Comments / New

Dallas Stars Daily Links: New (Pre)Season, Same Problems

Posted on by Melissa Flandreau

Twenty goals in five games, and an 0-5 power play effort on Tuesday night. The Stars haven’t exactly come out swinging this preseason, but is anything we’ve seen so far actually cause for concern? Mike Heika takes a look.

So if Lehtonen is having trouble with late game breakdowns and Niemi is kicking out long rebounds, then is this goaltending plan on shaky ground already?

In addition, the power play went 0-for-5 Tuesday and didn’t look good despite having top talent in the lineup. But Jason Spezza pointed out that he had been out for a couple of days of practice and Jamie Benn and Ales Hemsky each were playing for the first time in the preseason.

The Stars have issues right now, issues that could make you panic. They also have solutions, and the coaches and players want to stay calm and seek those solutions.

Staying calm may be easier said than done, but Jason Spezza, for one, doesn’t think it’s time to worry.

It’s easy to overreact during the preseason, but the Stars are saying they deserve one more week before fans bring up the problems of last year.

“Of course comparisons are going to be made, but I mean…it’s early,” Spezza said. “It’s preseason, and guys are working with new partners and new lines. I think this time of year, there are different factors in play.”

Catch the rest over at the link. [DMN]

—

There’s preseason action on tap for tonight., when the Stars take on Tampa Bay at 6:30 p.m.

Mark Stepneski has more on Mattias Janmark, who’s turning heads with an impressive preseason performance. Jason Spezza had this to say about the 22-year-old prospect:

“I didn’t know him coming into camp, but I saw him early in camp and I liked him,” said Stars center Jason Spezza, who played on a line with Janmark Tuesday night. “He’s got hockey sense. That’s the first thing for me that jumps out. He knows where to go; you can tell he has played pro.

There’s plenty of other fun info at the link. [Stars]

As the Texas Stars’ training camp continues, the team’s defensive pairings have started to take shape. [Wrong Side of the Red Line]

Ready for more season previews? ESPN’s take on the Stars sums up their prospects like this:

The Stars look like a playoff team on paper. It’s still not easy jumping anyone in the Central Division. They could push the Winnipeg Jets out of fourth place in the Central and squeeze into the playoffs. It’ll come down to goaltending for the Stars. Fifth in the Central Division.

Find out the reasons why at the link. [ESPN]

Maybe try watching the next Stars game on a treadmill so you don’t feel the ill-effects of sports sitting. [The Wall Street Journal]

The Islanders tried out a new goal horn. It did not go over well.

Of the 2015 first-round picks, nine remain at their respective team’s training camps. Who has a shot of starting the season in the NHL? [Sportsnet]

The second part of Sean McIndoe’s 2015-16 preview—this time, featuring “middle of the pact” teams—is now available for your perusal. [Grantland]

The Hockey News’s Dominik Luszczyszyn spent a chunk of time analyzing zone entries, and you can check out his conclusions. [The Hockey News]

Bad news for Oilers fans… Good thing they have that McDavid kid, I guess.

Commissioner Gary Bettman shares his thoughts on 3-on-3 overtime, the coach’s challenge, and more. [TSN]

If you’ve been wondering about Keith Yandle’s future in New York, or who’s going to step up in Buffalo, Dan Rosen has you covered. [NHL]

Can anyone beat out Connor McDavid for the Calder Trophy? [Sportsnet]

And finally, the Capitals took a bunch of pictures with puppies, and it is probably the best thing that will happen to you today.

Talking Points