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Dallas Stars Daily Links: John Klingberg Is Ready to Take His Place As a Team Leader

His 2017 Worlds performance offers proof, says Heika. Plus, the Preds’ historic playoffs run, and their new meme king, Viktor Arvidsson.

John Klingberg is considered a Dallas Stars franchise player, and at the 2017 IIHF World Championships, he reminded us why.

Klingberg led all defensemen on the gold medal-winning Team Sweden with six points (two goals, four assists) in 10 games, averaging 19:33 in ice time. He also showed that he’s ready to lead the Stars’ defense, writes Mike Heika of The Dallas Morning News:

Klingberg said when he left Dallas that the season had been a huge disappointment.

"We had a really terrible start to the season. I was trying to do too much, I was trying to chase it," Klingberg said. "But I think you can learn about yourself and learn about each other. There have been some positives. You have to fail before you can find success."

With Julius Honka, Antoine Roussel and Valeri Nichushkin also enjoying good-to-great runs during the Worlds, it’s a good way to go into the long summer months:

Although the Stars don't return to camp until September, the momentum from a good tournament can carry over.

"It can really help you," Klingberg said. "You are playing against really good players."

There’s more, including stat lines on Stars’ performances. [SportsDayDFW]

As the Stars’ representative at the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery Rich Peverley obviously – obviously – wielded his Raptor Jesus powers to win the team a top three pick. Sean Shapiro writes about how he’s helping Stars prospects become their best selves.

The Stars shared some photos from the WHL Combine held in Farmers Branch over the weekend.

Last night, in Conference Finals History:

  • Colton Sissons netted a hat trick, but Pekka Rinne was the Nashville Predators’ best player with 38 stops on 41 shots in a 6-3 victory and a Campbell Bowl win over the Anaheim Ducks. [On the Forecheck]/

Yellow Fever is running wild in Music City as the Preds win the first conference final in team history. Nicholas Cotsonika offers a look at how the Predators’ Cup run has galvanized the community. [NHL]

For Stars fans, this is probably the good part. (Enjoy it, Vernon Fiddler.)

As benighted superstitions go, where do you rank the one about not touching the trophy lest you jinx your team to Stanley Cup futility? Bobby Misey has done the sums, and he calls shenanigans.

What about the idea that league parity is a good thing? Ryan Lambert says it’s made weaker teams too competitive and longs for the days of “incredibly fun super-teams that run riot over the entire NHL.”

The Preds confirm that Ryan Johansen had his season-ending surgery for acute compartment syndrome, in which bleeding or swelling causes excessive pressure to build up inside a muscle.

As the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators prepare for their next confrontation, Jared Clinton looks at how teams have rallied after blowout losses during these playoffs. [The Hockey News]

Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Strome set a new points record in last night’s Erie Otters 12-5 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs in the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup.

Finally: Viktor Arvidsson became a viral meme after a bloody hit from Nick Ritchie left him with an eerily logo-like red “R” on his forehead. Let’s see what the Series of Tubes came up with. Enjoy.

The last word on the subject:

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