Dallas Stars Daily Links: Stars Come Back From The All-Star Break Healthy At Last

by Erin Bolen on Jan 31, 2012 6:01 AM CST in Dallas Stars Daily Links

For the first time since early this season, the Dallas Stars had a practice where everybody was on the ice.

That might seem like a small thing, but the Stars hope it signifies a change in fortunes for a team that hit a slump just before the All-Star break.

With Jamie Benn back from his appendectomy and Mike Ribeiro willing to play on a still-somewhat-wonky knee, the last additions to the healthy list were Stephane Robidas and Brenden Morrow.

Robidas had been playing with a hairline fracture in his foot according to the Stars broadcast crew while Morrow missed the team's most recent game against the Anaheim Ducks with what he called a neck/shoulder issue.

"It was just some maintenance stuff that needed to be done," Morrow said. "We took care of it and the body feels pretty good right now."

Gulutzan said Morrow and Mike Ribeiro, who returned for the final game before break from a MCL injury, are at about 95-96 percent at this point. Stephane Robidas, who has been dealing with a foot injury, is doing a lot better.

In another story in the Morning News, Ribeiro mentions he has a structural problem with the knee that he can play with while it's braced. Remind me to question the Stars definition of a "tweak" next time they say a problem is minor.

After the jump, a look at the playoff race and where the Stars fit into it, hockey players in Plano get some good news and the San Jose Sharks newest secret weapon.

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This month will be extremely important to whatever playoff push the Stars plan on making this season, and coach Glen Gulutzan said he thinks they have at least one run in them in this paywalled story. [DallasNews.com]
The race for a playoff spot is very, very crowded at the moment, and Mark Stepneski has a pretty good breakdown of where every team stands heading into the games that start up again tonight. [ESPN Dallas]
This is really a fantasy hockey story that makes mention of a few Stars players about 3/4 of the way through. But I linked it because it reminded me just how important, and busy, this month will be for Dallas. [CBSSports]
Multiple Stars make an appearance on this list of the Top 10 goals of the first half, though probably not as high as some around here might have liked. [Backhand Shelf]
Oh Prince Edward Island, the amount of politicking that's going on about the Stars training camp there the past two years is entering the realm of slightly absurd. [CBC]
I first learned how to play hockey at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Plano from Whip (a former Dallas Blackhawk and wonderful human being). That rink has been closed for a while now due to some foundation problems, but apparently the Stars sale being finalized means they can finally get around to the business of fixing the place to re-open it this summer. [WFAA]
The worst part of NHL All-Star weekend is pretty clearly the game itself, but the whole celebration, along with other annual events like the Winter Classic, have enjoyed an increased audience thanks to NHL director of operations John Collins, who jumped over from the NFL about one year after the lockout. [Sports Illustrated]
And speaking of the All-Star game, the commonly told story is that the first one was a benefit for Ace Bailey after he suffered a severe injury at the hands of Eddie Shore. But the real history is quite deeper than that. [Backhand Shelf]
Meet the enemy: The Anaheim Ducks get back to the ice one day before the Stars do as they take on the Phoenix Coyotes tonight. [AnaheimDucks.com]
Around the Pacific Division: The Stars offense struggled with its two top centers out, but the Los Angeles Kings offense has struggled for most of the season. And goalie Jonathan Quick has had to bear the brunt of that in his stats. [Grantland]
The San Jose Sharks will try out their newest pest in their attempts to find someone to out-annoy Steve Ott today when Nyjer Morgan of the Milwaukee Brewers skates with the team. [Puck Daddy]
This was advertised as a highlight reel of Stars practice, but it's more like some B-reel of practice over several interviews. Even so, I do like the parts of the interviews they pulled out to feature. I'd like it more if it were all over practice footage, but I'm a nerd like that.

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Comments

sigh..... The PEI article just makes me shake my head.

They need to quit chirping about it.

"He punched the highlights out of her hair.... He punched the HIGHLIGHTS out of her hair!!!" -- Young Neil

by Tsudbury on Jan 31, 2012 6:10 AM CST reply actions

A structural problem? Great....

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by Josh Lile on Jan 31, 2012 7:22 AM CST reply actions

Structural issues are rarely minor

You wouldn’t be too positive in a high rise with “structural issues”

Hopefully Mike misspoke a little there….

by RB16 on Jan 31, 2012 8:25 AM CST up reply actions

The first thing that came to mind was Mickey Mantle

by Josh Lile on Jan 31, 2012 8:32 AM CST up reply actions

It is a Structural Problem

I played out of that rink when it was Icebound and also happened to be on the work crew that poured the concrete. The building planner forgot to add the slab thickness to the height of the zamboni door so the zam couldn’t get out. Building planner decided to tear out a chunk of the foundation and repour it lower. We, the concrete workers, warned him that they were compromising the foundation and it needed to be fully repoured or this would probably happen in 10 years. Also Plano ground moves alot. They will problably have to completely rebuild.

by Murdter on Jan 31, 2012 3:36 PM CST up reply actions

I thought we were talking about Ribero's knee!

But it is interesting in hearing the story about Icebound. Yeah, all that ground in N. Carrollton and Plano moves alot! I had a house in Carollton whose foundation was so bad some doors wouldn’t shut. Luckily I was renting!

Sucks that a building planner makes a decision like that to save himself some money and the people down the line get screwed. Hopefully somebody goes after him.

by 1paniolo on Jan 31, 2012 4:04 PM CST up reply actions

Well, the ACL and MCL are what keep your knee stable.

A tear would make it wobbly. I’m guessing what he’s saying is that it’s fine for now with a brace but he’ll probably need to get it repaired over the summer.

by Sugaa on Jan 31, 2012 10:02 AM CST up reply actions

To me that means

they hope it will hold up with a brace and that he is looking at offseason knee surgery. … Best case. With the kind of moves and dangles Ribs likes this can’t be good news.

by 1paniolo on Jan 31, 2012 12:46 PM CST up reply actions

PEI is out of their minds.

You’re bitching about 35k? If 35k is bankrupting a government agency then they have much bigger issues.

by Josh Lile on Jan 31, 2012 7:26 AM CST reply actions

they can't even find that number though...

which in my own personal/semi-professional opinion means either 1.) they didn’t lose all the money they claimed, or 2.) they lost it, but to those “private” local partners who don’t want others to know what they billed.

"He punched the highlights out of her hair.... He punched the HIGHLIGHTS out of her hair!!!" -- Young Neil

by Tsudbury on Jan 31, 2012 7:31 AM CST up reply actions

I kind of took it

that they were asking the Stars for a breakdown of where their money was spent. Of course if they didn’t ask for an accounting when the money was given the Stars just threw it in a big pool and didn’t track expenditures against it.

But maybe you are right and it’s a local issue of where it went?

by 1paniolo on Jan 31, 2012 12:48 PM CST up reply actions

Thats the part I don't get.

Don’t you name some conditions on how the money can be spent BEFORE you give it to the team (including asking for accounting of the money)? Asking for it after the fact of a private company seems silly.

by Josh Lile on Jan 31, 2012 1:10 PM CST up reply actions

A private company based in another country, no less

by Josh Lile on Jan 31, 2012 1:11 PM CST up reply actions

It is silly,

but that’s why I wondered if Tsud’s take was the right one. Then again we are talking about politicians here … by definition they are silly, best case.

If they do want something from the Stars I would think their accountant could grab some easy expenses to total that in a half hour or so … travel, plane, bus, lodging, meals would add up to that really quick and most of it would have gone back into the PEI economy.

Tsuds is probably right. The friend of the mayors probably runs a hotel and 100% of the money went to him at 25% above normal room rates.

by 1paniolo on Jan 31, 2012 1:19 PM CST up reply actions

The way I read it was that they were asking the city council how the money was spent.

But it doesn’t really address exactly WHO they are asking for a line item receipt, does it?

"He punched the highlights out of her hair.... He punched the HIGHLIGHTS out of her hair!!!" -- Young Neil

by Tsudbury on Jan 31, 2012 2:22 PM CST up reply actions

It IS Canada though.

That may be the equivalent to several moose.

"I know the last couple of years have been especially hard for Stars fans. To all of you: First let me say thank you for your patience and support, and please know that the uncertainty is now over." -- Tom Gaglardi

by EagleBelf on Jan 31, 2012 9:59 AM CST up reply actions

Nice to hear something positive about the Plano rink

Hopefully along with the foundation they will fix the crappy ice and cool down the locker rooms so they get below 100 degrees

by RB16 on Jan 31, 2012 8:23 AM CST reply actions

I can't watch videos at work.

But are the goals on that top 10 list Benn’s goal against the BJs and Nystrom against the Caps??

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by T-rom on Jan 31, 2012 8:44 AM CST reply actions

10 and 9, respectively.

by Sugaa on Jan 31, 2012 9:59 AM CST up reply actions

There are 9 goals better than Benn's goal in half a season?

How?

by Josh Lile on Jan 31, 2012 10:15 AM CST up reply actions

Shoulda

been top 5. A couple of those were one really quick slick move, like skate to stick, score. His was about five seconds of slickness strung together.

by StarzenheimerSchmidt on Jan 31, 2012 10:16 AM CST up reply actions

I think the list was backwards, personally.

Duchene’s backhand was awesome, but it was also a pretty lucky shot.

by Sugaa on Jan 31, 2012 10:17 AM CST up reply actions

At least he made it.

Ribero can’t get any love. His was a sick goal, easily equal to Datsuk’s. He was so under control it looked like a practice maneuver with the puck on a string. But both Preds D-men and then Renne were so faked out they weren’t even close to touching the puck.

Ribero’s greatness

by 1paniolo on Jan 31, 2012 1:03 PM CST up reply actions

Same here, and I'm actually surprised the Nystrom goal made the list

But not surprised they’re only ranked 9 & 10, should be higher and probably ranked behind lesser goals including the Malkin goal against the Avs I’m assuming.

by chris1989 on Jan 31, 2012 11:17 AM CST via mobile up reply actions