Dallas Stars Daily Links: Kari Lehtonen Shines In The Preseason

by Erin Bolen on Sep 28, 2011 5:00 AM CDT in Dallas Stars Daily Links

If there's one thing the Dallas Stars have proven this preseason, it's that Kari Lehtonen is already in midseason form.

The big Finnish netminder (tm Daryl Reaugh) has a .946 preseason save percentage after stopping 43 of 46 shots in last night's 4-3 overtime victory over the Florida Panthers.

He withstood what could only be properly described as a barrage in the third period, as the Stars were outshot 26(!)-3 in the final frame that they spend mostly on the penalty kill. But Lehtonen claimed all the special teams work may have been a good thing.

"A lot of work there in the third period,'' Lehtonen said. ``In the third period, we let the game get carried away from our hands. We took a lot of penalties. But it was good for me to play a lot of penalty killing. This is the part of the season where you want to get those situations and get different kinds of shots. It was good and it went well. It's nice to get a lot of shots when things go your way."

Uh, if you say so, Kari. Personally, I'd prefer if he had to face fewer shots in, well, every game for the rest of the season. But I guess you have to be a little bit crazy to be a goalie anyway.

After the jump, more on the Stars' victory over Florida, The Hockey News has one of the more perplexing season previews I've seen and what should happen when trash talking crosses the line?

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ESPN Dallas gives us many of the same quotes but a few more statistics from Tuesday's overtime victory. [ESPN Dallas]
The Florida Panthers media was mostly focused on the solid performance of young goalie Jacob Markstrom, who is a major candidate to replace injured goalie Scott Clemmensen. Also, bonus photo gallery. [Miami Herald]
Also from the Morning News, this time behind the paywall, a look at the strange and meandering development of one Tom Wandell. [DallasNews.com]
How can you do a full Dallas Stars season preview without even mentioning Jamie Benn? I'm not really sure, but The Hockey News sets to prove out it's possible with this video season preview. It also features the most hick pronunciation of Stephane Robidas I've heard since leaving West Texas. [The Hockey News]
Michael Ryder isn't the only member of the Stars family to beat up the Stanley Cup. [Razor with an Edge]
Players do tons of community service events during the course of a season, so many that the events can blend into one another from a fan's point of view. But for the kids who are targeted, such as these Canadian kids whose class was visited by Sheldon Souray several years ago, each event can make a huge impact. [Edmonton Journal]
With Mike Modano's retirement, there are several young players who could hold claim to the title of best American in the game. But which one is at the top? [Orange County Register]
There was lots (and lots and lots and lots) written on the Sean Avery/Wayne Simmonds taunting incident that happened in Monday's New York Rangers preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Simmonds will not receive a suspension, at least not yet, because the league says it cannot substantiate Avery's claims, but whatever the result, I think this article sums up what is a very complicated issue for the NHL - can we expect rules of polite society to apply to language used specifically to incite, and what larger implications does such language have? [Puck Daddy]

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Comments

That was a nice surprise in who the Orange County guys in the news/notes...

would’ve picked as the top US player now that Mo’ has retired. I felt almost certain they would have tried to put Ryan up there in the top 5 at least. Interesting results with Goose getting a mention as well :D.

by Lance Walker on Sep 28, 2011 5:58 AM CDT reply actions

that hockey news preview is trash

ive been reading/watching lots of previews on both the stars and the rangers and everyone is focusing on brad richards and his powerplay abilities. but no one seems to mention that the stars powerplay wasnt really that great with him running it.

also, everyone says Joe Nieuwendyk has replaced Brad Richards offense but when you add up last seasons stats of all our UFA signings, they have more points than Richards did.

people will be sleeping on our team this year, hopefully they will get a rude awakening.

by Long Island on Sep 28, 2011 6:19 AM CDT reply actions

I think Avery wasn't helping his own case in this situation...

He’s called people lots of horrendous things, that have NOTHING to do with the game (Sloppy seconds, anyone?), but he FREAKS if someone calls him gay. And going on and on about it to anyone who will listen? It’s just hard to side up with a guy like that.

Of course, that being said, it IS one of those things that needs to be cleaned up. I think the NHL handled it well, and it shouldn’t be much of a problem from this point on, except for the occasional slip up.

"I want to have Jamie Benn's babies. And you can quote me on that." - Brandon Worley

by Tsudbury on Sep 28, 2011 7:21 AM CDT reply actions

I get the feeling that this sort of issue....

…is only because it happened to Avery. I’m certain that word has been used way too many times in nearly every game, but the NHL hasn’t exactly had precedent with this specific issue.

It’s like how we acted on the submarine. Trash talking, extreme language…all of that was used, even around people that were gay. They didn’t care. We didn’t care. Now, I don’t think we were ever saying things out of “hate”, but it was part of the lifestyle. It’s just the way it was.

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by Brandon Worley on Sep 28, 2011 7:31 AM CDT up reply actions

Well, we know for a fact that Avery has been called gay before...

That little motion that Wisniewski did that got him suspended. We know what it meant. But Avery didn’t make a big deal about it then, did he? I think he just missed having the spotlight on him.

"I want to have Jamie Benn's babies. And you can quote me on that." - Brandon Worley

by Tsudbury on Sep 28, 2011 7:49 AM CDT up reply actions

I think it's all unfortunate.

The NHL is getting all sorts of bad PR these past few months. Now there’s wind that the GMs aren’t happy with Shanahan coming down with the hammer…

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by Brandon Worley on Sep 28, 2011 7:51 AM CDT up reply actions

Well of course not.

All of their players are finally being held to the rules that were ignored for so long. And half the Philly team is going to miss the first 5 games of the season.

"I want to have Jamie Benn's babies. And you can quote me on that." - Brandon Worley

by Tsudbury on Sep 28, 2011 7:53 AM CDT up reply actions

Hopefully he'll keep it up, despite their protests.

They’ll figure out soon enough that they have to start playing a clean game, and then the amount of suspensions will decrease.

"I want to have Jamie Benn's babies. And you can quote me on that." - Brandon Worley

by Tsudbury on Sep 28, 2011 7:56 AM CDT up reply actions

Exacty

I like what Shanny’s been doing. Players are finally being held accountable of their actions. That said, I think his video explanations are a bit much. I understand they provide the explanation from the horse’s mouth, but they’re far too much of a “Hollywood” production for a serious decision.

As for Avery, let me first say that I am not or ever have been a fan. I’m from his hometown and despise him (his brother is even worse since his only claim to fame is Sean). However I didn’t think Sean came out hooting and hollering about this. It was the reporters after the game who brought it up and asked him what wayne said. I’m pretty sure Sean’s response was something like “well you guys saw it. He said what you think he said.”

by LilEagle on Sep 28, 2011 8:19 AM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions

I think the reason they're doing the videos is more for the players than it is for the fans.

The players have always talked about how they don’t know what’s legal, what isn’t, and why what one person did got a suspension, while the other was ignored.

Not they get a thorough explanation of why he decided what he did. I think it will help the players a lot as the season progresses. And then, once things calm down, he can stop doing the videos.

"I want to have Jamie Benn's babies. And you can quote me on that." - Brandon Worley

by Tsudbury on Sep 28, 2011 8:23 AM CDT up reply actions

Videos are visuals for other players as much as for the fans.

When other players SEE what is punished, they will avoid it.

by iHorses on Sep 28, 2011 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions

lol, at least that's the theory.

Some numbskulls don’t seem to be getting the message though, do they?

"I want to have Jamie Benn's babies. And you can quote me on that." - Brandon Worley

by Tsudbury on Sep 28, 2011 9:33 AM CDT up reply actions

One of the arguments I've heard

Is that many gay people do care, but they don’t want to say anything for fear of upsetting the group balance, and I can buy that. It’s tough enough being different from the herd in a fairly closed group setting even before you put yourself out on a limb.

And while Avery is certainly part of it, I still think the bigger factors are that it was a.) caught so blatantly on camera, which led to reporters asking about it in the first place, and b.) that it happened in a game involving in rather large media markets.

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by Erin Bolen on Sep 28, 2011 11:08 AM CDT up reply actions

Listen to Louie CK's bit on the word "gay"

Guessing it’d ring true with most everyone who grew up in the 80’s.

Spoiler: It didn’t have the meaning it does today even though it technically did.

by jabudi on Sep 29, 2011 9:49 AM CDT up reply actions

I don't think you can simultaneously hold them to the standards of polite society and allow them to settle grievances by punching each other in the face.

I think the whole thing is quite silly and has been blown way out of proportion.

by Sugaa on Sep 28, 2011 9:14 AM CDT up reply actions

This is an excellent point.

"I want to have Jamie Benn's babies. And you can quote me on that." - Brandon Worley

by Tsudbury on Sep 28, 2011 9:34 AM CDT up reply actions

I've been back and forth on this issue a lot

I definitely agree with the point that there are things allowed in the context of a game that are completely out of bounds in other facets of life. I think that if we ever saw a transcript of what Ott said on the ice, we would be a little bit (okay, a lot) horrified.

But I also understand some people being offended by the language because it is a very powerful word used as an insult in this case, and I can’t really fault them for being hurt by its use in this case, even knowing the context.

What I really liked about the Puck Daddy article was it kind of referenced the whole issue that this stemmed from getting almost too close to what actually happens in a game. We want unfiltered access, but this is what happens when unfiltered access shines on some of the games’ more controversial issues.

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by Erin Bolen on Sep 28, 2011 11:03 AM CDT up reply actions

We’ve been trained to have such a Pavlovian response to some words that we forget what our English teachers taught us about context. It’s what gives these words the power to hurt people to begin with. What happened had nothing to do with you, me, or any homosexual who happened to see the game or the video. Was it offensive? Yes. Does it, at the end of the day, mean anything? No. People use derogatory language all the time. I don’t call a press conference every time someone calls me a bitch, nor do I think anyone who ever utters the word in my presence is a misogynist.

We can have unfiltered access to athletes where we hear what they say on the ice/field/court and they speak their minds to the public and media, or we can have our cute little fantasy that athletes are heroic, saint-like beings that deserve the devotion, attention, and money that is heaped upon them. But the reality is that they’re just people, and frequently uneducated and sheltered people at that. I can’t hold them to a higher moral standard than I hold myself, and I can’t say that everything that has ever passed my lips in anger or frustration has been fit for publication in a children’s magazine.

by Sugaa on Sep 28, 2011 11:33 AM CDT up reply actions

This is a tricky situation

because words are contextual and to us more grown up (age wise) fans players are people as well. So saying gay to a lot of us isn’t that big of a deal especially because all of the players are humans and we all make mistakes. However there’s a huge kid fanbase in the NHL, watching these guys play is what gets a lot of kids into the sport. I don’t want to start talking about race but having guys like Simmonds, Grier, Fortunus, Kane, the Stewart brothers etc in the game gives kids from that background idols to follow into hockey. As much as i wish all the races in our countries are fully integrated, an african american kid from, say, Atlanta isn’t going to look at Patrick Kane and want to be like him the same way he’d want to follow in the foot steps of a guy like simmonds.
And with words like gay and fag being contextual, i agree. When my friends or I use them we never actually mean homosexual. Like to me fag describes a certain type of behavior that has absolutely nothing to do with homosexuality ( a la Louis CK bit). However, these words do have historical contexts and reasons they are looked down upon. For example, a fag was originally a bundle of sticks used for kindling. It became a term for gay because during the middle ages when people were executed for heresy or being a witch they were burned. And since gays were looked on as sinners and terrible terrible beasts they were put into the pyres to be used as kindling. So, bundle of sticks to light fires became bundles of homosexuals used to light fires to execute witches. So as much as we know the contexts of our uses of these kinds of words, do we still want our kids growing up with them as part of their repertoire? I don’t know about you but I personally don’t want hearing my kid use fag or the n word in every other sentence as normal words. Because the truth is, and i don’t want to sound preachy or anything like that, people got killed because of those words. Millions and millions of people got killed because of them.

That being said I think players should be fined a small amount for using these words but it shouldn’t be public and it should be a no fly zone for the media

by brickwall5 on Sep 28, 2011 12:57 PM CDT up reply actions

Our UK fans are probably rolling their eyes

as they head down to the grocery to pick up a pack of fags.

by 1paniolo on Sep 28, 2011 1:56 PM CDT up reply actions

I know i know

but at least in the U.S where people don’t really use fag for cigarette it’s a little different

by brickwall5 on Sep 28, 2011 2:57 PM CDT up reply actions

It's always such a tricky thing. Because I think for the majority of people (or at least the ones who use it) they don't give it a second though.

But it does have a negative effect on those that are actually gay. Even if the person doesn’t mean it, the fact that their lifestyle is associated with the negative connotation is what hurts them.

This may be a dumb way of thinking about it, but for me, I imagine people replacing the word “gay” with “hockey.” “Oh man, that is so hockey.” “you hockeywad.” I might be okay with it to some extent, but after a while, I would get frustrated with those people, and want to explain to them that there is nothing wrong with hockey, and that i love hockey. Like I said, that may be a dumb way of thinking about it, but being a straight white christian, I’ve never had to suffer from any of the hurtful things that so many other people have had to go through. While I’m thankful for that, I would never wish for any of them to suffer for it.

And I know there’s the argument that words only hurt if you give them that power, as well as the free speech argument. But for me, it’s more about being kind to my fellow man. I might be able to say what I want, but do I really want to hurt someone, especially if I can just change my wording, have the same effect for what I was trying to say, and avoid the negative term altogether? BradRichardsRocks did a good job of pointing this out a few times last season. She would comment and ask people to stop using it. Since then, I’ve tried to refrain from using terms like that. Especially since I can’t say things like that at my office anyway.

As far as the hockey players go, they’ve been used to the environment that they can say what they want to to the other players without real retribution. But in all of the leagues, there is far more transparency than there used to be. Most of the time, players are held to higher standards than they have been in the past. It goes with the territory. But i understand, since I have the same issue, that it’s a growing process, and will take time to fully go away. In the mean time, I agree with your punishment. Fine them, send them a letter, try and keep it private. I would also say, if you do fine them for using a gay slur or a racist slur, instead of the money going to the players’ fund, it should go to the Gay&Lesbian group (whatever they’re called) or the NAACP or whomever.

There’s a quote from Abraham Lincoln (no, not the “the trouble with the internet is…” one) that sums up the best way to live life. Live it free, but live it being respectful of others.