The Dallas Stars are on the cusp of punching their ticket to the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. And while Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin have been getting much of the well-deserved credit for the Stars’ success this season, another player has helped lead the way throughout the final stretch: Alexander Radulov.
Since missing a game as a healthy scratch March 5 for being late to a meeting, Radulov has 10 goals and five assists for 15 points in 13 games. He also has 48 shots on goal in that span.
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It’s true that they still are struggling with converting those chances, but that’s where Radulov comes in. As much as he’s seen as a “play-making winger,” he definitely can score goals.
But point totals aren’t the only thing Radulov has been bringing to the table. The Russian veteran has a certain energy and intensity to him that helps fire up his teammates:
“Rads has been playing great hockey for the last three weeks now,” [head coach Jim] Montgomery said. “You can tell just by the way he’s talking on the bench, he wants to make the playoffs. And you’re seeing that permeate throughout our team.”
You can read more from Mike Heika here.
Stars Stories
It’s game day tomorrow! The Stars take on the Philadelphia Flyers, with heavy playoff implications on the line:
The Coyotes blank the Wild, 4-0, and our magic number remains at one.
The Stars control their own fate and can clinch a playoff spot with a point Tuesday vs. the Flyers at AAC. #GoStars
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) March 31, 2019
The Stars lost to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, but sometimes a tough loss can be a good thing:
Here’s me saying the Stars need games like this to get ready for the playoffs:https://t.co/c8Lv6WzfoE
— Mike Heika (@MikeHeika) March 31, 2019
Head coach Jim Montgomery personally sees a lot to be excited about when it comes to the Stars:
“We’ve got a team that believes right now and it’s fun to watch.”
Monty likes how the Stars battled back last night to get a good point to wrap up a great road trip. pic.twitter.com/AUC5aDIeKp
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) March 31, 2019
Around the League
Terrible news for women’s hockey, as the CWHL is folding due to financial issues:
The Board of Directors of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) has made the decision to discontinue operations effective May 1, 2019. Please refer to press release at the https://t.co/iy7b1CjE0v for more information. pic.twitter.com/SxzctlWusB
— CWHL (@TheCWHL) March 31, 2019
Here’s Emily Kaplan on what this news means for women’s hockey going forward:
News story on the CWHL folding in May, and what the shocking news means for professional women’s hockey https://t.co/CXSjffsLjk
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) March 31, 2019
Back in the NHL, the biggest news yesterday was that the Calgary Flames secured the top seed in the Western Conference:
Calgary Flames (5) @ San Jose Sharks (3): WESTERN CONFERENCE & PACIFIC DIVISION CHAMPS!!!!!!! https://t.co/wsjE4dg5Zy
— z – Matchsticks & Gasoline (@MatchsticksCGY) April 1, 2019
By the end of the week, we’ll know who is playing who in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But does it have to be that way?
Should NHL playoff teams pick their opponents? One league tried it, with interesting results. That plus NHL players get job training, The Week In Gritty, weird Jersey Fouls and more! https://t.co/osztu98hPh
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) March 29, 2019
Let’s all just take a moment to appreciate how freakishly good Alex Ovechkin is at hockey:
“(He’s) probably the best goal scorer of our time and maybe of all-time. It’s a huge privilege to watch what he does.” Alex Ovechkin hit the 50-goal plateau for an eighth time, and he’s showing no signs of slowing, writes @THNKenCampbellhttps://t.co/pXfy05aYyw
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) March 31, 2019
Finally…
Congratulations to Dallas Stars prospect Jake Oettinger, who kicked off his professional career with a win in his first career start:
3 straight wins for the #txstars as Brad McClure scores his first career hat trick to take a 4-1 victory against Iowa. Jake Oettinger also takes the win in his first pro start with 23 saves #TEXvsIA
Read: https://t.co/IILndMV7nK pic.twitter.com/FL5dLONB2v
— Texas Stars (@TexasStars) March 31, 2019