Bad isn’t a strong enough term to define this homestand, for the Stars, in the three previous games the Stars have mounted a total offense of two goals and have given up thirteen, so to say that offense was needed is an understatement. The latest trends for the Stars forced head coach Glen Gulutzan to do a lot of line shuffling and tonight the Stars lineup looked like this.

1. Ray Whitney    Jamie Benn  Loui Eriksson
2. Brenden Morrow    Derek Roy  Erik Cole
3. Reilly Smith    Cody Eakin   Jaromir Jagr
4. Eric Nystrom  Vernon Fiddler   Antoine Roussel

And on Defense

1. Stephane Robidas    Brenden Dillon
2. Trevor Daley      Alex Goligoski
3. Jordie Benn    Jamie Oleksiak

Philip Larsen remains a healthy scratch for the Stars and Ryan Garbutt is still out with his lower body injury. Kari Lehtonen started in net for the Stars and would go against Joey MacDonald for the Flames. Mikka Kiprusoff missed the game to be with his wife for the birth of a child.

First Period

Dallas had a sour taste in their mouth from the game against Chicago and they were quickly setting the tone for this game, they were quick to get shots on the net and were ready to scrap for rebounds and get any type of goal they could. Their hardwork paid off as the first goal came off a defensive mistake as an intended pass by Erik Cole went off a Calgary defender and past MacDonald for Cole’s fifth goal of the season and second as a member of the Stars. A little under three minutes later the fourth line was rewarded for constant good shifts in the offensive zone as Eric Nystrom put back a rebound for his third goal of the year, two of which have come against the Flames.  Kari Lehtonen also was rewarded with his second assist of the season. The Stars weren’t done as Loui Eriksson finished the first period off with another goal giving the Stars a 3-0 lead to end the opening frame.

Second Period

More of the same for the Stars in the opening half of the middle frame they continued to dominate Calgary, the Stars had a chance to increase their lead on the powerplay, but failed to do so. The second half of the period was a completely different story as the Stars were finding themselves in penalty trouble which opened the doors for Calgary to come right back into the game. Cody Eakin first received two minors (Interference, Roughing) for a hit on Matt Stajan that almost looked like kneeing. Cody Eakin and the penalty box got very familiar tonight as he also had a fighting major against Calgary captain Jarome Iginla, and his two minors in the second.  It took Calgary very little time to score on the ensuing powerplay as Jiri Hudler tipped in a TJ Brodie shot for his sixth goal of the season. The Flames were shortly on the powerplay again as Jordie Benn was sent to the box for tripping, and Calgary once again scored on the powerplay as Jay Bouwmeester fired a backhand past Kari Lehtonen and cutting Dallas’ lead to one. Calgary had Dallas on it’s heels this period as they made it a hockey game again, 3-2 Stars after two periods.

Third Period

The Stars were looking for a way to make space between them and the Flames, and a break finally came for them as Loui Eriksson got his second goal of the game and gave the Stars a 4-2 lead with 7:54 left in the game. The two goal lead was short-lived however as Alex Tanguay completely blew by the Dallas defense and netted a backhander for his ninth goal of the season. Dallas put together a strong defense with just under five minutes left in the game. Their defense paid off as Calgary was unable to get a decent shot on net and the Stars were able to hang on and get a victory in the homestand defeating the Calgary Flames 4-3.

Game Extras

• Congratulations to Guy Carbonneau as he was named to the Dallas Stars 20th Anniversary all-time team
• A great game for the Stars as nobody was a minus tonight.
• Ray Whitney is on a three game point streak
• The Stars best players led them to victory tonight. Jamie Benn: 1 assist  Jaromir Jagr: 3 shots  Loui Eriksson: 2 goals  Ray Whitney: 2 assists  Derek Roy: 1 assist
• Congratulations to the Kiprusoff family on the birth of their new son.
• Tonight’s official attendance: 16,057
• Official Three Stars of the Game chosen by Bruce Levine of KTCK 1310 The Ticket.  1. Loui Eriksson 2. Ray Whitney  3. Eric Nystrom
• The Stars will now hit the road for two in their hunt to get back into the playoffs, on Wednesday the Stars will play the Colorado Avalanche, puckdrop at 8:30

It was a slow night in the NHL as their was only one game, the Dallas Stars were taking on divisional rival Anaheim for the first of five games this season. Dallas is coming off a three game road trip where they went 2-1-0. Anaheim is off to a hot start this season starting off at 7-1-1. This game is the return for Sheldon Souray to the American Airline Center and the first time the Stars got to see new goalie sensation Viktor Fasth. A big offensive push in the first period for the Stars and penalty problems for the Ducks paved the road for a Stars victory tonight.

First Period

The Stars opened the game on fire offensively, the Ducks looked were playing at a slow pace and starting goaltender Jonas Hiller was bombarded early with Stars shots. Hiller looked to be fighting the puck a lot, as the period progressed it was quite obvious that Hiller was playing through some sort of injury. The first period became real chippy as both teams were hitting hard and many scrums were developing. Anaheim was often the aggressor in the scrums and got extra minors from them. The Stars first powerplay came as a result of this over aggression. Brad Staubitz was called for roughing and the Stars made him pay as Trevor Daley fired a slapshot from the point giving the Stars a 1-0 lead on Daley’s first goal of the season.  The physical play never stopped, even producing a fight between Stephane Robidas and Corey Perry. Shortly after the fight the Stars were on the powerplay again as Brad Staubitz gave Brenden Dillon a low blow with a spearing penalty, earning a five minute major and game misconduct. The Stars scored once on the major penalty as Jamie Benn continued his hot play scoring his fourth goal of the season. The first period ended with the Stars ahead of the Ducks 2-0.

Second Period

Goalie change to start the period as Viktor Fasth took over for Jonas Hiller who left the game with a lower body injury. Second periods continue to plague the Stars, as they started the period off on the penalty kill and took two additional minors throughout the period. The Stars were pinned into their zone for long stretches of time throughout and eventually it cost them as Nick Bonino tipped a slapshot from Luca Sbisa and put Anaheim on the board. Anaheim outshot the Stars 13-5 and the second period ended with the Stars still in control 2-1.

Third Period

The Stars defense put on a great show in the third period as Anaheim was desperately trying to tie the game, but the Stars only allowed one shot on goal in the third.  The Stars were able to push their lead back to two goals at the 12:46 mark as Loui Eriksson fired a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle past Viktor Fasth for his fourth goal of the year and 15th career goal against the Anaheim Ducks. Dallas’ defense was lights out and the Stars push their winning streak to three games defeating the Anaheim Ducks 3-1.

Game Extras

• Finally the curse is broken. The Stars finally outshot an opponet for the first time this season. Shots: Dallas 28-Anaheim 21
• Jamie Oleksiak looks like he is improving every game. He played 14:05 tonight and was out there for key defensive situations in the third period for the Stars.
• Alex Goligoski made his return to the lineup an effective one as he had two assists and played tremendous defense in 21:05 of ice time.
• Trevor Daley by far had his best game this season as he used his skating ability to generate offense but to get back and prevent Anaheim offensive chances.
• Odd stat of the night: Antoine Roussel ended the game a -1 and Michael Ryder was a +1 every other Star was even
• Brenden Morrow has continued to pick up points since being paired with Jamie Benn and Jaromir Jagr. Morrow picked up his fourth point (1g, 3a) since being moved up.
• Tonight’s announced attendance: 18,112
• Official Three Stars of the game chosen by Dan McDowell of KTCK Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket: 1. Trevor Daley 2. Kari Lehtonen 3. Jamie Benn
• The Stars begin a three game western Canada road trip Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers. Puck drops at 8:30.

Photo:AP Photo/Paul Sancya

It was a busy day for the Dallas Stars as fog in Detroit kept the team in Columbus, Ohio overnight and traveled to Detroit on Tuesday. The Stars came into Tuesday’s game against Detroit 0-2-1 in their last three and looking for points to jump back into the Western Conference’s top eight. An electric start including two fights quickly fizzled for the Stars as special team troubles once again downs the Stars.

First Period

Action occured right off the opening face-off as Eric Nystrom and Jordin Tootoo dropped the gloves and had a short fight. Less than a minute later Cody Eakin was sent to the penalty box for tripping but a very good Dallas penalty kill was able to hold off Detroit’s struggling powerplay. Dallas then had two consecutive shots on the power play but they went no where for the Stars. With just under four minutes left the game had its second fight as Brenden Dillon dropped the gloves and had an all out slugfest with Jordin Tootoo, in his second fight, in response to a hit Tootoo threw on Philip Larsen in the first game between these two teams. The fight seemed to get some energy going in the Stars direction. The Stars drew two penalties to end the period, they were not able to get a powerplay goal but they looked like an active powerplay and created many chances. The first period ended with the score tied 0-0.

Second Period

It looked like a goalie duel was developing between Jimmy Howard for the Red Wings and Kari Lehtonen for the Stars. The first goal of the game was scored about midway through the second as Jaromir Jagr made a nice backhand pass to Cody Eakin who fired a quick wrist shot that created a huge rebound that was stuffed home by Loui Eriksson who continued his great play at Joe Louis Arena. The lead was short lived as almost three minutes later a collapse by the Stars defense and a bad turnover to Pavel Datsyuk by Jordie Benn which created the opportunity for Valterri Filppula who scored his first goal of the season. Then the penalty trouble came for the Stars, at the 16:19 mark of the second Jamie Benn was shooting a puck into the offensive zone, but the momentum of Benn’s stick caused him to high stick Todd Bertuzzi and give Bertuzzi a small cut under his left eye. Benn was given a double minor. Forty seconds later Henrik Zetterberg was called for tripping so the teams then skated four on four. A little over forty seconds another high sticking penalty went against the Stars as Ray Whitney was sent to the box. The Red Wings had a four on three advantage but as the minor to Zetterberg expired and twenty-four seconds remained Zetterberg fired a one timer past Kari Lehtonen to give the Red Wings a 2-1 lead to close the period

Third Period

The Stars took the ice in the third period, but the weariness finally started to show and then the defeat came at the 6:15 mark of the third as Damien Brunner scored off a tip in, his second goal in two games against the Stars. Twenty-three seconds later Valterri Filppula netted his second of the game and gave the Red Wings a commanding 4-1 lead. The Stars had no offensive answer for the remainder of the game and lost their fourth straight game, defeated 4-1 by the Detroit Red Wings.

It was the second game of a back-to-back for the Dallas Stars tonight as they traveled north to Minnesota to take on the Wild and see the new look of Minnesota, with offseason signings Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, and highly skilled prospect Mikael Granlund. Dallas called on 28 year old rookie goaltender Cristopher Nilstorp to take the pipes and make his NHL debut. Nilstorp had a fantastic debut, but the offense was unable to cash in.

First Period

The Stars opened the first period skating and seeming to pick up right where they left off last night even drawing a tripping minor on Wild captain Mikko Koivu in the first minute of the game. Dallas was able to create some chances on the power play but Minnesota goalie Josh Harding had an answer for everything, and the willingness of the Wild forwards and defenseman to drop to the ice and block shots hurt the Stars offensive game. After a set of penalties by both teams Minnesota controlled the puck in their offensive zone and kept the Stars pinned in their own zone for a long time and eventually cashed in as Zach Parise scored on a slapshot from the top of the slot at the 8:11 mark of the first period. The Stars had another powerplay opportunity at the 12:59 mark of the first period but that power play and the rest in the game struggled to get any offense going.

Second Period

In the second period, Minnesota really started to turn up the physical game, led by Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Brodziak the Wild took many opportunites to finish their checks and physically wear out an already tired Stars team. The Stars were not able to gain a lot of time in Minnesota’s zone and also lost the puck possession game.

Third Period

The Stars looked exhausted as the third period came along as they didn’t have the same pep as they had in the third period against Phoenix. It looked like they were always late when they needed to be half a second quicker to make an offensive play and Minnesota’s persistent shot blocking shut down the Stars offense completely.

Other Notes

• Reilly Smith needed dental work after last night’s game against Phoenix, but joined the Stars Sunday afternoon to play in Minnesota
• Brenden Morrow left the game in the first period after taking a puck to the face that came of the stick of defenseman Stephane Robidas. Morrow got stitches and put on a visor and returned to the game in the second period.
• Dallas got 18 shots on goal, but Minnesota blocked 26 shot attempts tonight
• Stars first line of Loui Eriksson, Derek Roy, and Jaromir Jagr registered nine shots and seven points (3g,4a) in Friday’s victory against Phoenix. Against Minnesota the trio registered two shots on goal and zero points.
• The Stars will travel to Detroit to take on the Red Wings Tuesday as Detroit will be on the second half of a back to back when they take on the Stars. 

The wait was finally over for hockey fans all over as today opened the regular season in the NHL. The Dallas Stars opened the regular season at home against division rival the Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes were 2012′s Pacific Division Champions led by goalie and former Stars prospect Mike Smith and head coach Dave Tippett.

First Period

It looked like both teams had just been through a very long layoff in the opening minutes of the game. Phoenix defenseman Derek Morris took a very early elbowing penalty which gave Stars fans a real great first look at what new forwards Ray Whitney and Jaromir Jagr will provide this season. With Whitney at Center and Jagr and Brenden Morrow on the wings, the power play definitely had a different look to it which was desperately needed to improve the leagues’ worst powerplay from 2012, including where Jagr got a semi-breakaway which he wasn’t able to score on. The first period continued to roll on with both coaches using all four lines and all three defensive units. At the 18:36 mark of the first period a small lapse in defense by the Phoenix Coyotes was all the Stars needed as Loui Eriksson found a streaking Jaromir Jagr in the slot and Jagr was able to snipe the puck past Mike Smith and give the Stars a 1-0 lead on his 666th career goal.

2nd Period

The Jagr goal had given Dallas a bit of a momentum boost to start the second period but it was soon deflated four minutes into the middle frame. Philip Larsen was called for a double minor high sticking call which the Stars killed off, but it was the first of four straght penalties taken by the Stars, the fourth being a tripping call once again called on Larsen. Phoenix was able to score on two of the five powerplay opportunities with goals from Lauri Korpikoski at 9:04 and Radim Vrbata at 11:53. A late Phoenix penalty put the Stars on the powerplay once again and this time they were able to cash in as Jaromir Jagr once again found the back of the net for his 667th career goal and helped the Stars close the second period tied with the Coyotes 2-2.

Third Period

Boyd Gordon of Phoenix took a slashing minor with 23 seconds left in the second period, so the Stars opened the third with over a minute and a half of power play time. And just 31 seconds into the third Ray Whitney found the net against his old team and put the Stars ahead 3-2. At the 3:30 mark of the third Radim Vrbata was able to find the back of the net off of a Jordie Benn mistake on defense once again tying the game at 3-3. The game really picked up in pace physically as both teams were trying to get the next goal. At the 13:05 mark of the third the Stars found some time in the offensive zone and off a Jaromir Jagr shot Loui Eriksson stuffed home the rebound and gave the Stars a 4-3 lead. The Stars held Phoenix’s offensive pushes for the rest of the game and closed out a 4-3 victory.

Other notes

• The opening home game this season for the Stars was called a sellout as 18,532 were in attendance for the game.
• Derek Roy and Tom Wandell filled in as first line and second line center due to the absence of Jamie Benn who is without a contract with the Stars at this time.
• Jaromir Jagr finished the game with 4 points (2g,2a), Ray Whitney registered 2 points (1g, 1a), and Derek Roy registered one assist as all veteran newcomers contributed in tonight’s victory.
• Aside from new veterans joining the squad four rookies also played in tonights game (Jordie Benn, Brenden Dillon, Cody Eakin and Reilly Smith) Brenden Dillon really stood out with his physical play and poise in the defensive zone.
• Tonight’s scratches include Aaron Rome who was out with a groin injury and Colton Sceviour was a healthy scratch
• Stars play Minnesota Sunday at 7:00 pm central

Stephane Robidas off to Europe (Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

It has been announced that Stephane Robidas is heading to Europe to play for IFK Helsinki in Finland’s SM-Liiga. His contract guarantees him a month of hockey over there, but this could be extended if terms are agreed.

In the last NHL lockout back in 2004, Robidas went over to Germany to play his hockey. He played very well indeed and he bought that confidence back across the Atlantic for his next season of NHL hockey. Hopefully this will be the case again.

Stephane departed a bit later than other NHL players who have gone to play elsewhere simply because he wasn’t 100% sure if it was the right decision to benefit his game or not. It was a tough decision for him but he thought that the move would definitely help his game in preparation for when the NHL action starts once again.

The Dallas Stars’ defensive unit definitely improved over the course of the 2011/12 campaign and Robidas was a crucial part of it. His experience is invaluable to the team and he is helping the development of some the younger defenseman such as Alex Goligoski, Phillip Larsen and Mark Fistric. I think that Robidas is one of the more underrated defenseman in the NHL due to his high levels of consistency throughout the 82 games.

Robidas joins Jamie Benn, Tom Wandell, Jaromir Jagr, Loui Eriksson and Philip Larsen in Europe. It will be great for these guys to maintain their fitness and sharpen up their skills ahead of the return of the NHL, hopefully!

Also the Dallas Morning News Stars blog talks about Robidas going to finland: Robidas heading to Finland

The Stars were out in Allen, Dallas Stars that is for the Allen Americans training camp which opened yesterday, October 8th and continues through the home opener on October 20th vs the Arizona SunDogs.  In attendance were Loui Eriksson, Trevor Daley, Stephane Robidas, Mark Fistric, Kari Lehtonen and Captain Brendan Morrow.

Brenden Morrow, one of the six stars, in Allen (Photo Credit to Todd Miller)

While these guys were there to keep their skill set up to par, they also served as good mentors and pace setters for the Americans players.  Workouts lasted 2 hours each session and everyone was skating hard.  Head Coach Steve Martinson, Assistant Coach Richard Matvichuk, Owner Steve Duchesne and Owner Craig Ludwig put everyone to the test, challenging everyone including the Dallas Stars in attendance.  While there was a few schooling sessions by the Stars players..for the most part, the Americans were up to the task.  They were keeping up with and even putting on some clinics themselves for the NHL’ers.

Standing out for the Americans were newcomer #27 Darryl Bootland, veterans  #6 Mike Berube and #3 Tyler Ludwig.  Personally the most impressive Americans player is new defenseman #23 Mike Montgomery recently acquired from the AHL Houston Aeros.  Montgomery has explosive skating speed and his backwards skating ability is second to none.  In the goalie sector, #83 Chris Whitley and #40 Steve Silverthorn were looking fantastic, stopping most onslaughts from every angle. From viewing these first few practice sessions, the Americans are set to be a tough opponent for any team with a great mixture of skill and size.  The Americans continue their workouts this week and play their first pre-season game against the Texas Brahmas in Ft. Worth on Friday October12th.

Loui Eriksson (Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr)

Some pretty big news was released a few days ago that could affect several Dallas Stars players. Sweden said they weren’t accepting any players that were involved in the NHL lockout. This decision was deemed illegal, meaning that Sweden could welcome some NHL talent to its leagues.

This news is good news for Loui Eriksson, as it looks like he will be playing some hockey during the lockout. He is currently in talks with his hometown team, Frolunda HC, of the Swedish Elitserien league. This is the team that Loui played for before he made it in the NHL with the Stars.

Frolunda is an established team who regularly make the playoffs. They struggled last season but with some NHL recruits they should be a strong outfit. This will benefit both Loui and the Stars as he will be playing several games at a decent standard.

It has also been rumored that Tom Wandell could be heading back to play some hockey in his home country of Sweden during the lockout. The team he is negotiating is yet unknown but if he does get to play some hockey in will be a great boost.

Whilst Jaromir Jagr and Loui Eriksson (most probably) are now playing in Europe, the Stars have said that Jamie Benn is staying put for the time being. It would be good if he could get a bit of hockey under his belt during the lockout but it looks as if the Stars staff may want to keep him fresh and hockey-free.

It is good to see that Jaromir Jagr is happy to head back to the Czech Republic to play for the team he owns, the Kladno Knights. I really hope that if there is no 2012/13 season, Jagr will be back next year to play in a Stars jersey.

So, with Sweden now accepting NHL players, we could perhaps see a few more Dallas players starting to sign a few contracts over in Europe during the lockout.

(Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

There was a lot of activity in Dallas during the free agency period. Several players departed Dallas to enjoy their careers elsewhere, but a few players headed to Dallas to pull on a Stars jersey.

GM  Joe Nieuwendyk surprised a lot of Dallas Stars fans as well as a lot of fans across the NHL in early July. He managed to work some magic and bring Czech legend Jaromir Jagr to Texas. The deal was announced on July 3^rd 2012, and was worth a reported $4.5million.

I am really hoping that a deal is made and the lockout won’t occur. Jagr is on a one-year deal and the 2012/13 could be the only chance to see him in a Stars shirt. He will also be massive to the hopeful success on the ice. I expect him to form a formidable first line alongside Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson. Jagr is superb at puck distribution, and if Jamie and Loui can get themselves in the right positions, we could see a lot of goals from this line. Jagr has a massive 988 assists in the NHL, he will certainly develop the game of his peers.

Another big addition for the Stars was center man Derek Roy. He was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in a trade involving Steve Ott and Adam Pardy. It is as simple as this: Roy was acquired to be a top 6 forward and replace Mike Ribeiro who departed to the Washington Capitals.

The Ottawa native will bring a lot to Dallas. With over 500 games to his name, the 29-year-old brings a lot of experience, and also has the ability to be a relatively big points scorer, scoring 60+ points on 4 occasions.

Another asset of his game is the crucial one for me, and this is his ability to perform on the power play. The Stars’ power play was average at best last season. It lacked structure and rhythm, managing to score just 33 goals throughout the season. I am hoping that this is an area of the game that they will be working hard on in training camp. Roy will be an integral part of this, and if the power play can get going, the team will benefit with positive results.

The third big addition was of Ray Whitney from the Phoenix Coyotes. He is another experienced player and a points scorer as well. This is a great addition for Dallas. He has well over 1000 appearances in the NHL and over 1000 points. He is getting on a bit, aged 40, but he is still a great hockey player.

I think that Whitney will help form the second line alongside Michael Ryder and Derek Roy. These guys might take a bit of time to gel, but if they get going I think they will bring the best out of each other. The Stars lacked depth last season, and a lot of scoring was done by the first line. 2012/13 will be different, the second line will take a lot of pressure off of the first line, and should benefit the team as a whole.

With other new recruits including Cody Eakin and Aaron Rome, and some promising draft picks, the Stars are starting to look like a decent outfit for next season!

Jaromir Jagr is A STAR (Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr)

This offseason for the Dallas Stars was an eventful for one for them as they signed a few veteran forwards along with one that I thought they would never sign in the first place. If you are guessing Jaromir Jagr then you are correct. Yes that is right the Dallas Stars signed Jaromir Jagr to a 1 year deal, worth $4.55 million to play for the Stars. The Stars have a legend that is playing for them and a veteran who has experience in the playoffs. He won a Stanley Cup Championship with the Pittsburgh Penguins back to back from 1991-1992. He has the ability to score goals when needed to and he also has the ability to lead the team into the playoffs. Even Jagr was excited about playing for the Stars as he told the Stars official website:

“All of a sudden, I got a call from Joe Nieuwendyk that the Dallas Stars were interested and I was very, very happy for many reasons,” Jagr said during a media conference call on Thursday. “For one thing, they feel I can help them. That’s the most important thing for me. I think I can play on the first two lines, which is important to me. I just don’t want to be in the NHL to sit around; I want to be a big part of a new team.”

Whenever the new season starts, expect Jaromir Jagr to play on a line with Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson. He will probably play a mentor role like he did with Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux in Philadelphia, then this line will be powerful and unstoppable.  Having a veteran around young players will do the Stars well and signing Jagr this summer answered their questions. If you are curious as to what Jagr can do on the ice then look no futher to a couple of these videos from Youtube:

In overtime, Jaromir Jagr scores from in front, stealing the extra point from the Winnipeg Jets.

Or this video where Marc-Andre Fleury kicks a rebound right to the stick of Jaromir Jagr, who gives the Philadelphia Flyers their first lead.

Those two videos of Jaromir Jagr scoring those golas then doing the solute. AREN’T YOU STARS FANS EXCITED? I sure am! I am excited to see what Jagr can do for the Dallas Stars next season! Also if you have twitter give Jaromir Jagr a follow at @68Jagr