Stargazing: Counting the Long Hot Summer Days...

25 Days Remaining Until Training Camp

46 Days Until Season Opener at New Jersey

Yes, we're creeping along slow and steady. Closer and closer. It's nearly September. There's hockey in September. Meanwhile, trying to find Dallas Stars news is harder than trying to stay cool in this 103 degree summer heat. The shootout is taking quite a beating lately, and rightfully so. It's such a "fan" favorite that it's removal seems unlikely, but everyone connected with the game is trying to discredit and diminish it's legitimacy, and the first blow has been struck with this new rule about tie breaking procedures, however unimpactful it might be. Tie breakers between 8th and 9th place teams could make or break someone's year, but this is little more than insult toward the shootout. It does nothing to diminish lift in the standings the Coyotes received last season from winning 14 skills competitions as Bryzgalov carried them to OT and beyond every other night.

The Stars used to receive a similar benefit, of course, back in 2005-2006 when they led the league with 12 shootout victories. This year they instead led the league with 10 shootout losses.

• Puck Daddy weighs in on the "War on the shootout" and has some quotes from the R&D camp
  
• Mike Heika points out that Hockeys Future updated their prospect rankings with the new draft class included. Somehow Richard Bachman is still ranked above Beskorowany. Anyone who has seen the two of them in the same place would tell you differently, I think, but maybe that's just me. Find the rankings here.
• Mark Stepneski has an update on Stars d-man prospect Patrik Nemeth over at ADSP.
• NHL.com takes note of James Neal and Mike Ribeiro's shootout struggles last season, but fail to mention how Neal was hitting the pipe all year long.
  
• In case you missed it, Brandon Worley's piece on Lehtonen for SB Nation Dallas.
• Former Star and fan favorite Bill Guerin will know this week if the Penguins want him back or not.
• Heika asked the question "What should Mike Modano get?" in relation to the Brett Hull statue in St. Louis. I think at the very least, one of the two streets that run east-west to the north and south of the AAC (All-Star Way and Olin Welbourne St.) should be renamed "Mike Modano"-something. At the very, very least.
• This is in the category of "Will the Brett Hull skate in the crease references EVER stop??" Even if it is to make a valid point.