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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Making The Most Of Enforced Downtime

There’s a case to be made that the Dallas Stars can actually benefit from the current NHL work stoppage.

One reason is that it gives them a chance to shake off the six-game fail streak that dogged them before the COVID-19 stoppage. You were thinking it, and Stars senior staff writer Mike Heika has spelled it out in his latest post:

“We’ve been in the top 10 all year, and we’ve been in the top two or three defensively all year. The team is doing a lot of good things, and we can’t lose sight of that,” Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said.

”We were all thrilled with our month of February and we were challenging for first place in the conference, so we know what we can do. Let’s put it this way: We were all feeling better about our play than the record indicated.”

And it’s easy to see how extra rest could benefit the Stars’ most seasoned veterans, if and when they go into a Stanley Cup series:

Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry each have played 134 playoff games. Ben Bishop has 49 in net. Alexander Radulov has a wealth of international playoff experience.

”We have a good mix of young guys who can skate and veteran presence, and I think that can be a good combination in the playoffs,” said Stars general manager Jim Nill. “Veterans can be a calming influence and be able to handle the extreme situations that arise in the playoffs, and the players who are young might be ready to go more quickly. It’s an unknown for everybody, but I think we’re as well situated as anybody.”

There’s more at Mike’s place. [Dallas Stars]


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