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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Rick Bowness Ups His Game

Posted on by Kathleen Tibbetts

After 2,400 game, Rick Bowness is still figuring out how to head coach.

The Stars’ interim bench boss has taken on a number of new challenges in the past week. And not the least of them has been stepping outside his own comfort zone as a defensive coach, reports Stars senior staff writer Mike Heika:

…[W]hen the 64-year-old was elevated to Stars interim coach last week, he said he would take over the deployment of the forwards and added a slight caveat.

”I told the forwards, ‘Man, I haven’t run the bench in like 16 years, so let’s try to be a little patient out there.’” Bowness said with a chuckle. “We’ll figure it out as we go along.”

But his core philosophy – keeping every player involved in the game – seems to be serving the team well:

“A big part of being a good team is that everybody has to feel like they’re contributing,” he said. “If one guy is playing 22 and another is playing eight, that guy playing eight minutes doesn’t feel that important. But if they’re all in 13 to 18 range in terms of the forwards, then everyone knows they are a big part of the team.”

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

Stars Stuff

In case you wanted to relive Saturday’s Winter Classic preview again….

It’s nine days and two more home games before Christmas, which means Stars fans have more chances to help Ben and Blake make the holidays brighter for sick kids.

Meanwhile, Anton Khudobin’s lid-free badassery during Saturday’s victory is inspiring memes, or just plain inspiring, depending on your POV.

Around The League(s)

#Murder Was The Case

  • The Winnipeg Jets took an early lead and never looked back in a 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. [Broad Street Hockey]
  • And the Chicago Blackhawks, led by a Patrick Kane hat trick, broke a four-game losing streak with a 5-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. [Second City Hockey]/

It was a tough weekend for the Flyers and their fans: Forward Oskar Lindbom has been diagnosed with a rare bone cancer and will miss the rest of the season.

Fellow Swede John Klingberg shared a brief and to-the-point message of support.

These guys. Again.

Slava Malamud breaks down the official response:

Akim Aliu is using his recent media exposure to encourage more minority kids to play hockey.

The USA vs. Canada women’s hockey rivalry is as brutal as any #MurderDeathKill Division grudge fest.

Finally

So many memories…and this thread brings a whole lot of them. Enjoy.

Talking Points