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Dallas Stars Daily Links: The Stars Can Do Better in Net By Doing Better in Front of It

The Dallas Stars are making some adjustments in how their goalies play, and, as the saying goes, it’s a process. So are the changes they’re making to be more responsible before the puck reaches the net.

Mike Heika talked with players and coaches about the effort involved, and he found a team ready to work as hard as it takes to put all the pieces together:

To do that, the Stars have focused throughout training camp on team defense. They ran drills, they watched film, they experimented in games. Stars coach Lindy Ruff said that defensive focus was a huge part of the culture of practice, and he is seeing the results.

“There’s really been an emphasis on changing the way we play, and I think with every action, there is a little bit of a reaction,” Ruff said when asked if the team has struggled adapting. “We’re still working our way through that, but the structure of where our game has gone, I can tell you, is a lot better than it was at the start of [last] year.”

“According to our numbers, we were one of the better teams in the NHL in the second half of the season,” Ruff said. “So we know we can do it, we know we have that ability. Now it’s just a matter of doing it on a consistent basis.”

The approach has a key advocate in Tyler Seguin, who is drawing on his World Championships experience to make his game even better:

Seguin helped Canada win a gold medal at the World Championships last summer and played a role as a checking winger. He said the experience was educational.

“I loved it,” he said. “You knew that you had to take a different role on that team, but you also saw how important that role was.”

Read the whole article at Heika’s blog. [SportsDayDFW]

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Because Mike Heika is a busy guy this time of year, he also answered your Stars questions online yesterday. Here’s an appetizer. [SportsDayDFW]

Question: Does the organization believe Kari’s struggles are all mental?

Heika: No, in fact they believe a lot of the problem in preseason was because he has been working on some physical changes with new goalie coach Jeff Reese. I plan on asking him about those changes tomorrow.

And because Razor is Razor, he has plenty of opinions on the Stars’ preseason in general and its goalie-ing in particular – as well as an interesting anecdote involving a guy who wasn’t always called “Jesus Price.” [Razor With an Edge]

The Dallas Morning News says Heika’s next hockey chat is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. Central time. Send him your questions now. [SportsDayDFW]

This TSN video is geo-locked, as per usual, but if you’re a Canadian fan or play one on the internet, enjoy.

Even if you know this entire list of Jamie Benn fun facts, you should still visit this article just to see the photos. [The Hockey Writers]

It’s hockey season AND back-to-school season, and when the two collide, you get feels like these.

For the first time, Canadian goaltenders are a minority in the NHL, and James Mirtle visited Sweden to find out why. [TSN]

The Chicago Blackhawks picked up their 2015 Stanley Cup rings on Sunday, and, well, they’re pretty incredible. I bet Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya are taking appointments to look at these right now. [The Hockey News]

Also at THN: Jared Clinton examines the Hurricanes‘ goaltending issues, and what the Eddie Lack extension could mean for Cam Ward. [THN]

Don’t engrave that Calder Trophy just yet, because Frank Seravalli is here to tell you why Jack Eichel will win it. [TSN]

One word: #JagrMullet. Go forth and spread the news. [Miami Herald]

Meanwhile, on the other coast, Raffi Torres has really stepped in it now. Yes, that’s a 4, and a 1, as in “more than 40,” and the NHL’s Department of Player Safety will be more than happy to elaborate.

Mark Spector says what you were probably thinking here. [SportsNet]

Meanwhile, Zack Kassian has been placed in Stage Two of the NHL and NHL Players’ Association’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program after a car accident in which the Montreal Canadiens forward broke his nose and left foot. [NHL]

The Texas Stars finished their preseason with a 5-4 OT victory over the San Antonio Rampage. Julius Honka finished the job with 1.9 seconds left. [100 Degree Hockey]

Finally: It’s time for more Puck Personalities, and in this video – only slightly inspired by Jimmy Kimmel – the NHL’s best read some…actually kind of nice tweets about themselves. And oh dear goodness, that Tyler Seguin. Again!

Talking Points