every night…
One thing that’s annoying though, is that they are definitely not helping to lower their GAA.
The Stars will have a 3 game win streak within their first 6 games. Mark my words!
I really don't like this new no visor thing he's going with
seems too dangerous for a young guy who’s not really a fighter. Let the Morrows, Segals, Burish’s, Sutherby’s, and Barch’s play without a visor, but Jamie PUT A FREAKING MASK ON!!!!! We need you scoring goals and dishing not taking knuckles or dasher-boards to the face! Freaking kids, they think they’re indestructable….. He’s older than me lol
Oh I know it..
That hit was just plain nasty. My heart dropped and stopped beating there for a few minutes.
the one good thing is that he was clearly rolling around in pain...
when you get that concussion, you tend to just be more stunned
The Stars will have a 3 game win streak within their first 6 games. Mark my words!
Took Him A Couple Attempts To Get Up
Might of got the wind knocked out of him and got a little disoriented
for real
i cant take a whole seaon of games like this or ill have heart problems
GET OFF NIEUWENDYK'S NUTS
Wisniewski is a scumbag.
He’s so gutless. It’s a travesty that he didn’t get called for a hit to the head. Though, what really made me angry was that it was Benn he did it to.
Here's to all us girls who love hockey...and the men who play it.
by Brad_Richards_Rocks on Oct 9, 2010 9:53 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
dont forget the two obvious dives he wasnt called for
The Stars will have a 3 game win streak within their first 6 games. Mark my words!
Those were horrible.
Bottomline, Wisniewski is one of my least favorite players in the league.
Here's to all us girls who love hockey...and the men who play it.
by Brad_Richards_Rocks on Oct 9, 2010 9:58 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
That was one of the dirtiest things I've ever seen.
It was totally uncalled for. Wisniewski had no business skating from the neutral zone all the way down to the boards just to hurt Seabrook.
And Seabrook and Wisniewski were supposed to be good friends. Friends don’t do that, even if they’re on opposing teams.
Here's to all us girls who love hockey...and the men who play it.
by Brad_Richards_Rocks on Oct 10, 2010 7:35 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
maybe it went like this...
“mumble mumble….chuckle.”
The Stars will have a 3 game win streak within their first 6 games. Mark my words!
hey, hes shy in front of the camera
behind he could be loud, hell id be that way
GET OFF NIEUWENDYK'S NUTS
As someone who's been in the locker room lately
I’d have to say…no. He’s kind of….reserved.
A shy smile, you’ll see sometimes.
Maybe even farther removed, away from the media that don’t have cameras he’s a riot. I just kind of doubt it. Though that video of him ’interviewing" Ralph was funny
by Brad Gardner on Oct 9, 2010 10:47 PM CDT up reply actions
well yeah i ment away from media
we all know your cool and on the inside show off (;
haha jp
but yeah hes prob just a shy guy. that interview showed a side i havnt seen from him it was cool
GET OFF NIEUWENDYK'S NUTS
I think he'll come around
He’s so young. His role with this team (from a PR standpoint) will dawn on him and I think we’ll see a change. He has a long way to come.
Very happy to see him score tonight.
Go to the net, they say. He did and was rewarded.
by Brad Gardner on Oct 9, 2010 11:27 PM CDT up reply actions
Was able to catch the final half of the third period on the radio.
Coming back from the Ballpark (let’s not talk about this). Anyways, the game sure sounded exciting, and while being doubled up in shots is frustrating, a win’s a win (especially on the road…and in shootouts…and early in the season…and…).
by Giant Space Ants on Oct 9, 2010 11:02 PM CDT reply actions
Amazing game
Still not happy with Daley’s performance, since he seems to be a central figure in about half of the goals scored on us thus far. Otherwise, all is well.
by JoeyJoeJoeJr.Shabadoo on Oct 10, 2010 12:46 AM CDT reply actions
Sim
Since when did Jon Sim become such an annoying gnat of a player?
Oh man, was he not like that with the Stars? It feels like he’s been that way for a decade. It’s certainly his role now. (Particularly useful in nullifying Avery’s sideshow six times a year, as I’m sure you can imagine.)
Hope Benn’s okay for real. Very nice defensive hit, but it seemed like maybe their heads collided to cause the problem (his face to Wisniewski’s helmet was my read). Not fun seeing him and Tavares leave with head injuries.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Yeah, I thought the same thing too when I read that.
He was one of my favorite energy guys when he was with the Stars. He also add decent scoring touch for a 4th liner.
I haven't seen that much diving since the summer Olympics
That was just ridiculous. What happened to the ref’s “getting tougher” on stuff like that? … … …oh, that’s right… … …they just say it they don’t actually do it. I get the occasional embellishment but it was just about every penalty except for Robidas’ delay of games. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen anything like that. What a team of scumbags. I know they’re a bunch of hacks but when you have to resort to falling down the whole game so you can have a chance to score it’s pretty disgusting.
Re: Ribs Shootout
“did it just feel like Ribs was going to score before even even took his first stride towards the net?”
It was the look on his face. I caught it too, rarely see that kind of determination stamped on Ribs face. I’ve seen him mad and often cavalier, but not often that sheer determination that I am going to do this. I saw that and said he is putting this in the net before his first stride. He looked like a team leader that said “This Ends Now!”
Now..
that you mention that, I kind of felt the same way when he hit the ice.
by EyesOfDallas on Oct 10, 2010 9:37 PM CDT up reply actions
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