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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Better Now than Later

The vibes are not immaculate.

Posted on by Harlan Bowling
Apr 10, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Winnipeg Jets center Morgan Barron (36) skates off the ice after scoring a goal against Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) during the second period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

For the first 15 minutes of last night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, I was pretty positive about the Stars’ response to the debacle that was Tuesday. The boys in Victory Green were getting some decent looks at Connor Hellebuyck, there were some hits, and some all around feistiness that I hadn’t really seen in the last few games weeks.

Then Nino Niederreiter scored what looked to me in the stands like an incredible redirection goal – and the wind just came out of everyone in the arena’s sails, including the men on the ice. They battled a bit longer, but it just came off the rails eventually. Two sloppy puck handles at the beginning of the third period, on the power play no less, and my head was officially in my hands with an audible “oh no.”

It’s interesting, because outside of the last minute of the Vancouver game, and the last period of last night’s game against Winnipeg, I actually felt like I saw some progress from some of the other bad results we’ve seen lately. (And even some wins!) Matt Duchene agrees:

“We’ve struggled with them all year. They’re the best defensive team in the League. Their record is where it’s at because of that,” Dallas forward Matt Duchene said. “I thought we did a lot of good things. Our work ethic was good, some traffic shots, but they were one and done a little too much. Breakdowns that ended up in our net. It’s not like they were dominating us all night. I don’t think it was a 4-0 type game by any means. It felt like a 2-1 either side. I think the last two games [here] are steps in the right direction of where we want to get to, as funny as that sounds.”

I’m not sure what this team is going to be when the playoffs roll around, but they’re definitely going to have to find another gear.

“Tyler Seguin said it to our group, we went 10-2 down the stretch last year and proceeded to lose two home games to Vegas in the first round, so that tells you how important [the end of the regular season] is,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “We’ve got to keep building here. There are some periods here that are, for me, winning-type hockey come playoff time in a week. We’ve got to take those and build on them. The things that don’t help you win in the playoffs, like some of the plays we’ve made in the third, we’ve got to eliminate.”

Check out the rest from our very own Taylor Baird’s recap here.

Dallas Stars Stuff

Not that I want to see guys spend a ton of time in the box for fighting, but I don’t NOT want to see this feistiness.

And some from the coach’s presser.

Elsewhere in the Central

Outside of that “must win game” for the Stars at the top, the rest of the division was busy last night.

  • The most important thing to come out of last night was the Canucks doing the Stars a solid and dropping the Avalanche in Colorado last night – securing home ice for the Stars in round one. [RECAP]
  • The Blackhawks got one over the Bruins last night in Boston, winning 5-2. [RECAP]
  • And the other interdivisional matchup had the Preds drop Utah HC in a shootout in Salt Lake City [RECAP]

Around the NHL

Cool moment for Flower.

This is still so very weird to see.

Greetings from Scenic Cedar Park and Beautiful Boise!

The playoff-bound Texas Stars are headed on their last road trip of the season.

The Steelheads lost their matchup to Kansas City, so I’m going to focus on the praise for the Captain instead!

Finally

Well. Better now than in a couple weeks!

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