Dallas Stars Ups & Downs: Week 1 & 2

When your team starts the season with four wins and one loss, it's tough to be negative about much even if the way they got to that record was a little suspect at times.

It hasn't been a perfect start for the Dallas Stars and three of those four wins that they have earned in the first two weeks of the season certainly fall into the "gotten the hard way" category, but with three wins at home this past week that was concluded with a rather convincing if not dominating performance against the Blue Jackets, it's easy to feel good about this team and just how it will perform as the season progresses.

Week one we only had two games to draw a 'sample' of where the players on this team were at, but now we've had a couple of weeks and five games... That makes for a little bit of an easier job in being able to tell just who is starting the season off right, and who could use a little more practice time.

Jamie BENN 5gp, 1g, 2a,
Comments: He's shown the odd flash of brilliance in the first two weeks, but we do need to see some more scoring from him and soon.

Adam BURISH 3 gp, 1 g, 1 a
Comments: Good, gritty start for Burish. We just hope he can stay healthy even while blocking last minute shots.

Trevor DALEY 5 gp, 2 a, 7 bs
Comments: We here at DBD feel Daley hasn't gotten enough props for being as good defensively as he has been so far. Granted he's not a shut down defenseman by any stretch, but he's much better than even last year.

Jake DOWELL 5 gp, 0 pts
Comments: Dowell has been ok physically in a fourth line role but really hasn't done much else to suggest he could use more ice time either...

Radek DVORAK 5 gp, 0 pts
Comments: Dvorak got some decent ice time but really hasn't done much with it although he's had chances and was quite active shooting wise against the Blues. He's another guy that needs to start putting up some points.

Loui ERIKSSON 5 gp, 3 g,
Comments: Any concerns we might of had that Loui wouldn't put up the same kind of goal scoring numbers without Brad Richards skating beside him are starting to be cast aside.

Vernon FIDDLER 5 gp, 1 g
Comments: Saturday night Fiddler was finally better than 50% in faceoffs, so as long as he keeps that up, keeps playing a solid back check game and can contribute the odd point here and there, he'll do just fine.

Mark FISTRIC 4 gp, 19 hits
Comments: Fistric was actually starting to find his way with the new system and had good efforts against the Coyotes and Blues, but his slow start in the first couple of games maybe made him a prime candidate to get healthy scratched when Pardy came off the IR

Alex GOLIGOSKI 5 gp, 1 g, 1 a, -2
Comments: Started off really good but in the last three games hasn't done anything other than just be an average puck moving body on the blueline. Has also lost his status as the guy the Stars pegged to QB the power play.

Philip LARSEN 3 gp, 8 hits
Comments: Larsen you had a decent run in the bigs, but sadly there just isn't any room for ya at the moment. Will no doubt be the first guy the Stars call on if the injury bug rears it's ugly head again.

Kari LEHTONEN 4 gp, 4-0
Comments: Kari is the only Star that is at the top level of U&D's and it's a well earned honor ... I doubt anyone who actually follows the Stars will question that. Hopefully soon the rest of the hockey world will take notice as well.

Brenden MORROW 5 gp, 2 g, 1 a, 20 hits
Comments: Bit of a rough start for the captain as it was with his linemates, but the last two games were a loud and clear statement that Morrow is in fact ready to command and conquere once again.

Steve OTT 5 gp, 4 pts, 26 hits
Comments:  Ott has been very good early in the season and in case you didn't notice is on a three game points streak.

Adam PARDY 1 gp
Comments: Made his season debut on Saturday and looked ok even in taking some shifts on the penalty kill.

Toby PETERSEN 2 gp, 0 pts, 2 shots
Comments: Toby has been used rather sparingly in the two games he did play and was a healthy scratch for the other three Stars games. Not a good sign.

Andrew RAYCROFT 1 gp, 0-1
Comments: The loss in Chicago wasn't all on his shoulders, but he didn't exactly inspire confidence that he can make key saves when needed.

Mike RIBEIRO 5 gp, 5 a
Comments: Much like his other linemates, Ribs is starting to become more of an offensive factor in games. He's also clearly taking more of a leadership role with this club.

Stephane ROBIDAS 5 gp, 20 hits
Comments: Robi is finally not the sole focus of the opposition night after night, but still somehow he manages to get clocked by a hard hit aty least once a game. Thankfully he dishes it out as well.

Michael RYDER 5 gp, 2 pts, +1
Comments: Of the three players on the top line, he looked like he was pressing the most to get anything going offensively. Hopefully now a huge weight was off the shoulders of Ryder the moment he scored in Saturday's game.

Sheldon SOURAY 5 gp, 1 g, 3 a
Comments: Souray is suddenly the go-to-guy for the Stars power play and also proving good shut down defense in his own end. Whoduathunkit?

Tomas VINCOUR 3 gp, 0 pts
Comments: A solid run in training camp sadly doesn't mean much when you struggle like he did to start the season. With others getting healthy, he'll get his ice time with the baby Stars where we have no doubt he'll perform well.

Tom WANDELL 4 gp, 0 pts
Comments: With the Stars bringing in Eric Nystrom, the pressure will be on Wandell over the next game or two - if he gets that - to prove that he's at least worth keeping on the fourth line.