Dallas Stars Daily Links: Twists and Turns
Rick Bowness was pulled from last night’s game after testing positive for COVID-19, but the team hopes it’s a false positive. Plus, Vancouver’s own COVID-19 struggles, Jack Campbell has found his footing, and more.
A bombshell dropped during last night’s Dallas Stars game when it was revealed that head coach Rick Bowness would not be returning to the game due to failing COVID-19 protocol.
However, in a post-game press conference, General Manager Jim Nill expressed his hope that the test is a false positive, similar to goaltender Anton Khudobin’s recent test:
“We’re very comfortable,” Nill said. “Rick has no symptoms at all. He’s been vaccinated... We think it’s a false positive, but protocol, once it is flagged, there are different levels with the PCR testing. There are different levels of the infection rate. He was a very low grade, but it’s still positive, and so out of safety concerns, he was pulled.”
Taking over for Bowness mid-game was assistant coach John Stevens. Credit to the Stars for adjusting well, though this was just the latest twist for the team in the past year and a half:
“It’s nothing new to us,” said [Jamie] Benn. “We dealt with it last year, we’re dealing with it again this year, and we’re just going to keep pushing forward.”
...
”If you were around in the bubble, you saw this team and what they were faced with and how they handled it. We didn’t make excuses. If something was going on that day, we dealt with it,” said Stevens.
You can read more from Mike Heika here.
Stars Stories
Here’s the full context of Jim Nill’s quotes last night:
🎥 Stars GM Jim Nill discusses Rick Bowness entering COVID protocol during the 2nd intermission.@ATT | #GoStars pic.twitter.com/dT0VfLAS7W
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) April 5, 2021
And here’s John Stevens:
🎥 John Stevens: "I think the group deserves a lot of credit. I think we put ourselves right back in the fight, and I think adversity is something we come to expect every day. We know how to deal with it."@ATT | #GoStars pic.twitter.com/jORp7SNsMi
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) April 5, 2021
Even without the COVID-19 drama, there’s a lot to unpack from this weekend’s series against the Carolina Hurricanes:
What. A. Weekend.
— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) April 5, 2021
Stars and Canes split the back-to-back. There was COVID-19 chaos on Sunday as Rick Bowness got pulled mid-game. @SaraCivian and I on the weekend set ($1/month sale!) 👇🏽https://t.co/NYYRwgWxwP
Around the League
Elsewhere in the Central Division...
- The Florida Panthers got a shutout of their own, defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0. [Litter Box Cats]
- Meanwhile the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings game had an even more lopsided score... with Detroit winning 5-1. [Winging it in Motown]/
Dallas isn’t the only team dealing with COVID-19 protocols — the Vancouver Canucks have had a massive outbreak, similar to that the Stars experienced during training camp:
"It’s definitely a scary situation and hopefully it doesn’t get any worse than what it is."
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 4, 2021
"Hockey is second."
The Canucks' COVID-19 situation has their peers in the North Division concerned.https://t.co/alG1C3puzE
Here’s an insightful piece regarding what it’s like to take over the coaching duties for a team... well, a team like the Buffalo Sabres.
Don Granato got his dream job at an inopportune time. Fixing the Sabres isn’t easy. Neither is cancer at 38 or a near-death hospital stay in 2019
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) April 5, 2021
"The one you don't know about is I was hit by a car when I was 5..so an 18-game losing streak—that’s nothing” https://t.co/MT9v9YbC0L
The trade deadline is one week away. For many players, their lives are about to flip upside down:
"It's like being at someone else's house, even when they tell you you've got full run of the place."
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 4, 2021
Getting traded isn't always a bad thing, but it’s certainly a challenging thing, and there’s a human element that's often overlooked.
(Via @jtbourne)https://t.co/jx3X1x0s6Y
Finally, here’s an in-depth piece on former Stars draft pick Jack Campbell that is well worth your time:
"I'm not gonna lie about my life ... It helps me appreciate how far I’ve come. And how much better I can still get.”
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) April 5, 2021
Jack Campbell is already beloved by his new Leafs teammates, most of whom don’t yet know exactly how long and hard his journey has been.https://t.co/ley70KbnAo