The Dallas Stars were terrible in last night’s loss to the Minnesota Wild. There’s no sugar coating it. Even the ever calm Miro Heiskanen couldn’t hide his frustration last night:
— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) November 19, 2021
Heiskanen didn’t have his best game individually, committing multiple penalties in the same game for the first time in his career. He was on the ice for the final two goals scored by Minnesota, though the game was already firmly decided by the time those went in…
Perhaps Heiskanen was just frustrated with his individual game in that moment… But that moment just drives home how much the losing is taking a toll. Even somebody as superhuman as Heiskanen is not immune.
But overshadowing such an ugly loss was Rick Bowness’s lineup decisions, specifically healthy scratching Riley Tufte after a two day build up to his first game played in his hometown:
…Tufte simply being from Minnesota doesn’t earn him a spot in the lineup for that game, but the last two games are what really earned him that spot… Had Tufte played, it’s hard to imagine the Stars would have lost any worse than 7-2, but at least he and his family would have had a moment to savor forever as they left the building. Instead, the evening was a dumpster fire for everybody with the Stars.
You can read more from Saad Yousuf here.
Stars Stories
Hear it all from the man himself:
‘I know we can compete with that team’ https://t.co/4juuMrapyP via @NHL
— Mike Heika (@MikeHeika) November 19, 2021
Some takeaways about the actual performance on ice:
Not the night we were hoping for.
📝: https://t.co/n1abpT5QeW@PNCBank | #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/jiERAb2SK3
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) November 19, 2021
David Castillo argues why it’s the coaches, not the players, who need to right this sinking ship:
(My latest: as always, many thanks and virtual beers to @mikelikessports for the primary assist) If the Stars Want More Offense, It’s the Coaches Who Must Adapt—Not the Players https://t.co/KJGEoHUBlQ via @DMagazine
— David Castillo (@DavidCastilloAC) November 18, 2021
Around the League
Presenting: tales from around the Central Division~
- The St. Louis Blues took care of business last night, beating the San Jose Sharks 4-1. [NHL]
- Meanwhile the Winnipeg Jets dropped a 2-1 shootout decision to the Edmonton Oilers. [Copper and Blue]
- Same thing for the Arizona Coyotes, who lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in the shootout. [The Cannon]/
Brandon Tanev is emerging as a fan favorite for the Seattle Kraken:
For my @SeattleKraken friends, my look at expansion cult heroes like Brandon Tanev, and why they’re so essential to growing the game. #NHL https://t.co/GzLnhF733R
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) November 19, 2021
The players liked series scheduling last year, which naturally meant the NHL opted not to try it again:
NHL players dug the series-style scheduling of the pandemic season and all the health benefits it afforded them.
So why did the league abandon it completely? And might they ever bring it back?
“All I know is, the guys liked it a lot more.”
My story: https://t.co/cQQtTqkgTH
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) November 19, 2021
From the other day — Elliotte Friedman talks about the Vancouver Canucks situation and more in his 32 Thoughts:
32 Thoughts blog: https://t.co/wr1jXSPqvg Podcast: https://t.co/Vs6srx7Ds6 Thank you @GMCcanada and to you, the audience
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 17, 2021
As bad as it is in Vancouver, just remember it can always be worse:
Breaking News: Firestorm in Omaha
Players threaten boycott, coaching staff resigns over alleged budget cuts and treatment by team president and ownership, writes @THNRyanKennedy: https://t.co/37Ww7GGi0L
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) November 18, 2021
The New York Islanders finally have a home again:
Inside the quirky joys of the @NYIslanders brand new hockey barn, @UBSArena, on the eve of opening night. https://t.co/N8QjuKFvhL
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) November 19, 2021
Finally, Down Goes Brown breaks down the first month of the season with his NHL All-Disappointment Team:
New post: Running down the NHL’s all-disappointment team through the season’s first month. https://t.co/aKPAlZ29Sm
— Down Goes Brown (@DownGoesBrown) November 18, 2021