After battling their way through a non-stop schedule, the Stars received a bit of a reprieve with days off yesterday and today. Mike Heika wrote about why the rest is especially welcome in Dallas.
This Stars team is built on speed and hustle. It’s also built on good decision-making. Stars coach Lindy Ruff knew in the summer he had to fix the leaky defense and poor goaltending from last season, but he didn’t want to fall into the shutdown mode that so many coaches embrace. He wanted to use the team’s skill to defend better, so his plan was smarter exits from the defensive zone using quick short passes, better puck possession in the neutral zone and offensive zone by limiting some of the risky plays, and forwards hustling back to help the defensemen in transition.
It’s a demanding system, but one the Stars ran to near perfection through the first half of the season.
Jason Spezza agreed that rest is exactly what the team needs after playing nine games in 15 days since Christmas.
“We need it, we need some time away and some time to rest,” Spezza said. “I think it’s a good time for us. We’ve lost some games here, we had a bad five-game set, we’re all not happy about how we’re playing. We need to get some practices in and just kind of get our game back.”
For more, head to the link. [SportsDayDFW]
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ICYMI yesterday, the Stars have reassigned Radek Faksa to the Texas Stars. [Stars]
Over at The Hockey News, 10 retired goaltenders took a crack at rating the netminders of today. That Carey Price guy is pretty good, huh?[THN]
The Stars and their top players feature heavily in Puck Daddy’s mid-season review (and also are predicted to give the Caps a run for their money for the Cup). [Puck Daddy]
The Canucks announced via a statement that they’re shopping forward Chris Higgins. [TSN]
It’s not just the amount of goals Alex Ovechkin has scored that’s impressive—it’s also how he’s gone about doing it. [CBS Sports]
Coyotes forward Anthony Duclair showed off just a little the other night.
The Stars may finally be able to take a breather, but the rest of the Central Division is still trucking along.
- In Evander Kane’s return to Winnipeg, the Sabres beat the Jets 4-2 thanks to a hat trick from Sam Reinhart. [NHL]
- The Blackhawks took down the Avalanche 6-3, giving Chicago its seventh straight win and putting the team just four points back of the Stars. [Chicago Sun-Times]
- The Devils downed the Wild 2-1 in what the Star Tribune’s Michael Russo called “one of the worst hockey games imaginable.” Maybe skip the highlights on this one. [Star Tribune]
Flyers rookie Shayne Gostisbehere has hit the ice ground running during his first season in Philly. [ESPN]
Don’t expect to find John Scott back at the All-Star game in 2017. Changes are coming to the voting process. [CBS Sports]
Which NHL teams need to make a move before the trade deadline? [USA Today]
The Oilers will be Connor McDavid-less until after the All-Star break. [NHL]
The Panthers just keep rolling right along.
.@FlaPanthers extended their franchise record with 12 consecutive wins overall and established a franchise record with 6 straight road wins.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 11, 2016
If you’re wondering what’s behind Florida’s winning streak, Jaromir Jagr can help explain.
Now the head coach for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, Dallas Eakins is still hoping to return to the NHL. [Toronto Star]
Jonathan Drouin has impressed since being assigned to the Syracuse Crunch. [Sportsnet]
Denna Laing released a statement on her injury at the Outdoor Women’s Classic, saying that she “would never take these moments back.” [Facebook]
And finally, Alexander Ovechkin scored goal No. 500 (and 501) in the Capitals‘ 7-1 win over the Senators last night. Here’s how he arrived at that milestone mark.