Dallas Stars Daily Links: The Radulov Effect

I shouldn’t need to point out how great Alexander Radulov has been this year for the Dallas Stars. At 24 goals, 35 assists, 59 points in just 66 games, Radulov ranks second on the team in points, and is just three away from tying his personal best in a season.

But perhaps even more meaningful than his on-ice production is the positive impact he’s made on his teammates since arriving in Dallas, both rookies and veterans alike:

“He’s insightful, he knows the game so well, he’s happy to break it down for everybody,” Dickinson told The Athletic. “He sits there and he’ll talk to me between periods, and say ‘Hey, I saw you do this, try that.’ He just sees the game so well, it’s so easy to talk to him about how to play and how to see the game his way.”

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“There are definitely times you need to put some earplugs in in-game,” Seguin said with a laugh. “He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t really take any time off, he’s a little Energizer Bunny, I think he’s a contagious character not only in the room but the way he plays, it makes you want to be competing and get on his level.

It even extends beyond his immediate teammates as Jim Nill has pointed out that Radulov even keeps up with fellow Russian Denis Gurianov, who has been with the Texas Stars the entire season:

“Even just talking to him now, he asked me how Gurianov is doing, he keeps in touch with Gurianov, always asks how he’s doing. He’ll call Gurianov and say, ‘Hey I’ve watched a game of yours, you need to do this,’ that’s a pretty special trait, having a guy who cares about everyone like that.”

It’s a long read and beyond a paywall, but I highly recommend you read the rest of Sean Shapiro’s piece on the Rad Russian here.

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About Last Night...

So hey, the Stars didn’t win. At least they got a point and it was a loss to an Eastern Conference team?

Tyler Seguin was on fire last night, scoring both of the Stars’ goals against the Ottawa Senators:

Unfortunately, Ben Bishop had to exit the game early due to an injury that seems to have occurred right here:

Here are your injury updates as the Stars prepare to take on the Nashville Predators tomorrow:

Mark Stepneski also has you covered with the postgame quotes: [Between the Blue Lines]

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Central Census

Believe it or not, there actually wasn’t another Central team that played last night. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to talk about concerning our divisional rivals:

For starters, the St. Louis Blues’ nightmarish slide continues to get worse:

Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators are getting better, with Eeli Tolvanen set to join the club when his season in the KHL is over. Just what should you expect from the Finnish rookie? [Yahoo Sports]

Patrik Laine has been nothing short of fantastic in the NHL, though I admit I’m not a fan of the beard:

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Around the League

Connor McDavid and his family got heckled the other day by some Edmonton fans while they were out for dinner, because apparently blaming the only good part about your favorite team is what you do when they struggle. [TSN]

Down Goes Brown named Jamie Benn’s stick snapping the informal “celebration of the week” in his Weekend Wrap: [Sportsnet]

Speaking of Stars shoutouts, how about this one?

John Klingberg is apparently one of the many defensemen chasing Victor Hedman for this year’s Norris trophy. I’m pretty sure Jared Clinton flipped the names there. [The Hockey News]

Apparently everyone is getting injured around now, not just Stars players:

Finally, you may believe the novelty has worn off, but don’t expect to see less outdoor games in the future: