:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65496283/usa_today_13523918.0.jpg)
On Wednesday, Corey Perry made his victory green debut when the Dallas Stars took on the Columbus Blue Jackets. The former Anaheim Ducks forward looked rather impressive for a player who hadn’t played a game in months, injecting some life into the Stars’ struggling offense:
He won’t take games over, but there will be the occasional pass to set up key goal-scoring opportunity like the one he almost teed Denis Gurianov up for in the first period.
“That’s kind of my game,” Perry said. “Create havoc in the offensive zone. It’s what I’ve done my whole career.”
Perry is obviously far past his peak, but the Stars’ aren’t expecting him to step in and be a top-tier player. The hope is that Perry boosts the team’s secondary scoring, while providing some of that invaluable experience teams always covet:
“He’s obviously going to bring some leadership to their group. Some experience that he’s had over the years. And he can still contribute,” [Ryan] Getzlaf told The Athletic’s Eric Stephens. “The biggest thing I think the reason they brought him in was his experience of knowing how to win. Those are things you can’t really teach.”
You can read more from Sean Shapiro here.
Central Census
It was, uhh, not a good night for the Central Division:
- The Minnesota Wild suffered yet another rough loss, getting shut out by the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. [Hockey Wilderness]
- Meanwhile the Nashville Predators also lost badly, getting thrashed 5-2 by the *checks notes* Arizona Coyotes. [On the Forecheck]
- The Winnipeg Jets at least kept it close, falling 3-1 to the New York Islanders. [Lighthouse Hockey]
- Finally, the St. Louis Blues looked like they’d snap the Vancouver Canucks’s winning streak, but blew a 3-1 lead and lost 4-3 in the shootout. [NHL]
He may not be one of the Jets’ top forwards, but the team is missing Bryan Little:
Bryan Little‘s absence due to a concussion has caused a major blow to the @NHLJets' lineup. (@snseanreynolds)https://t.co/bpt6OsthSG
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 17, 2019
League Links
This is the type of random trivia that I simply adore:
The Coyotes snapped an eight-year, 10-game losing streak in Winnipeg on Tuesday. Which other clubs with long-standing road droughts could put an end to them this season?@THNJaredClinton with more:https://t.co/L682QMKzXv
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) October 17, 2019
Love numbers? Dom Luszczyszyn breaks down some interesting stats from the first couple weeks of the season:
In this week's 16 Stats, @domluszczyszyn analyzes Buffalo's strong start and offers a mea culpa on Zack Kassian and Tyler Myers. https://t.co/vE1ZqiyC5j
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) October 17, 2019
Gotta admit, the Stars’ “new” slogan forced a chuckle:
Did you know that every NHL team has an official season slogan? My critique of them, and my suggestions for new ones, are the theme for this weeks ESPN Power Rankings! https://t.co/WHOUOl5HGU
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) October 17, 2019
Jack Hughes has had a rough start to his career, but that shouldn’t be a major concern:
Jack Hughes is off to a slow start in his rookie campaign. Concerned? Don't be. A number of first-overall picks have struggled early before becoming top-tier NHL stars.@StevenEllisTHN with more:https://t.co/q1JC7tbLub
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) October 17, 2019
This is, umm, rather early:
Teams do their homework months in advance of the trade deadline. So should we. A look at some potential trade candidates later in the season:
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) October 17, 2019
https://t.co/85ieYyoyYz
Finally...
I mean, it’s worth a shot:
Hey @DallasStars , I know a guy who’s FIRED UP and ready to get you guys OUT of that 1-7 FUNK you’re in. He’s 2-0 wearing Victory Green with a Highlight Game Winner!! ⭐️
— Scottie Upshall (@ScottieUpshall) October 17, 2019