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Dallas Stars Daily Links: The Stars Focus On Improving Their Forecheck

As Matthew DeFranks points out, the best NHL teams already excel at this. Plus, the Blackout is back, another Blackhawks-related resignation, and more.

The Dallas Stars will suit up tonight for their third game this week. Between a humiliating loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday and that overtime loss on Wednesday, we seem to be witnessing a change for the better. And that change, in a word, is forechecking.

The Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks examines how head coach Rick Bowness is working to do what the NHL’s elite teams have already done – build on a system of aggressive play in the opposition’s end:

They were a dangerous team in the offensive zone instead of a group hemmed into their own defensive zone. They denied Vegas zone exits and layered waves of an attack directed toward the Golden Knights’ net. For Stars coach Rick Bowness, it was the closest thing he’s seen this season to “Dallas Stars hockey,” save for the ending....

“If I’m coming through the four of you guys with the puck, what am I going to do with it?” Bowness said. “Try to stickhandle through four of you or put it behind you and go get it? That’s the pros and cons. Tampa Bay wins the Stanley Cup because they forecheck well. Carolina is one of the best teams because they forecheck well.”

The Stars may have given away the game to the Vegas Golden Knights, but the way they played for most of three periods showed how future wins will happen, writes DeFranks:

When the Stars’ forecheck is going well, nights like Wednesday happen.... It forces the opposition into turnovers in their own end, and creates scoring chances....

Bowness said the Stars created 20 scoring chances against the Golden Knights (a number tabulated by goaltending coach Jeff Reese), the most this season for Dallas.

Matt has more. [SportsDayDFW]

Stars Stuff

It’s on like Tron. (No, really. They’re wearing the Blackout jerseys tonight.)

And because this is the Stars’ Halloween game, there’s even more fun to be had if you’re watching in person.

Around The Leagues

#Death Notes

  • Speaking of teams that are paying the price for poor decisions, the Arizona Coyotes lost their seventh in a row – this time to the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-1. [Five For Howling]
  • The Colorado Avalanche handed the St. Louis Blues their first loss of the season in a testy penalty fest with a 4-3 result. [Mile High Hockey]
  • Cam Talbot took his own first loss of the season as the Minnesota Wild dropped one to the Seattle Kraken, 4-1. [Hockey Wilderness]
  • And the not-yet-GM-less Winnipeg Jets stumbled their way to a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. [Arctic Ice Hockey]/

Poor Jordan Binnington. It seems that not even impending marriage can save him from being ten pounds of dirt in a five-pound bag.

Wait, what?

There may be a theme here, and Ken Campbell may have found it.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks fallout continues: Joel Quenneville has resigned as head coach of the Florida Panthers.

That was last night. Breaking the internet this morning...

As Kevin Cheveldayoff awaits his turn, here’s a reminder that Akim Aliu was targeted for racist abuse while playing for not one, but two teams Cheveldayoff supervised.

I think the short answer is that they get severance pay if they’re fired, but not if they resign – but Saad says what most of us are thinking.

“That’s what kind of is crazy to me, that one man couldn’t stand up and say, ‘You know what, no way. We have to get this straightened out, right now.’”

On a much more upbeat note, you’re not the only one who’s getting a kick out of watching Alex Ovechkin chase another scoring record.

The trading card market is one sports-adjacent industry that got an unexpected boost from the pandemic. Sean Shapiro takes a look at Upper Deck’s new NHL contract.

Greetings From Scenic Cedar Park

From Ty Dellandrea’s first goal of the year to Oskar Bäck’s empty-netter, the Texas Stars put it all together to defeat Rockford last night.

Stephen Meserve is not wrong, you know.

The three stars of the game may also be relevant to your interests.

Finally

Hang in there, fans – it’s Friday. Enjoy.

Editor’s Note: Insensitive comments regarding the sexual assault Kyle Beach experienced will not be tolerated here. Please be kind when posting about this sensitive issue. You never know what someone may be going through today.

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