As the Stars continue to slog their way through their current slump, they have veterans like Jason Spezza and Patrick Sharp to rely on. Puck Daddy’s Josh Cooper explains the importance of having the pair in Big D.
In Spezza’s case, he’s been setting an example for his teammates since arriving in Dallas, and sees the similarities between himself and fellow center Tyler Seguin.
“There’s lots of similarities,” Spezza said. “We’re both offensive guys. It think it was a good change for him coming to Dallas. I think he got kind of a bad rap in Boston and he’s done great here. We’re both from Toronto. We see each other in the summer. I knew him a tiny bit beforehand. He probably watched me play growing up. There’s definitely parallels there.”
In Spezza, Seguin sees himself in several years, so when Spezza speaks about the life of an NHL player and the highs and the lows, Seguin listens. Spezza has 36 points in 47 games this year.
Although newer to life in Victory Green, Sharp brings invaluable experience to the table.
With the Stars, the 34-year-old Sharp is now ‘the guy’ with three Stanley Cups in locker room. He’s seen a lot of different situations during his time in the NHL and the Stars lean on him as a calming presence.
“You try to understand that it’s an 82-game grind,” Sharp said. “You want to get better as the season goes on. Make sure you’re playing your best hockey when it counts and get out of these little valleys as quickly as we can.”
For more on Spezza and Sharp, head on over to the link. [Puck Daddy]
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Up next, the Stars face the Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-less Oilers tonight at 7:30 p.m. [Stars Inside Edge]
Coming in first on Sportsnet’s list of the league’s top centers in none other than Tyler Seguin.
If the offence wasn’t enough the Stars also dominate the shot clock when Seguin is on the ice; his line has both finishing skills and strong puck possession. He’s also winning 56.5 per cent of his faceoffs.
Check out the rest of the competition at the link. [Sportsnet]
Mike Heika says “the leaks are everywhere” for the Stars as they start a three-game road trip before the All-Star break. [SportsDayDFW]
Over at the Toronto Sun, John Matisz debates the league’s top line. According to him, Chicago’s Artemi Panarin/Artem Anisimov/Patrick Kane combo takes the cake, but Dallas’ trio of Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin/Patrick Sharp factors into the discussion. [Toronto Sun]
Pierre LeBrun says both the Predators and Wild are in the hunt to add more offense. LeBrun also mentions that Jim Nill might make a move to improve the Stars’ blue line, but not to expect him to “give up the farm to get it done.” [ESPN]
Rookie goaltenders John Gibson and Connor Hellebuyck are setting the tone for other young, talented American goalies. [USA Today]
Brian McGrattan announced yesterday that he was fine about being leveled in an AHL game on Tuesday, but hockey might not be so lucky the next time a knockout hit comes around. [TSN]
#DrouinWatch took a dramatic turn last night.
Lightning announce Drouin has been suspended without pay for not showing up to the AHL game tonight
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) January 20, 2016
Evgeni Malkin talks locker room pranks, Sidney Crosby, and Sergei Gonchar’s role early in his NHL career. [Sportsnet]
From Blues defenseman Colton Parayko to Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov, five of this year’s biggest success stories. [The Hockey News]
The Hurricanes have placed Cam Ward on IR with a concussion. [ESPN]
Hockey Wilderness took a look at contending teams—including the Stars—to see how much it costs to win the Stanley Cup. [Hockey Wilderness]
After the Canucks posted this tweet linking to a column by former Canuck John Garrett…
Is there a conspiracy to treat Sedins like second-class citizens? Garrett column. FEATURE → https://t.co/rKnMp3qDVb pic.twitter.com/8XnclqOUh6
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) January 20, 2016
… CBS Sports’ Adam Gretz discussed the team’s decision to call out the NHL “in a weird way.” [CBS Sports]
Maybe the Phil Kessel experiment has gone quite as well as the Penguins hoped, but it would be crazing to trade Kessel already. Right? [Sports Illustrated]
The NWHL’s decision to pay its players is paying off. [Washington Post]
Flames president Brian Burke is pushing to expand the width of ice surfaces in the NHL by five feet. [TSN]
Which teams currently sitting on the playoffs bubble will make it into the postseason? According to The Hockey News, Coyotes fans shouldn’t get excited just yet. [THN]
And finally, one St. John’s hockey player is making the best out of the cold weather.
Making ice out of ice-cold weather: Hockey player builds igloo for fun. https://t.co/KJIEybJqYU pic.twitter.com/W4snkY9V5e
— St. Cloud Times (@sctimes) January 17, 2016