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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Jim Nill Talks Top Players, Goaltending

Posted on by Melissa Flandreau

Ahead of tonight’s game against the Ducks, the Stars are 11-13-6, sitting in sixth place in the Central Division. General manager Jim Nill shared his thoughts on Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi, and what the team has to do going forward.

Nill has never wavered in support of the two netminders and sees them as the reason why the Stars are still hanging on in the Western Conference in an adversity filled 2016-17 campaign.

“The focus has always been kind of on our goalies and to be fair to them they’ve been really the ones that have kept us afloat here as we’ve kind of gone through this injury bug.,” Nill said. “Because of the way our team has been this year, we haven’t had the puck possession we used to have in the past and there have been a lot more chances against. …

Nill also pointed out the need for the team’s top players to carry a bigger load than they have so far this season.

“There has been some struggle (with our high-end players) there and once again I think it’s the league getting to know our team better,” Nill said. “We had a good season last year and teams know that and they’re playing a little bit different and I think a lot of our players have to change their games a little bit too.”

There’s more from Nill—including his thoughts on injuries and John Klingberg’s play—at the link. [Puck Daddy]

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Tonight, the Stars take on the Ducks at 7:30 p.m. at the AAC.

There’s a lot riding on the Stars’ upcoming homestand. [SportsDayDFW]

It’s not Kari Lehtonen or Antti Niemi’s fault, says Sean Shapiro.

What does it take to win in 3-on-3 overtime? Luck, for one, and the ability to control the inevitable chaos. [Fanrag Sports]

After undergoing ankle surgery, Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse will miss up to 12 weeks.[TSN]

Last night, the Penguins beat the Coyotes 7-0, and Sidney Crosby did this.

Meanwhile, in the Bruins’ 2-1 OT win over the Canadiens, Torey Krug and Andrew Shaw took it upon themselves to make sure the rivalry between the two teams was as strong as ever. [SB Nation]

This season, defenseman Dougie Hamilton is finally the player that Flames fans hoped he would be. [Sportsnet]

ICYMI, Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk is having himself a season.

It’s been a year since Mike Sullivan took over as the Penguins’ head coach, and once again, he’s helped the team emerge as Cup contenders. [The Hockey News]

The Panthers are gearing up for their Stars Wars night.

Word on the street is that both the Avalanche and Coyotes could be looking to shake up their rosters. [The Hockey News]

Sean McIndoe walks us back through the weekend and lets us know which teams—including the Blue Jackets—are poised for a Cup run. [Sportsnet]

Don’t forget to set your DVRs!

Antti Raanta may be hot right now, but for the Rangers, King Henrik is still the team’s top goaltender. [THN]

And speaking of goalies, NHL.com’s Dan O’Leary gives a shoutout to EBUGs—aka emergency backup goaltenders—everywhere. [NHL]

Predators forward Mike Fisher is the latest player to pen an article in The Players’ Tribune.

Should the NHL take a page out of the MLB’s book and incorporate a postseason play-in game? [ESPN]

And finally, don’t forget that next Saturday is the Stars’ alumni game.

Talking Points