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The Dallas Stars squared off against the Nashville Predators for the last time this season, and the result was a tad disappointing. But if you want to pout, go comment over at the recap. Here at Links, we’re just going to be happy that Dallas remembered how to score.
And what better way to celebrate that than to watch highlights? Here’s the first goal, involving Jason Spezza just doing his thing:
Smooth as butter. #GoStars pic.twitter.com/9W3UYERiKq
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 20, 2019
Apparently Esa Lindell got jealous, and decide to show off his own sniping skills:
An absolute laser from Lindell. #GoStars pic.twitter.com/DdQzt636TH
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 20, 2019
Finally, here’s Tyler Seguin’s go-ahead goal just half a minute later:
Nice set up by Hintz and Seguin does the rest. #GoStars pic.twitter.com/IZm4LMRvC3
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 20, 2019
Aaaaand that’s it. Nothing else noteworthy happened for the rest of the night. At least, not as far as I’m concerned.
Here’s head coach Jim Montgomery on the Stars’ loss:
The Stars were generating some good scoring chances tonight, but Monty says the team needs to get back to their defensive identity, not giving up a goal after scoring twice to take the lead. pic.twitter.com/Geoz5lYVB7
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 20, 2019
Looks like Roope Hintz is here to stay:
Jim Montgomery on Roope Hintz: "I don’t think you’ll be seeing him go down anymore. That’s my own personal opinion. I can’t see it, because he’s just playing like he not only belongs in the league, but that he’s an impact player right now."
— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) February 20, 2019
Central Census
The St. Louis Blues cannot be stopped. Last night, they extended their win streak to 11 games, a franchise record, with a 3-2 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. [St. Louis Gametime]
Quick, someone remind Jordan Binnington that Blues goaltenders are supposed to be bad:
Jordan Binnington put himself in rare company with his ninth consecutive victory Tuesday. #NHLStats #TORvsSTL pic.twitter.com/yyE5DrEjXo
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 20, 2019
Meanwhile the Minnesota Wild are, umm, not doing so hot lately. Last night was yet another low for them, as they suffered a 4-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. [Hockey Wilderness]
Here is your semi-regular snapshot of the division standings:
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Some key takeaways:
- The Blues have gone from worst in the league to having a six-point cushion for third in the Central.
- Furthermore, St. Louis is only six points back on Nashville for second with three games in hand. Win all three and they’re tied.
- Despite the recent sliding, the Stars and Wild each sit in a Wild Card spot.
- In the Pacific, the Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks also sit at 59 points, one point out of a playoff spot.
League Links
Elliotte Friedman has Dallas as a potential suitor for both Artemi Panarin and Mats Zuccarello in his latest 31 Thoughts:
31 Thoughts — https://t.co/C2Zo9dC3qB
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 19, 2019
While the Ottawa Senators still try to hammer out a Mark Stone extension before the deadline, it seems the ship has sailed on Matt Duchene:
Plan is to not risk injury therefore Duchene not expected to be in the lineup for the Sens on Thursday. May have played last game with Ottawa. https://t.co/xe6d3QDq9y
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) February 19, 2019
Many felt that the Columbus Blue Jackets were doing the same when they announced that Panarin would not play last night due to an illness. But, umm, this one seems legit:
“He's sick, he s--- his pants, he was puking...”#CBJ head coach John Tortorella explaining in graphic detail why Artemi Panarin is not playing tonight in Montreal.
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) February 20, 2019
So if you ever need a doctor’s note for work, Torts is your man.
WATCH: https://t.co/111n4H7Psi #TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/3I9p8bAzw5
Here’s a reminder that the league’s leading scorer, Nikita Kucherov, will be still be making only six figures next year:
Nikita Kucherov's eight-year, $76-million extension kicks in next season. And with the way he's performing, he already looks underpaid, writes @THNKenCampbellhttps://t.co/wjI99GfQ3m
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) February 20, 2019
When it comes to lopsided deadline deals, the Stars have been on both sides of the trade. Take a trip down memory lane, if you dare:
Who made the worst NHL trade deadline deal of all time? https://t.co/7mat43yeia
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) February 19, 2019
Finally...
I’m not sure how to put my thoughts about this into words, so I’ll just leave this here:
Ray Emery drowned in a mysterious accident last summer.@RobsonDan spoke to his family and friends to learn more about his life and found there was much more to Emery than we knew: https://t.co/7usqAC0OQd
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) February 20, 2019