Patrick Sharp may still be waiting to record his first official point with the Dallas Stars, but his presence on the team provides the group with a player who does “all the little things” and adds a dose of leadership in the room. ESPN’s Scott Burnside takes a look at how having Sharp on the team affects its dynamic.
The Stars don’t need Sharp to score 80 points. They have players who can do that. They need him to make plays when it matters most. They need him to speak up when players are looking to cut corners, because the easy path is not the path to a Cup.
And in Sharp, the Stars have a player who relishes the chance to lead this group to success.
The article also features an anecdote from Craig Ludwig about the Stars‘ 1999 Stanley Cup run, and how the arrivals of guys like Guy Carbonneau and Mike Keane helped shape the team.
Those players helped homegrown stars such as Mike Modano share the burden of leadership as the team became a Cup contender and finally a Cup champion in 1999.
Ludwig joked that when head coach Ken Hitchcock asked for a meeting of the team’s leadership group, they needed to hold it in the dressing room because there wasn’t room for all the players in Hitchcock’s office.
There’s more from Sharp, including thoughts on his own expectations and how his family is liking Dallas (so far, so good!), at the link. [ESPN]
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Happy Saturday, everyone! Tonight, the Stars play the Panthers in Florida at 6 p.m. Read all about the matchup with this handy preview.
To recap yesterday’s news: Curtis McKenzie was placed on IR, Radek Faksa was recalled, and Nikita Nesterov was suspended for two games.
From John Klingberg’s less-than-stellar game on Thursday to a possible injury for Travis Moen, check out all the updates from Friday’s practice. [DMN]
Also courtesy Mike Heika, a look at Lindy Ruff and how his handling of young prospects impacts the team. [DMN]
Devin Shore scored twice in the Texas Stars’ 7-3 win over the Chicago Wolves last night.
Shore enough: @devinshore gives the @TexasStars the lead late in the second period. #TEXvsCHIpic.twitter.com/6WaQPLMogz
— AHL (@TheAHL) October 17, 2015
Oilers coach Todd McLellan will be the bench boss for North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. [NHL]
How is 3-on-3 overtime affecting rosters? For starters, it’s making strong fourth lines more important than ever. [TSN]
Who does Teemu Selanne have winning the Calder? For once, someone’s not going with Connor McDavid.
What a year @NHL for rookies, exiting to follow this guys and who will win the rookie of the year, my pick is the Great Tie Domi’s son Max
— Teemu Sel8nne (@TeemuSel8nne) October 15, 2015
The Finnish Flash may be just a little biased, though.
Catch up on what’s happened this week in the world of hockey with Sean McIndoe’s NHL Grab Bag. [Grantland]
Plenty of records are in danger of being broken this season. Here’s which ones you should be keeping an eye one. [The Hockey News]
The verdict’s in on how much time Logan Couture will miss.
After suffering an injury in practice on Thursday, #SJSharks forward @Logancouture is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. http://t.co/mftCyuYwJ7
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 16, 2015
Speaking of injuries, Sportsnet takes a look at which teams are most likely to be making use of IR. [Sportsnet]
For your feel good story of the day, meet Mark Sertich, a 94-year-old who’s still hitting the ice. [CBS News]
And finally, Tyler Seguin and his mom enact their revenge on Cabbie.