Many Dallas Stars fans would argue that it doesn’t matter who you put with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin on the team’s top line; they’re going to score regardless. So Matthew DeFranks decided to put this theory to the test and compared several lines containing the magical duo, and it turns out there’s some truth to it after all:
No matter who the third player on the line was, all seven trios had positive possession numbers, whether you choose to evaluate via percent of shot attempts or percent of shots on goal or percent of scoring chances. When Benn and Seguin are on the ice, the Stars drove play.
Alexander Radulov seems to have great chemistry with the pair, and they have certainly lit up the scoreboard when together, but Benn and Seguin’s ability to produce with pretty much anyone on the right wing opens up a lot of options for the Stars:
It all could also depend on how Montgomery wants his top line to play. If he wants a big physical line with an occasional scorer, Nichushkin or Ritchie could make sense. If he wants versatility, Janmark or Shore could be the guy. Or if he wants defense, Comeau was signed for that purpose.
You can read more over at DeFranks’ place here.
Stars Stories
Do you like hockey fights? Then do I have the article for you:
Fights can drive a team or send an effective message. But it’s important not to overdo them — and as the Stars saw last night, fighting someone in your own pay grade matters. @SaadYousuf126 talked to the Stars about the art of fighting and how they see ithttps://t.co/lL2pPHm8xk
— The Athletic (@TheAthleticDFW) October 17, 2018
While it may not make many fans happy, Mike Heika thinks the best solution for the Stars’ secondary scoring woes could be patience: [NHL]
Look on the bright side, everyone, at least the Texas Stars are having luck on the road!
That’s a wrap from Grand Rapids with the @UFCU final score #TEXvsGR
The #txstars return home for Friday night’s game against Iowa. pic.twitter.com/SbQgvjSNMT
— Texas Stars (@TexasStars) October 18, 2018
Here’s a recap of the come-from-behind victory, courtesy of an excellent third period: [100 Degree Hockey]
The game-winning goal was made by Denis Gurianov, which was his third of the season:
D E N I S#txstars pic.twitter.com/0wQqKKZr5v
— Tom Dorsa (@TomDorsa) October 18, 2018
The ESPN crew debated which player from the 2010 draft class they would chose to build a team around, with both Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg getting some love: [ESPN]
Central Census
Only one team from the Central Division played yesterday. The St. Louis Blues dropped a close 3-2 decision to the Montreal Canadiens. [Habs Eyes on the Prize]
Honestly the following tweet speaks for itself:
Jets’ head coach Paul Maurice comments on his team’s slow start. pic.twitter.com/jPYsHMk0Sh
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 17, 2018
Good news for the Chicago Blackhawks (and bad news for everyone else): Corey Crawford is expected to make his return today. [Sportsnet]
You know the drill:
Around the League
Taylor Hall gets all the buzz in New Jersey, but Kyle Palmieri is starting to steal a bit of the spotlight: [NBC Sports]
Are you daydreaming about an offer sheet or trade for William Nylander? Well apparently everyone at the Athletic decided to write about him recently:
William Nylander met with Kyle Dubas but his holdout goes on.@mirtle on why a bridge deal may be the solution: https://t.co/3pPGiN7Rvl@PierreVLeBrun on trade options: https://t.co/eD1noTAV9Y@KatieJStrang on the anatomy of a contract stalemate: https://t.co/k8I8XQ5na0
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) October 17, 2018
Every day seems to bring about a newly broken record in the NHL, but are these “records” even worth talking about? [The Hockey News]
Man, the Ottawa Senators just can’t catch a break:
#Sens rookie Brady Tkachuk is expected to miss “about a month” after sustaining a torn ligament in his leg during Monday’s win over the Dallas Stars.
READ: https://t.co/VQT62yF54q pic.twitter.com/7LY6TJabZE
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) October 17, 2018
When Brady Tkachuk’s injury derails Ottawa’s surprisingly good start and they end up winning the draft lottery for the Colorado Avalanche, I’m going to blame it on Blake Comeau:
Brady Tkachuk goes for a hit on Comeau and looks to go somewhat awkwardly into the boards. Tkachuk hobbles off but stays on the Senators bench. pic.twitter.com/DOJTKtvrQM
— Dylan Nadwodny (@dnadders) October 15, 2018
Down Goes Brown looks back at times star goaltenders allowed eight or more goals in a game, including a look at Ex-Star Eddie Belfour: [The Athletic]
Finally…
Usually you’d expect an athlete who could be considered the best in the world at their sport to tell people that they are. Not the case with Sidney Crosby…
Sidney Crosby has spoken: He says
the best player in the NHL is Connor McDavid. “It’s an easy pick,” he told @Zeisberger https://t.co/OxClREhArw— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) October 17, 2018