When you think of the Dallas Stars’ blue line, you probably don’t think about third-pairing defenseman Taylor Fedun. That’s a shame, because Fedun is shaping up to be one of the unsung heroes of this Dallas team:
“I think he leads our defenseman in assists. That says a lot,” [Jim] Montgomery said. “He doesn’t play power play, and he plays about 14, 15 minutes a night. He’s an extremely intelligent hockey player and an extremely competitive individual… He’s exceeding expectations.”
His five points rank second out of the team’s defensemen behind only Miro Heiskanen, but that’s not the only way he’s contributing. He’s been one of the Stars’ better players at transitioning, something the team has struggled with early on:
The most noticeable thing with Fedun… is his poise with the puck getting out of the zone. Fedun isn’t skating the puck out and seems to understand his limits, but he’s making the right reads when it comes to making the pass over the defensive blue lin
You can read more about Fedun and the surging Stars from Sean Shapiro here.
Stars Stories
Next step for Fedun? Become the next defenseman to break the glass during practice:
That’s two thus far, Shooter.
Esa Lindell blasted a puck through the glass this morning. Jamie Oleksiak accomplished the same feat no more than two weeks ago. #GoStars pic.twitter.com/7wE6i6bANq
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) November 4, 2019
It’s taken four years, but the Denis Gurianov gamble might have finally paid off:
With four goals in five games, the young winger looks to be following in the footsteps of teammate Roope Hintz.#GoStars https://t.co/dughIGsTJf
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) November 4, 2019
Joel Hanley is back in Dallas, which means Andrej Sekera will likely be out a little while longer:
Joel Hanley is back in the NHL. By sending him to the AHL yesterday and then recalling him at 4 p.m. today, the Stars saved two days of him being on an NHL roster. Hanley is currently at 27 days. At 30 days, he must be waived to be sent back to the AHL.
— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) November 4, 2019
It’s game day! The Stars and Colorado Avalanche square off once more tonight, this time deep in the heart of Texas:
How to watch Stars vs. Avalanche: Live stream, game time, TV channel https://t.co/IwS1AHJr4r via @NHLdotcom
— Mike Heika (@MikeHeika) November 4, 2019
Around the League
There was only one Central Division game on the docket last night, with the Nashville Predators thrashing the Detroit Red Wings 6-1:
The #Preds had a fantastic and unexpected victory tonight. @SarahKHager has your recap! https://t.co/uH9pYiBzYQ
— On The Forecheck (@OnTheForecheck) November 5, 2019
Guess Roope Hintz’s “Ace of Spades” nickname is a-okay:
New post: Hockey nicknames are broken and we all know it. But we can fix them, in five easy steps. https://t.co/IVcjHmA9Pj pic.twitter.com/PoIYUiCepb
— Down Goes Brown (@DownGoesBrown) November 4, 2019
It’s (currently) not all doom and gloom in Dallas, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a head start on NHL Draft reading:
The CIBC Canada Russia Series is in full swing. For #NHLDraft fans, here are names you need to be aware of. https://t.co/3nxPz6kYyT
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) November 5, 2019
This is a fantastic deep dive into new territory in women’s hockey:
In 2017, the USWNT fought USA Hockey & asked for maternity benefits. @LamoureuxTwins became the first players to use them & are coming back in a safe timeline.
“So many women go through hardships because they don’t have that support from their employer”https://t.co/yxOTQzzxHF
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) November 4, 2019
Finally…
It’s almost here…
Two more days.#GoStars pic.twitter.com/3IjtIXNstG
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) November 4, 2019