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Stargazing, A Dallas Stars Puckcast – Episode 316: Olympic Break Score Sheet

Jake Oettinger may not be perfect, but is he perfect for the Stars? It’s just one question Wes and Mark suddenly have time to contemplate.

Defending Big D's Stargazing podcast logo, featuring a Dallas Stars Victory Green cassette tape with tearaway jersey texture and nets over the sprocket holes, designed by Jason Lara
Logo design: Jason Lara | @NHLMaps

There’s very little like three straight victories over the St. Louis Blues to get Dallas Stars fans buzzing. So how do we talk about this team now that the mood of the Victory Green faithful has swung back from “Will they ever win again?” to “Let’s start the Stanley Cup Playoffs right now!”?

Fortunately, there’s very little like a Winter Olympics break to facilitate some midseason gab – and here at Stargazing, “gab” is our middle name. (It’s in there. The B is silent.) In this episode, Wes and Mark discuss the factors contributing to the Stars’ blown leads, the turtling tendencies that change but never seem to go away, the worst thing about a great power play, the one player who might have been worth going for at the trade deadline, and so much more.

Are you task-oriented or think-oriented? We’re Stargazing, and we need the answer right now. Or not. At any rate, share your answer in the comments. Let’s talk about it.

And please, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Stargazing. We love you.

There is nothing wrong with the Dallas Stars. Their systems work, and so does their lineup. And this Minnesota Wild team is still exactly what we thought it was. So how do we square these things with the…effort we saw in Game 1? To make sense of Saturday's loss, we needed to bring in the big guns. So Wes and Mark tackled the topic with NHL.com's Taylor Baird – whom you also know as DBD's editor-in-chief. They went over the lines that worked (and didn't), the injuries that still dog the team, and what the Stars will do to rally after getting punched in the face. The Stars have a history of losing the first game in a Stanley Cup Playoffs round, then going on to win the series. We're Stargazing, and we're taking the long view for as long as we can. What's your take on Game 1? Let us know at Defending Big D. And please don’t forget to rate, review and share wherever you listen. It's the daily affirmation that we love most of all. Welcome to Stargazing. We love you. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
  1. Round 1, Game 1 Reactions
  2. First-Round Preview: Stars vs. Wild
  3. Texas Stars Spring Update 2026
  4. Goalie Goals
  5. Dropping Lines

Talking Points