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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Stars Lose to Blackhawks and Hate It As Much As You Did

Jamie Benn seethes after the Stars were "embarrassed" in their own house. Plus, Sidney Crosby is turning his season around, and the St. Louis Blues are snaring a 2017 Stadium Series game.

Last night the Chicago Blackhawks and their bandwagon fans were all over American Airlines Center like ugly on an ape, and that's what the Dallas Stars' 5-1 loss looked and felt like, too.

The Hawks took revenge for the 4-0 shutout the Stars fed them earlier this season by running Our Gang ragged for 60 minutes. Captain Jamie Benn summed up the evening with his usual candor:

"They came to play," Stars captain Jamie Benn said. "They were ready to go and embarrassed us in front of our fans and in our own building."

Head coach Lindy Ruff provided the details:

"Special teams didn't help us, and it started the first shift of the game," Ruff said. "But they were the better executing team. You're not going to beat that team managing the puck like that. We basically gave them four of their goals."

Dallas was credited with 14 giveaways and looked like the team that struggled in January -- and last season -- with risk management.

"We didn't opt for our first opportunity with the puck tonight," Ruff said. "We looked for a better play, and it wasn't very good."

And co-captain Vernon Fiddler weighed in on the team's failure to launch:

"It was a huge game," said forward Vernon Fiddler. "We talked about it before the game, what it means, and then we lay an egg. It's unacceptable. There's a lot of disappointed guys in here."

And in the arena.

"After a big loss like that, you want to respond," Fiddler said of games next week at Minnesota and Chicago. "We all have to be better and take a look in the mirror and expect more of ourselves."

You can read the rest of the story at Mike Heika's blog. [SportsDayDFW]

*****

Here are last night's highlights, if you can call them that, from NHL.com's Sam Kasan. [NHL]

And there are more quotes from players and coaches at The Dallas Morning News. [SportsDayDFW]

Razor offers the unholiest stat of the evening.

Meanwhile, Heika caught up with forward Mattias Janmark about his rookie season so far. [SportsDayDFW]

Defender Dustin Byfuglien is one of the hottest trade targets in the NHL right now, but Jets GM Kevin Chevaldayoff is hoping to disappoint the growing list of would-be suitors – potentially to the tune of five years and $35 million. [TSN]

Last night in the Octagon:

Patrick Roy lost a coach's challenge during last night's Avalanche-Jets game. That went about as well as you might expect.

But the Avs are all about the mile-high solidarity as the Denver Broncos prepare for Super Bowl 50. [NHL]

The Penguins' Sidney Crosby is trying to make up for a dismal first half of the season by going on an almighty tear in the second.

The Detroit Red Wings are trying to right their own ship, halting a five-game skid and winning their first home game of 2016 against the New York Islanders.

Damien Cox and Elliotte Friedman talk about the Dennis Wideman appeal hearing, the impending likelihood of streamlined goalie equipment and Toronto's bid to host the 2017 Winter Classic. [Sportsnet]

Meanwhile, the Blues are in advanced discussions to host a 2017 outdoor game – possibly even the Winter Classic – just in time to celebrate the NHL's 100th anniversary and their own 50th as an Original Expansion team. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

Can a fast finish by Connor McDavid bring him back into the Calder Trophy race? The Sports Illustrated roundtable weighs in on this, plus who won the Evander Kane trade and more.

Kerry Fraser gives an informative and copiously illustrated breakdown of the goalie interference ruling that called back a Marian Hossa goal in Thursday night's Blackhawks-Coyotes game [TSN]

Reminder: The Texas Stars had a beautiful Saturday, in case you missed it. Brett Ritchie scored his 50th AHL goal while captain Travis Morin finished with a two-point night as the T-Stars beat the San Antonio Rampage 4-3.

The head equipment manager of the Allen Americans was so happy about the team's Star Wars Night jerseys that he made a music video.

The Los Angeles Kings' Milan Lucic autographed a toaster oven yesterday. I'm leaving this here because it'll probably be a long time before you see another hockey player sign a small appliance.

On a similar note, this may also be the only time you ever see a member of Genesis in a North Stars Sweater, so Like it as fast as ever you can.

Finally: Someone's seen the Tyler Seguin Donut Goal Tracker and has made a cupcake version for Tyler Toffoli.

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