Stargazing: Stars Will Likely Ice Same Lineup Against Nashville Saturday

With each passing day of the Dallas Stars season we're finding there is less and less that needs saying. The monumental importance of tomorrow night's contest hardly requires any further exposition on our part. Waiting, as they say, is the hardest part, and that's where we find ourselves now. Waiting and waiting.

There's not much news out of practice either. The injured are still injured and the healthy are luckily still healthy, so the Stars will put the same team on the ice as they did at home on Wednesday. ESPN Dallas brings us some interesting line combinations to consider from practice, however...

Eriksson-Richards-Langenbrunner
Morrow-Ribeiro-Segal
Ott-Benn-Vincour
Petersen-Wandell-Williams (Barch)

Things change in games, of course, but this is a little different than what we had been seeing. Richards played with that Eriksson line against Anaheim but also played between Ott and Vincour, where it appears Benn could move. Benn and Richards could play on that line while Benn double shifts with Ribeiro and Morrow sometimes. In that way Richard and Benn are nearly almost always on the ice.

• At ESPN, LeBrun and Burnside debate the Western Conference playoff picture. Except, they don't talk about Dallas. In fact they said the Ducks loss last night was really big...for Calgary. [ESPN]
• SB Nation takes a look at "dirty" penalties and "cheating penalties". Steve Ott is near the top of both lists, though I do not agree with the inclusion of roughing minors in that assessment, which are part of the game are almost always given out in pairs. Nothing dirty about it. [SB Nation]
• Some Toronto media believes Brad Richards would never sign there and says Burke should go after Bryzgalov instead. We are ALL FOR THAT. [The Hockey News]
• The Canucks really don't want to see the Ducks in round one. So maybe they're rooting for Dallas? [Globe and Mail]
• Playoff death watch on Puck Daddy [Puck Daddy]
• Jonas Hiller returned last night and was promptly pulled after allowing three on nine shots. So do the Ducks try to get their #1 guy right before the playoffs or do they table that project because of how critical points are right now? We're rooting for confusion and difficulty there. [Pro Hockey Talk]
• Observe Sports Club Stats for just how critical tomorrow night's game is. +14% if they win, -12% if they lose. [SCS]
• The Blackhawks are trying to lock Corey Crawford up long term. Will the phone ring for Marty Turco at all this coming off-season? [Pro Hockey Talk]
• I'm going to let you all opine on this snippet from Jean Jacques-Taylor [DMN] I will say it's interesting what they leave outside the pay wall.