Official 2007-08 Dallas Stars Season Thread - Page 11 - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

ames7 · 03-09-2008, 07:51 PM

Second half of the home & home against the Avs...the Stars did not allow a shot in the first. Pretty remarkable. They better the hell win this one. The race is seriously too close to have slides like this.

Five-ofan · 03-09-2008, 07:56 PM

im going to the games saturday the 15th and wednesday the 19th. anyone else that will be at either of those games?

wesbrynt · 03-09-2008, 08:24 PM

good showing so far today. Seems like someone got in their ass about blocking shots and playing with a productive agression. Nice to see richards get his first as a star and robidas set a new carrer high.

ames7 · 03-09-2008, 09:42 PM

You know, I'll admit I thought earlier this season that Stephane Robidas might just be a tiny bit overrated, b/c he's got that great work ethic & toughness, but let's face it, he's still too small & I still think there wasn't a need to give him the contract that we did. But he's really stepped it up & had a really solid year, considering how many more minutes he's had to play due to Zubie & Bouch's injuries. Good for him for getting that career high.

Caught the game on Yahoo video...I thought the Morrow-Modano-Richards line looked pretty good. I don't know about splitting up Morrow & Ribeiro--wouldn't Lehts work just as well on that line?--but I'm betting they'll be back together soon enough. Also, just want to say, I loved Hagman's tinted visor. Maybe he'll copy Ovechkin's game as well as his look.

Caseman · 03-09-2008, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ames7

You know, I'll admit I thought earlier this season that Stephane Robidas might just be a tiny bit overrated, b/c he's got that great work ethic & toughness, but let's face it, he's still too small & I still think there wasn't a need to give him the contract that we did. But he's really stepped it up & had a really solid year, considering how many more minutes he's had to play due to Zubie & Bouch's injuries. Good for him for getting that career high.

Caught the game on Yahoo video...I thought the Morrow-Modano-Richards line looked pretty good. I don't know about splitting up Morrow & Ribeiro--wouldn't Lehts work just as well on that line?--but I'm betting they'll be back together soon enough. Also, just want to say, I loved Hagman's tinted visor. Maybe he'll copy Ovechkin's game as well as his look.

Yeah, I hope they tinker with the lines. It might of worked tonight, but I think we are bloating our first line, while the others seem very thin. In the playoffs, all the other team would have to do is stop our first line, and it would be the same story last year, where we can't score. I really liked it when it was Morrow-Robeiro-Eriksson, Leht-Modano-Ott, and Hagman-Richards-Mitts. It worked on Brad's debut and I think if they don't slack off, like they've done in the previous 3 games, it will give us 3 potent lines.

Also, I hope the Stars take it all the way this year so Modano can retire in style. I want him to hold the Stanley one more time

Flacolaco · 03-10-2008, 08:35 AM

Well that was fun last night.

What do you know? They remembered how to play hockey!!!!!

It baffles me when the team goes through a bad stretch (which it still may be in) after having played so great. We always use the "talentless" excuse as Stars fans, but that's not true anymore. These guys can win. We've seen them do it. So why do they have stretches like that? It drives me nuts.

Last night Foote and Forsberg were out along with a bunch of other Avs, and then Steve Ott took 2 Avalanche defensemen out personally, within a few second of each other with a vicious hit and a fight. Colorado was very short handed, so a shutout was definitely in order.

I wish they could build confidence from this one going forward, but now they have 3 full off days, and have to play IN Detroit. Hmmm. If they pull any points out of that building I will be surprised.

I know it worked last night, but I'm not a fan of splitting up Ribs and Morrow. That won't last, IMO.

I hope Nisky can get back soon. That new guy looked ok last night...#42. Whatever his name was. Still...we need to get our D healthy before the playoffs.

With the Sharks looking fully unstoppable, I am fully convinced now that the Stars will likely meet the Ducks as a 4/5 matchup. But will we be the home team? or will they?

mnmpeanut · 03-10-2008, 09:11 AM

i think all teams go thru stretches where they play like crap. heck, look at the mighty pink wings - they played awful for almost a month. its hard to keep up that kind of focus and intensity for 82 games. other than falling out of the #2 spot, i don't mind if they go thru a 3, 5, 7 game stretch where they suck. i was worried about them peaking too early. hopefully this little stretch of bad play will get them to refocus with 10 games left. 10 games? damn, it's almost playoff time.

Flacolaco · 03-10-2008, 04:36 PM

Yeah well the pink wings have gotten their S back together now.

I really hope we can do the same. Our schedule is a real toughy. We need to pull some points out of those SJ and Ducks games. It would be really sweet to beat the Sharks twice...but I'd gladly settle for a split, since I am so afraid of them right now.

Caseman · 03-10-2008, 06:44 PM

I'm worried about our playoff seed. If we allow the Ducks or Sharks pass us, we will be bumped down to the 4th or 5th seed despite our record. That means we would be facing a Pacific rival in the first round. It sucks being in a stacked conference AND stacked division.

Flacolaco · 03-10-2008, 07:00 PM

I'm quite certain that is what's going to happen. With the Sharks having basically 6 points in hand, it will be very difficult to keep up with them. The schedule is a real bitch.

I think the 4 seed is attainable, but they're gonna need to pull about 11 or 12 points out of the next 10 games. It's very much up in the air.

Smiles · 03-12-2008, 04:04 PM

DALLAS STARS SIGN CHRIS CONNER, TOBIAS STEPHAN TO ONE-YEAR DEALS
Clubs Also Signs Sergei Korostin to a Three-Year Entry-Level Contract

FRISCO, Tex. – The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has signed left wing Chris Conner and goaltender Tobias Stephan to one-year, two-way contracts for the 2008-09 season. The club has also signed right wing Sergei Korostin to a three-year entry-level contract. Conner and Stephan are currently with the Iowa Stars, Dallas’ primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL), while Korostin is skating for the Texas Tornado in the North American Hockey League (NAHL).

Conner, 24, has appeared in 22 games with Dallas this season, registering three goals and two assists for five points with six penalty minutes. In total, he has skated in 33 career NHL games, posting four goals and four assists for eight points over the past two seasons. Conner netted his first career NHL goal on Dec. 27, 2006 at Colorado.

A native of Westland, Mich., Conner has played in 41 games with Iowa this season, recording 10 goals and 22 assists for 32 points. Conner is currently tied for second on the Iowa club in assists and fifth in points. The 5-8, 180-pound left wing attended Michigan Tech University from 2002 to 2006, and ended his Huskies career as the school’s all-time leader in shorthanded goals (15) and ranked 19th among goal-scorers (69).

Stephan, 24, made his NHL debut on Oct. 13 at Chicago and stopped 38 of the 40 shots he faced in a 2-1 overtime loss. In 53 games with the Iowa Stars this season, Stephan has posted a 23-22-2 record with a 2.64 goals-against-average, a .907 save percentage and six shutouts.

The 6-2, 180-pound goaltender appeared in his first North American professional season in 2006-07 with Iowa and posted a 10-15-0 record, a 2.88 goals-against-average and a shutout in 27 games played. He also played in two of Iowa’s Calder Cup Playoff games last season, recording a 3.46 goals-against-average.

The native of Zurich, Switzerland, was originally selected by Dallas in the second round (No. 34 overall) of the 2002 Entry Draft. He played for the Kloten Flyers in the Swiss National League from 2002-06 and represented Switzerland at the 2002 and 2003 World Junior Championships, as well as the 2001 and 2002 World Under-18 Championships.

Korostin, 18, was selected by the Stars in the third round (No. 64 overall) of the 2007 Entry Draft, and in 17 games with the Texas Tornado this season, has recorded 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) and a +5 rating.

The native of Prokopievsk, Russia, played for Dynamo Moscow in the Russian Super League in 2006-07, and scored five goals as Team Russia won the gold medal at the 2007 World Under-18 Championships.

Flacolaco · 03-12-2008, 04:20 PM

Hmm...still a two way contract for Stephan next year. What are we going to do about that backup goaltender spot I wonder?

Steve Ott has been suspended for 3 games oh btw. That sucks. He's the heart and soul of this team. He really got things going the other night, and most nights. He's a spark plug, and now we don't have him for games against Detroit and Anaheim. That sucks.

This team needs his energy.

ames7 · 03-12-2008, 06:58 PM

I think a 2-way contract is always a good thing. I definitely think they'll give him a shot in training camp, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them bring in a veteran just in case. I hear they're going to try to lure this kid Bachman, who was really good for Colorado College this year, into going pro early... It's funny, I never thought of Stephan as a legit prospect, just cause it seems like he's been around for so long, but then, I never really thought of Smith as a great prospect either...I always thought Ellis would be the one to make it here.

PS: I'm so sick of SJ winning. The division is looking like a really tall order.

Caseman · 03-12-2008, 10:05 PM

Ott suspended for 3 games! What total bull! It's his first offense ever, plus, worse offenses have been committed in the past with less punishment. The commisioner is an idiot for throwing out 3 game suspensions, especially in the crunch time of the season. I'm PO'd.

Flacolaco · 03-12-2008, 10:38 PM

Anaheim kicking ass tonight as well.

That 5 seed is starting to look really likely.

jthig32 · 03-12-2008, 10:44 PM

What is a two-way contract?

Edit: Nevermind, Google has all the answers. Carry on.

Caseman · 03-13-2008, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Anaheim kicking ass tonight as well.

That 5 seed is starting to look really likely.

I think the Detroit game is a statement game for Dallas. Without Boucher, Zubov, AND Ott, they need to come out, check hard, and play some good D.

Flacolaco · 03-13-2008, 02:17 PM

Consider the following: Marty Turco has never won a game at Joe Louis arena.

I think the 4 games left against the Sharks and Ducks are more "statement games" just because I believe the game tonight cannot be won, or is unlikely to be won.

Still, I will be glued to my tv like a dope...

Flacolaco · 03-13-2008, 09:06 PM

What a bunch of losers.

Detroit takes no penalties in the 1st or 3rd periods. Detroit is creative. Detroit is experienced. Detroit is perfect in almost every way.

Too many rookie defensemen standing around looking at the play, and too many penalties for Dallas.

Attention Matty Norstrum: You are the most overpaid person in sports.

This group is gutless, spineless, and stupid.

Hey Tipp, how's that Modano/Morrow/Richards line working out for you?

ames7 · 03-13-2008, 10:06 PM

How utterly predictable. Can you believe that two weeks ago, there was actually some talk of not just getting past the first round, but actual Cup speculation? Memo to the Stars: you have not even made the playoffs yet. Wake the F up!

They sat around for four days (& watched SJ & the Ducks do nothing but win, win, win) to do THAT?

Flacolaco · 03-13-2008, 10:33 PM

I don't if you saw it or not ames, but it was just really bad. They just stopped playing after they got up 3-1. I wouldn't really put any of this on Marty either. He played quite well when he had a prayer in hell of stopping anything.

Dirkadirkastan · 03-14-2008, 01:32 AM

I don't follow hockey at all. But considering Flaco's incessant pessimistic remarks about the Mavericks, I have formulated two theories about how the Stars are doing based on his posts:

1) Flaco's typical melodrama has painted a picture much worse than the team really is.

2) The Stars' miserable performance in recent years has badly stained Flaco's sports pants, and this effect has spilled over into his love affair with the Mavericks.

Caseman · 03-14-2008, 05:14 AM

Can anyone tell me what lines we were using? I didn't catch it. I hope we aren't seperating Morrow and Robeiro anymore. I can tolerate seperating Mo and Leht, but not Morrow and Robeiro. That's just stupid.

So can anyone tell me what lines we were using?

mnmpeanut · 03-14-2008, 08:03 AM

who knows what lines we're using, but this is what i think they should be:

morrow - ribs - miettinen
ott - mo - lehts
hagman - richards - ericksson
winchester - stu - lundqvist

robidas - fistric (zubie)
nisky - norstrom
(bouch) grossman - daley

that's one huge line, two solid scoring lines, and a pretty solid checking line. tipp, you've got, what, nine games left? put a couple lines together and let them gel. if you're line shuffling with 2 games left, we're screwed. when something works (morrow - ribs, mo - lehts), quit f'n with it. work around it.

Flacolaco · 03-14-2008, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirkadirkastan

I don't follow hockey at all. But considering Flaco's incessant pessimistic remarks about the Mavericks, I have formulated two theories about how the Stars are doing based on his posts:

1) Flaco's typical melodrama has painted a picture much worse than the team really is.

2) The Stars' miserable performance in recent years has badly stained Flaco's sports pants, and this effect has spilled over into his love affair with the Mavericks.

You seem to be having quite a bit of trouble minding your own business.

Flacolaco · 03-14-2008, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnmpeanut

who knows what lines we're using, but this is what i think they should be:

morrow - ribs - miettinen
ott - mo - lehts
hagman - richards - ericksson
winchester - stu - lundqvist

robidas - fistric (zubie)
nisky - norstrom
(bouch) grossman - daley

that's one huge line, two solid scoring lines, and a pretty solid checking line. tipp, you've got, what, nine games left? put a couple lines together and let them gel. if you're line shuffling with 2 games left, we're screwed. when something works (morrow - ribs, mo - lehts), quit f'n with it. work around it.

I agree. I hate the fact that they've split up Morrow and Ribeiro...I bet we see them back together after another few stinkers.

Ott with Modano is great when Ott isn't suspended for 3 games. Btw, did anyone see what Pronger did recently stomping on somebody with his skate, and no suspension? I'll try to find a video later. Complete bs.

Last night the problem wasn't the forwards. They got 3 in Detroit, and that is great. The D was the problem. If the rookies (and Norstrum) are gonna show their ass like that in the playoffs, then we'll be having a nice 6 game exit.

Five-ofan · 03-14-2008, 09:03 AM

speaking of flaco, as our resident stars guy are you going to the game saturday?

Flacolaco · 03-14-2008, 09:11 AM

Yes I am. But not wednesday, I'm busy with a church thing.

Flacolaco · 03-14-2008, 10:20 AM

For those who doubt my views, here is Bob Sturms take (local radio genius and big hockey guy)

http://sturminator.blogspot.com/

Quote:

Well, I said yesterday on the show that it wasn’t about the final score, it was about looking at the teams and wondering if the Stars had what it took to play the Red Wings straight up.

Uh. Not great results again. Yes, a 3-1 lead late in the 2nd Period gave you the distinct impression that the worm had turned. And then, it did. The wrong way.

The Red Wings shifted to another gear. And the meltdowns started. A bad turnover. A bad effort from Turco on the opening goal of the 3rd. An inability to stop the bleeding. And another crushed effort in Detroit.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

By the way, I understand changing things around, but the Modano-Morrow-Richards line is a dumb idea. I hate breaking up 63-10, and I also hate the self inflicted idea of making yourself a 1 scoring line team.

Then, your checking line is 26-39-21 was not close to good enough to stop Detroit’s 13.

Put 10-63 back together. Put 91 with 15 and 20. And stick Modano with Ott and Lehtinen, and let’s play some stinking hockey.

Also, say a prayer that Zubov is back in the mix in time for the playoffs. Because the kids were exposed last night on many occasions.

The Stars look like the Stars have looked in their previous big games for quite a while. Not good enough.

Yup. I think he's reading my mind.

wesbrynt · 03-14-2008, 06:24 PM

the kids have played pretty damn well this year so I will give them the benefit of the doubt however norstrom sucks and grossman is a cheaper clone of him. It was just one game so lets not jump quite yet. This is the year flaco and all the bad-talking in the world from you will not change the fact that this team has something special working and we will get out of the first round this year. Come on give off some positive energy every once in a while, they need it.

Flacolaco · 03-14-2008, 10:13 PM

4 goals for SJ tonight.

In the first period.

Flacolaco · 03-14-2008, 10:47 PM

From Heika:

Quote:

The lines today were:

Brenden Morrow-Mike Ribeiro-Antti Miettinen
Niklas Hagman-Brad Richards-Jere Lehtinen
Joel Lundqvist-Mike Modano-Loui Eriksson
Brad Winchester-Stu Barnes-Krys Barch

Modano's line clearly is the checking line, and it appears Tippett will try to generate some offense with two solid scoring lines. Lehtinen hasn't been given the chance to play with Richards, so this should be interesting.

At least that's a step in the right direction. This is a really crappy period to be missing Ott with Modano on that checking line.

Flacolaco · 03-15-2008, 12:35 PM

The Sharks have won 11 games in a row.

That is a ridiculous streak for a NHL team.

Caseman · 03-15-2008, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnmpeanut

who knows what lines we're using, but this is what i think they should be:

morrow - ribs - miettinen
ott - mo - lehts
hagman - richards - ericksson
winchester - stu - lundqvist

robidas - fistric (zubie)
nisky - norstrom
(bouch) grossman - daley

that's one huge line, two solid scoring lines, and a pretty solid checking line. tipp, you've got, what, nine games left? put a couple lines together and let them gel. if you're line shuffling with 2 games left, we're screwed. when something works (morrow - ribs, mo - lehts), quit f'n with it. work around it.

I totally agree. Tippett is crazy for seperating Robeiro and Lil' Mo. You know what I've found out over the past month or two? Tippett is EXACTLY like Avery. He can't take his stinking hands off the lines, just like Avery always has the meddle with the lineups. We lose one game with Richards centering the thrid line, and he automatically dismisses it as a failure. I think we need Robeiro, Mo, and Richards leading their own lines. Modano doesn't compliment Richards as everyone thought. He might still have his mean slapshot and finesse moves, but Richards doesn't need that. He thinks someone crashing the net, someone quick like Hagman. I say recreate something along the lines of that Chicago game. The last thing we need to be still experimenting with the lines with 9 games left.

bernardos70 · 03-15-2008, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

The Sharks have won 11 games in a row.

That is a ridiculous streak for a NHL team.

"Who will stop them?~~~~'

Caseman · 03-15-2008, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bernardos70

"Who will stop them?~~~~'

Stars play them twice before post-season.

Five-ofan · 03-15-2008, 11:19 PM

was at the game tonight. sat in 103 A seat 6. the call on turco and a missed tripping call on richards were both examples of a terribly officiated game. the ice girls are incredibly hot, specifically the one that came right next to us. the richards goal was A-MAZING. Turco played his ass off. Holmquist was terrible and so was the defense for the most part. too many turnovers and missed a wide open net twice and hit a post for a 3rd missed scoring shot.

Caseman · 03-15-2008, 11:59 PM

The Stars lost because of an ugly goal and Modano not being able to equalize with a wide open net. Bleh. The first period was pathetic, but glad we fought back. I'm not sure why they are so dry of scoring in 3rd periods.

Five-ofan · 03-16-2008, 12:38 PM

btw, 103 A seat 6 is rinkside directly even with the goal in the defensive zone.(offensive in the second period) and i got a puck that hagman flipped over the boards right after warm ups. so i was still thrilled with my experience even if we didnt win.

Caseman · 03-22-2008, 05:28 PM

Another collapse lose for the Stars. However, I am not in panic. All teams go through this, the Sens in the beginning of the year, the Sharks in the middle, and Detroit towards the end. Tippett needs to fix the lines and stop experimenting. We need to gather a few points from this away game stretch, get a healthy Zubov in the lineup, and win at least one playoff series.