Dallas Stars Daily Links: The Stars Look To Recharge At Home Against The Wild

The Dallas Stars are back from a two-game road trip that didn’t go nearly as well as they hoped. Now they look to reset, recommit to The Process, and resume their winning ways against the Minnesota Wild tonight in American Airlines Center.

Veteran defender Marc Methot has been around the block enough times to know that a new system needs breaking in, writes Mark Stepneski:

“There’s no reason to panic. I am sure the coaches have mentioned, we’ve got a new system, new coaching staff, a lot of new faces. We’re going to have some growing pains,” said [Methot]. “The way you respond is you practice hard the way we did today, keep a positive attitude in the dressing room, encourage each other and make sure we keep each other accountable. I think we are doing that. We’ve got to work towards that next game.”

Head coach Jim Montgomery wants to focus on creating offense, which the Stars have struggled to do when the Jamie Benn-Tyler Seguin-Alexander Radulov line goes quiet:

“We need to get better at our team identity, so we are really focusing on our play without the puck - our forecheck, our reload, our defensemen’s gaps, our breaking the puck out of the (defensive) zone,” he said. “We think we’ve made a mistake as a staff, myself in particular, about trying to get too dynamic offensively too quickly. It’s taken away our players’ aggressiveness. We’re thinking too much on the ice. That being said, we think if we get better with our puck pressure and our identity of being relentless, it’s going to create odd-man rushes.

“We’ve got to get more consistent with that and players’ offense will come with that, and then we can start adding the layers of offense that we want.”

Mark has more. [Stars Inside Edge]

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Dallas Stars

Sean Shapiro took the Stars’ mini-road trip to the Film Room.

Sean also brings some interesting notes about how incipient Hall of Famer Paul Kariya inspires Montgomery’s practices.

Of course there’s a backstory. Of course.

Around the League(s)

#Murder Was The Case

• Corey Crawford is back, and it...kind of didn’t matter, as the Chicago Blackhawks took a 4-1 beating from the Arizona Coyotes. [Second City Hockey]
• Gabriel Landeskog’s third career hat trick helped the Colorado Avalanche ruin the New Jersey Devils’ win-loss sheet, 5-3. [Mile High Hockey]
• And Dustin Byfuglien earned a goal and two assists in his return from an upper-body injury as the Winnipeg Jets roughed up the Vancouver Canucks, 4-1. [Nucks Misconduct]

The St. Louis Blues have had a rough start, and for once someone isn’t just blaming the goalie. Jared Clinton offers sympathy for Jake Allen.

Also at THN: Matt Larkin looks at William Nylander’s contract stalemate, then at the Seguin negotiation, then tells everyone to just slow their roll for once.

Connor McDavid’s skills coach offers some insight into his Ludicrous Speed start to the season.

Kailer Yamamoto’s big career milestone also made a nice GIF.

If you love NHL referees, or just love to hate them, the new Hockey Night In Canada podcast has your number.

The Flint Firebirds’ troubles continue. Can a new coach bring new stability?

Greetings From Scenic Cedar Park

The Texas Stars have called up blueliner Nolan Gluchowski from the Idaho Steelheads.

With Reece Scarlett suffering an ACL tear and Gavin Bayreuther missing from Wednesday’s victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins, the defensive depth is needed. [100 Degree Hockey]

Finally

If you’ve never read this story, or if you’d love to read it again. Enjoy.