The Dallas Stars play the Caroline Hurricanes tonight at 7:30p CST. Check back here this afternoon for a full game preview. In the meantime, here's a look at news from around the hockey world.
Dallas Stars:
- Be sure to check out Canes Country for a look at the game from the other side.
- The Stars are just four points out of 6th place in the West.
- Mark Stepneski says that while things are looking dour, a few wins in a row could easily change things around in a hurry. But see, that's the tricky part.
- Jean-Jacques Taylor says that the Dallas Stars shouldn't count on Mike Modano to carry this team down the stretch.
- DallasStars.com has a nice article up about Mark Fistric's impressive return to the NHL after being assigned to Manitoba earlier this season.
- The NHL is expecting for the economy to have an adverse effect on the NHL next season and it's a near certainty that the salary cap will be about what it is now. However, for the 2010-2011 season its being estimated the cap will drop significantly and teams are going to start planning accordingly.
- Mike Heika pretty much states the obvious: the Stars need some dang points!
Around the NHL:
- All three games in the NHL last night went into overtime, by the way.
- Colleen Howe, wife of NHL great Gordie Howe, passed away last week. It was her idea that Gordie and his sons play together for the Houston Aeros, a move that brought big-time hockey to Texas for the first time.
- Don Cherry is getting grief in the media once again for his outspoken antics. His response to his critics: "I say to hell with them."
- Steve Downie's 20 game suspension (for slashing an official with his stick) has been upheld by the AHL.
- Gary Bettman wants to meet with the NHL's resident heavyweight champion Georges Laraque to talk about the league's new view on fighting. Laraque, not surprisingly, doesn't like the crackdown.
- In other important G.M. meeting news, TV timeouts after icings will return next season.
- The Hockey News says that more instigating penalties will mean more big hits. So that's good, right?