Dallas Stars Daily Links: Kari Lehtonen Speaks His Piece About Game 7 and the Coming Season

Kari Lehtonen has thought about Game 7 even more than you have. He’s watched the video of those three goals on eight shots many times during his summer in Dallas, is using it to prepare for the season ahead.

But he still can’t tell you what happened when he followed his best-ever playoff performance with his worst, as Mike Heika reports:

...[A]sk Lehtonen what went wrong in his Game 7 meltdown against the St. Louis Blues, and he shrugs. He's thought about it all summer and doesn't have an answer.

"That's how goaltending is, and that's why you have to stay as even-keel as you can," he said. "That's why I'm not concentrating on that. I'm moving forward, and I feel good. That's all I can really tell you."

GM Jim Nill offers some perspective.

Stars general manager Jim Nill said experience is the best teacher. He said that while Lehtonen is 32, he still has only 18 postseason starts.

"Winning in the playoffs is a hard thing to do, and you really don't know how hard until you get there," Nill said. "We're all in the middle of the process, and we're all learning."

There’s much more at Mike’s place. [SportsDayDFW]

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It’s Monday, and Heika is ready for your calls. Send him your questions, and check out his weekly Stars chat at 2 p.m. Central time. [SportsDayDFW]

Meanwhile, fellow DMN sports guy Tim Cowlishaw says he isn’t ruling out Ben Bishop to the Stars yet. [SportsDayDFW]

It’s never too early for the fantasy outlook, and Pete Jensen takes on everyone from the Super Best Friends (Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin) to the undervalued (Jason Spezza, again) to the sleeper (Radek Faksa, please pick up the white courtesy phone).

Also at NHL.com: It was Dallas Stars all day on Sunday, and you can finally read Steve Hunt’s 30 in 30 for Our Gang.

Cedar Park’s Finn Towers, Julius Honka and Esa Lindell, lead the way among the prospects to watch for.

Last summer, Josh Ho-Sang showed up late to the New York Islanders’ training camp and was sent back down to his OHL team on the spot. Nearly a year later, he’s a different player, and he credits friends and mentors like Connor McDavid and Tyler Seguin. [Sportsnet]

Sports Illustrated has ranked every NHL team’s No. 1 left wing, and there’s been a shake-up at the top. [Sports Illustrated]

Former Stars (and current Leafs) G Jhonas Enroth will suit up for Team Sweden in the World Cup of Hockey as the Sabres’ Robin Lehner withdraws to recover from a knee injury. [The Hockey News]

And Team Canada’s blueline is losing the Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith to knee trouble as well. The Conn Smythe and two-time Norris winner will be replaced by the Blues’ Jay Bouwmeester. [CBS Sports]

Elsewhere, Minnesota Wild LW Zach Parise has been cleared to play for Team USA after missing the playoffs with a herniated disc. [Minneapolis Star-Tribune]

The Devils’ Cory Schneider will rock some new goalie pads for the World Cup.

Friday was National Dog Day, and the NHL was all over it, again, as usual. Check out this roundup that includes the pups of Patrick Sharp and Patrick Eaves. [Sportsnet]

Las Vegas Team To Be Named Later may not have an ID – yet – but they should know who their AHL affiliate will be by New Year’s Eve.

Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks unveiled three new logos earlier this month that are slated to start turning up on promotional items this season. Icethetics has more.

Sudbury Wolves forward David Levin has set his sights on becoming the NHL’s first player born in Israel. [Sports Illustrated]

Dan Hamhuis took time on Sunday for a visit to the Stars’ Girl Rookies in Euless.

And congratulations to Alex Ovechkin and Nastya Shubskaya, who took the plunge in Russia over the weekend.

Finally: Victor E. Green finally has his own Twitter account. Set your follows accordingly.