Dallas Stars Daily Links: Benn Leading the Way for Dallas
The captain is stepping up in a big way this postseason for the Stars. Plus, Dallas takes on Nashville in Game 4 tonight, the Lightning and Penguins were swept yesterday, and more.
Throughout his tenure as captain of the Dallas Stars, Jamie Benn’s leadership ability has often been criticized by fans and the media alike. But inside the locker room, the Stars consider Benn as their unquestioned leader, someone who can motivate his teammates and help alter the course of a game.
For instance, the Stars were getting badly outshot by the Nashville Predators to start the first period on Monday. That started to change once Benn fired up both the Stars and the crowd with a hit on Calle Janrok:
“I think shots might have been 7-1 [for] Nashville and Jamie Benn runs over Jarnkrok in front of our bench,” Montgomery said. “Jamie Benn is clearly our leader and clearly the person that elevates our intensity and our will on the ice.”
Benn leads by example, and his example is a strong, physical game without sacrificing skill. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering he learned a lot from previous captain Brendan Morrow early in his NHL career:
“Probably the biggest thing [I learned] was how to compete,” Benn said. “It was fun to watch him and play alongside him and see how he goes about his business and watch him compete every day at practice and in games. Truly the ultimate competitor. There was probably nobody better I could learn from than Morrow.”
You can read more from Saad Yousuf here.
Stars Stories
Game 4 is tonight. Win and the Stars tie up the series. Lose and they face elimination on Saturday in Nashville:
Stars see crucial Game 4 as 'must-win situation' at homehttps://t.co/CMgPHOUZCZ
— Mark Stepneski (@StarsInsideEdge) April 17, 2019
Despite some controversy surrounding goaltender Ben Bishop’s performance on Monday, he’ll be back in net:
After shaky Game 3, Jim Montgomery explains why Stars are sticking with Ben Bishop in net over Anton Khudobin | @MDeFranks #GoStars https://t.co/2kdffWOmK1
— SportsDay Stars (@dmn_stars) April 16, 2019
Jason Spezza should also be in the lineup after a solid Game 3. The veteran forward started the playoffs as a healthy scratch, but has taken it in stride:
Why Jason Spezza's recent run of healthy scratches hasn't affected the Stars veteran's focus | @MDeFranks #GoStars https://t.co/NGrjxzKhMg
— SportsDay Stars (@dmn_stars) April 17, 2019
Around the League
It’s official. The Columbus Blue Jackets have swept the Tampa Bay Lightning after a 7-3 win:
JACKETS WIN!
— The Second Round Cannon (@cbjcannon) April 17, 2019
JACKETS WIN!#CBJ https://t.co/rLd3ce2tKs
A few minutes later, Columbus lent their broom to the New York Islanders, who finished their own sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins:
Islanders 3, Penguins 1: Never in Doubt #Isles https://t.co/yZq7Dcdnw4
— Dominik & LHHFriends (@LHHockey) April 17, 2019
It took overtime, but the Winnipeg Jets have now evened up their series against the St. Louis Blues with a 2-1 win:
The Winnipeg Jets have evened their first-round series at two games apiece.https://t.co/QKt2kW8lfd
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 17, 2019
Lastly, the Vegas Golden Knights demolished the San Jose Sharks 5-0 on their way to a 3-1 series lead:
VICT🍩RY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/zklK92rhP2
— x-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 17, 2019
Vegas is looking like they’ll cruise their way to the second round, in large part thanks to the deadline acquisition of Mark Stone:
Mark Stone has been the hottest player in the playoffs so far, and he's having a blast with his new linemates in Vegas, writes @StevenEllisTHN. https://t.co/omrwpwwaU6
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) April 16, 2019
Speaking of the Knights-Sharks series, something tells me Evander Kane and Ryan Reaves don’t like each other:
Evander Kane's full comments on Ryan Reaves fight, some highlights:
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 16, 2019
"He thinks it's the WWE. Probably going to end up there pretty soon."
"Nobody thinks of Ryan Reaves as a hockey player."
"To chirp Jumbo's vision. The guy has over 1,000 assists. That doesn't seem too bright." pic.twitter.com/JG5heW3zB4
In honor of the Lightning’s infamous implosion, here’s a list of other great regular season teams they’ve joined:
New post: A brief history of really good teams that didn’t win a single playoff game. https://t.co/9g3si3lrEw pic.twitter.com/9ttMQ88PY3
— Down Goes Brown (@DownGoesBrown) April 16, 2019
The next head coach of the Los Angeles Kings will be Todd McLellan, who is apparently contracted by the NHL to remain in the Pacific Division:
🚨 The LA Kings have agreed to terms on a multi-year contract for Todd McLellan to serve as the Kings new head coach 🚨https://t.co/dyNNKAasbk
— LA Kings (@LAKings) April 16, 2019
The World U18 Championship is underway. Here are some names you should keep an eye on:
Prospect Need to Know: @THNRyanKennedy has 10 crucial players to watch for at the world under-18s https://t.co/dJhg25FPxd
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) April 17, 2019
Finally...
Congratulations to John Klingberg for being nominated by the Stars for the King Clancy. Can’t think of a more worthy candidate this season:
We are proud to announce our nominee, John Klingberg, for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. He plays a vital role on and off the ice for the Dallas Stars by using the platform he is given to create change and happiness for the community. pic.twitter.com/vnLWWmAHfF
— Dallas Stars Fndn (@DS_Foundation) April 16, 2019