Dallas Stars Daily Links: Jim Montgomery Calls Out “Culture Of Mediocrity”

After a disenchanting loss to a dire St. Louis Blues team, every one of the Dallas Stars needs to take a look in the mirror, writes Sean Shapiro.

The Jim Lites Affair seems to have set the stage for even more public reappraisal. Head coach Jim Montgomery picked up the baton after Saturday night’s stinging defeat:

“It’s everybody,” Montgomery said. “Unfortunately, I’m very frustrated that I have not been able to gain consistency in our performance and I have not been able to change the culture of mediocrity.”

There it is.

That’s the truth about this organization. There are so many pieces that come together to make a whole, but when you boil it all down it’s a culture that has to change.

Shapiro writes that the team’s leadership group needs to step up:

Instead of a message from leaders to set the tone, there is more of a vibe that every man needs to step up and prove it themselves.

“It falls on the individuals,” Jason Spezza said. “It’s pro hockey; it’s not a rah-rah, get everybody going. You have to zone in on yourself. You have to create your own routines. You have to do what works best for you. And if it’s not working, you have to change something and make sure you’re ready to start. A little bit falls on the leadership group, but a lot falls on individuals.”

“It just comes down to individuals to get prepared for games,” John Klingberg said. “It comes down to us (as leaders), but we are all playing in the NHL and we’ve got to be ready when the puck is dropped. We can’t be babysitters in here and try to get other guys going; it has to be individual.”

There’s more under the paywall. [The Athletic DFW]

Stars Stuff

Where do the Stars go now – and how do they find a mix in which positive motivation outweighs negative? Mike Heika examines the case.

Cheer yourself up with a fun story about Stars prospect Stars prospect Ty Dellandrea and the performance that put him on the 2018 NHL Draft map.

Casino Night is over, but you can still help the Stars’ charities with your silent auction bids.

Around The League(s)

#Death Notes

• A Sebastian Aho hat trick sealed the Nashville Predators’ fate in a 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. [On The Forecheck]
• The Winnipeg Jets struggled early and often, but in the end they put together a winning effort against the Anaheim Ducks, 4-3. [Arctic Ice Hockey]

The Lites Affair may have become the Lites Precedent: Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray assures fans that he doesn’t intend to fire head coach Randy Carlyle after a record 11 losses.

Scoring legend Rick Nash, 34, will retire due to “unresolved issues/symptoms” from a concussion. What was the NHL’s stance on brain injuries, again...? [ESPN]

The women got it done for Team Canada. The U18 team defeated Team USA 3-2 to win its first World Juniors since 2014.

Finnish forward Kaapo Kakko is a rising junior star – but does he have what it takes to surpass American Jack Hughes as a consensus first overall in 2019?

Greetings From Scenic Cedar Park

The Texas Stars just keep winning. Joel L’Esperance racked up a brace of goals in the team’s 4-2 win over the Iowa Wild on Saturday.

Here are the postgame comments from head coach Derek Laxdal:

Finally

You can always count on Alexander Radulov to lift the general spirits. Enjoy.