Dallas Stars
Bill Meltzer: Star Gazing: 2/5/12
It wasn’t exactly a statement game, but the Dallas Stars skated off with two desperately needed points after tying the Minnesota Wild, 1-1, and then prevailing in a shootout after a successful late-game penalty kill got the game to overtime.
Kari Lehtonen was tremendous in goal for the Stars, who honored Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Ed Belfour in a pregame ceremony. The big Finn turned back 33 sh…
Jamie Benn lifts Stars over Wild
DALLAS (AP) — Jamie Benn scored in the second round of the shootout and the Dallas Stars maintained their home dominance over the Minnesota Wild with a 2-1 victory on Saturday night.
Loui Eriksson scored for Dallas in the first round, but Matt Cullen got the Wild even in the second. Benn then beat Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom with a wrist shot to give Dallas the advantage, and Kari Lehtonen denied Jared Spurgeon to gain an extra point for Dallas.
The Stars are 11-0-4 in their last 15 home games against the Wild, who haven’t won in Dallas since a 3-2 overtime victory on March 21, 2003.
Kyle Brodziak scored and Backstrom stopped 25 shots for the Wild.
Mike Ribeiro notched a power-play goal and Lehtonen made 33 saves for the Stars.
Minnesota had won its previous two road games after going 11 games without an away victory.
The Wild went on the power play with 1:07 left in regulation when Sheldon Souray was whistled for hooking. The power play extended into the 5-minute overtime, but the Wild couldn’t capitalize.
Dallas had a power play opportunity in the final 55 seconds of the extra session when Cal Clutterbuck was called for tripping, but the Stars were unable to generate many chances.
Ribeiro took advantage of Dallas’ first power play of the night for the game’s initial goal with 4:48 to go in the second period.
Teammate Alex Goligoski’s shot from the point missed the net and bounced off the end boards. Minnesota’s Nick Schultz attempted to clear, but the puck wound up on the stick of Ribeiro, who buried his 11th goal of the season from the slot.
Minnesota drew even at 1 at 5:18 of the final period with the help of a turnover by Dallas’ Jake Dowell. Dowell’s backhand pass up the middle of the ice was intercepted by Brodziak, who skated in alone and lifted a shot over a sprawling Lehtonen for his 15th of the season.
Brodziak has at least a point in each of his last six games.
NOTES: Former Stars G Ed Belfour was recognized before the game for his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2011. Ex-teammates Joe Nieuwendyk, Mike Modano, Brett Hull and Jere Lehtinen participated in the ceremony. All were members of the Stars’ Stanley Cup championship in 1999. Fans chanted “Eddie-Eddie” as highlights of Belfour’s career were shown on the video board. … Stars RW Michael Ryder played his 600th NHL game. … C Erik Christensen, acquired Friday in a trade with the New York Rangers, made his debut for the Wild, missing as Minnesota’s leadoff man in the SO. … Dallas LW Brenden Morrow (upper-body injury) missed his eighth game this season. The Stars’ captain has been the subject of trade rumors. … The Wild were without C Mikko Koivu (shoulder), D Clayton Stoner (lower-body), LW Pierre-Marc Bouchard (concussion), LW Guillaume Latendresse (concussion) and RW Jarod Palmer (concussion).
Stars 2, Wild 1, SO
Jamie Benn scored in the second round of the shootout and the Dallas Stars maintained their home dominance over the Minnesota Wild with a 2-1 victory on Saturday night.
Loui Eriksson scored for Dallas in the first round, but Matt Cullen got the Wild even in the second.
Benn beat Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom with a wrist shot to give Dallas the advantage, and Kari Lehtonen denied Minnesota’s Jared Spurgeon to gain an extra point for Dallas.
The Stars are 11-0-4 in their last 15 home games against the Wild, who haven’t won in Dallas since a 3-2 overtime victory on March 21, 2003.
Kyle Brodziak scored and Backstrom stopped 25 shots for the Wild.
Mike Ribeiro notched a power-play goal and Lehtonen made 33 saves for the Stars.
Stars place LW Morrow on IR
The Dallas Stars placed left wing Brenden Morrow on injured reserved with a neck and back injury.
Morrow had missed one game prior to the All-Star break, but he failed to register a shot on goal in two games since returning.
He has eight goals and 14 assists in 43 games this season. Morrow played in all 82 games last season.
ED BELFOUR NIGHT IN DALLAS
If ever there was a goaltender that personified the stereotype that goalies are a different breed:moody, superstitious, and routine oriented, it would be Ed Belfour. His quirks, combined with his undying work ethic and passion to succeed, made him a Stanley Cup champion and one of the game’s greats – and recently a member of the Hockey Hall Of Fame.
While other goaltenders his age were being drafted in to the NHL and spending their days in the CHL, the un-drafted Belfour spent his junior years with the Winkler Flyers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. At the age of 21, he moved on to the NCAA and lead the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux to a national championship. Finally, someone would take notice and the Chicago Blackhawks signed the free agent Belfour in 1987, though he spent the better part of the next two seasons playing with their minor league affiliate Saginaw Hawks of the IHL.
The Eagle would take the league by storm with the Blackhawks in 1990. He c…
Bill Meltzer: Stars Gameday: 2/4/12 vs. Wild
PREVIEW 7:00 AM CST
Playing for the third time in four nights, the Dallas Stars (26-22-2) return home tonight to take on the Minnesota Wild (25-19-7). The game starts at 7 PM CST and will be broadcast locally on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the second of four meetings between the teams this season, and the first of two in Dallas. In one of their worst performances of the season, Dallas trav…
Wild look to end Texas misfortunes tonight
Two weeks ago, the Dallas Stars suffered a disheartening loss in Minnesota as the Wild set a team record with three goals in less than a minute.
A rematch at the American Airlines Center should give them a very good chance to avenge that defeat.
The Stars look to win their 15th straight home game over Minnesota on Saturday night in a matchup of teams competing for one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference.
In the first meeting of the season Jan. 21, Dallas (26-22-2) took a 2-1 advantage halfway through the second period on scores from Eric Nystrom and the first career goal of Philip Larsen. That lead quickly disappeared as Cal Clutterbuck, Chad Rau – making his NHL debut – and Kyle Brodziak scored in a 59-second span for the Wild.
Dany Heatley, who has a team-best 17 goals, added a third-period score for Minnesota, which won 5-2 to snap a four-game losing streak and send Dallas to a fifth consecutive defeat.
The Wild (25-19-7), in eighth place in the West and three points ahead of the Stars, have won the last two meetings, but victories in Dallas have been impossible to come by of late.
The Stars have outscored Minnesota 56-28 during their 14-game run at home in the series. It’s Dallas’ longest home winning streak against an opponent in franchise history and Minnesota’s longest road skid to a team.
It’s also the longest active home winning streak by one team over another and tied for 11th longest in NHL history.
Dallas has relied on several players for scoring and defense during this run, as six goaltenders have earned victories.
Kari Lehtonen was between the pipes for both meetings in Dallas last season, stopping 42 of 45 shots, and is expected to get the call again. He struggled in Minnesota last month, however, surrendering four goals on 19 shots in less than two periods of work.
Jamie Benn, who leads the Stars with 31 assists and 46 points, has two goals and an assist in his four career home games against the Wild. Brenden Morrow has four goals and five assists in his last eight home contests in the series.
Although Dallas has dominated the Wild at home, it hasn’t enjoyed much luck against anyone else lately.
The Stars looked particularly sluggish in a 5-2 loss to San Jose on Thursday, getting outshot 37-21 and winning 23 percent of the faceoffs in losing for the sixth time in eight games. The Sharks’ 77 percent faceoff advantage was the best by any team since the lockout.
“There were a lot of frustrating things,” said Steve Ott, who was credited with a goal after San Jose defenseman Dan Boyle put it into his own net. “We didn’t get the result we wanted and collectively there were a lot of little breakdowns.”
One bright spot for the Stars was Benn, who scored for the second straight game after missing five because of an appendectomy. He has six goals and eight assists in his last nine contests.
The Wild arrive in Dallas after a 1-0 win over Colorado on Thursday. Niklas Backstrom, 0-4-2 with a 4.01 goals-against average in six career starts in Dallas, had 37 saves and Greg Zanon scored on Minnesota’s first shot.
It was an encouraging effort by the Wild, who suffered a 5-4 loss to Nashville on Tuesday, a game they led 4-1 with 10:38 left.
“It was an outstanding effort, coming off last game,” coach Mike Yeo said. “Emotionally, it was not easy, but to see our guys respond the way they did says a lot about our group.”
Dallas Stars Get Well Against Anaheim Ducks
The Dallas Stars came back from the All-Star break with a vengeance.With their regular lineup largely reunited, they rolled to a 6-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. This team used its time away from the rink to heal and gear up for the stretch run.A year ago Dallas staggered out of the break and went 1-8-1 in its first 10 games down the stretch. Since the Stars came out of this break in 10th place in the Western Conference, it couldn’t afford to follow that unhappy pattern.The Stars failed to score more than two goals in their last six games before the break. So Wednesday night’s offensive breakout was notable.Here were the highlights:
Back after missing five games due to an appendectomy, Jamie Benn led the assault with a goal and two assists. Linemate Steve Ott had two assists.
Their linemate Michael Ryder had a goal and two assists after failing to register a point in his previous six games. He had not scored a goal in his previous 10 games.
Center Mike Ribeiro had an assist in hi…
Stars dominate the Ducks in a 6-2 win
Final
Dallas 6 – Anaheim 2
Boy, I’m not sure the Stars could have asked for a much better start after the game last night. The Stars had one of their most complete games of the season as six different players scored a goal and Kari Lehtonen flashed his number one goalie skills again. Eric Nystrom, Sheldon Souray and Michael Ryder got themselves back onto the goalsheet, Stephane Robidas scored a power-play (POWER-PLAY!!) goal and Jamie Benn had an absolutely filthy goal as he turned Jonas Hiller inside out.
There were initial signs of rust for Dallas when the game started but that faded away after the first ten minutes of the game. The freshly healthy team looked spry and energetic, the first and third lines especially. Super accurate Jamie Benn had a grown-man’s goal when he got in behind the defense, deked Hiller out of his pads and then roofed the puck with considerable force. His return had an immediate impact on the team.
Dallas had a bit of trouble on the defensive …
Stars 6, Ducks 2
Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists in his return from a five-game absence, Michael Ryder also had a goal and two assists, and the Dallas Stars slowed the Anaheim Ducks’ roll with a 6-2 victory Wednesday night in their first game back from the All-Star break.
Eric Nystrom, Vernon Fiddler and defensemen Stephane Robidas and Sheldon Souray also scored for the Stars, who beat Anaheim in back-to-back meetings eight days apart.
Those two wins are Dallas’ only victories since Jan. 12 and the Ducks’ only games without earning a point since Jan. 4. The Stars have won four of five against their Pacific Division rivals this season.
Kari Lehtonen made 33 saves for the Stars, who peppered Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller and took a 3-1 lead in the first period when Benn scored in his return from an emergency appendectomy after playing his first All-Star game last weekend.
Matt Beleskey and Luca Sbisa scored, and Hiller stopped 20 shots as Anaheim lost for just the third time in 12 games, snapping a six-game home winning streak. The Ducks hadn’t allowed six goals since Nov. 25 against Chicago.
In the opener of a four-game homestand, the Ducks regressed to the early-season form that put them near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, a position that hasn’t changed even with their recent success. The Ducks opened their post-break schedule with a dominant 4-1 win at Phoenix on Tuesday night, their ninth victory in 11 games.
Nystrom, Fiddler and Benn scored 3:54 apart in the first period for the Stars, erasing Anaheim’s early lead after Beleskey’s shot caromed off Robidas’ stick and floated over Lehtonen’s shoulder.
Just 11 seconds into a second-period power play, Robidas ripped a slap shot into the top corner of Hiller’s net for his third goal of the season. Sbisa scored his third goal on a pass from Teemu Selanne moments later, but Souray scored 36 seconds into the third period.
The Ducks had plenty of strong offensive chances, just as they did last week when the Stars beat them 1-0 in Dallas.
Ryder, who hadn’t scored in the Stars’ previous six games, punctuated his fourth three-point game of the season with a goal in the final minutes.
Dallas, which began its post-break schedule in a three-way tie for 10th place in the conference standings, is hoping to avoid another skid after the All-Star festivities. The Stars went 1-8-1 out of the break last season, missing the playoffs for the third straight year.
Benn and captain Brenden Morrow both returned to the Stars’ lineup after injuries. Morrow missed the Stars’ previous meeting with Anaheim because of an upper-body injury.
Anaheim went 9-2-1 during a dynamite January, but is still stuck in 13th place in the conference because its first three months were horrible, leading to coach Randy Carlyle’s firing.
NOTES: Ducks RW Corey Perry played in his 500th NHL game, and F Bobby Ryan played in his 300th. … Before the game, Anaheim recalled RW Kyle Palmieri from its AHL affiliate in Syracuse. … Dallas D Philip Larsen played regularly after returning from the minors on Monday.
Ducks handed tough home loss by Stars
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists in his return from a five-game absence, Michael Ryder also had a goal and two assists, and the Dallas Stars slowed the Anaheim Ducks’ roll with a 6-2 victory Wednesday night in their first game back from the All-Star break.
Eric Nystrom, Vernon Fiddler and defensemen Stephane Robidas and Sheldon Souray also scored for the Stars, who beat Anaheim in back-to-back meetings eight days apart.
Those two wins are Dallas’ only victories since Jan. 12 and the Ducks’ only games without earning a point since Jan. 4. The Stars have won four of five against their Pacific Division rivals this season.
Kari Lehtonen made 33 saves for the Stars, who peppered Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller and took a 3-1 lead in the first period when Benn scored in his return from an emergency appendectomy after playing his first All-Star game last weekend.
Matt Beleskey and Luca Sbisa scored, and Hiller stopped 20 shots as Anaheim lost for just the third time in 12 games, snapping a six-game home winning streak. The Ducks hadn’t allowed six goals since Nov. 25 against Chicago.
In the opener of a four-game homestand, the Ducks regressed to the early-season form that put them near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, a position that hasn’t changed even with their recent success. The Ducks opened their post-break schedule with a dominant 4-1 win at Phoenix on Tuesday night, their ninth victory in 11 games.
Nystrom, Fiddler and Benn scored 3:54 apart in the first period for the Stars, erasing Anaheim’s early lead after Beleskey’s shot caromed off Robidas’ stick and floated over Lehtonen’s shoulder.
Just 11 seconds into a second-period power play, Robidas ripped a slap shot into the top corner of Hiller’s net for his third goal of the season. Sbisa scored his third goal on a pass from Teemu Selanne moments later, but Souray scored 36 seconds into the third period.
The Ducks had plenty of strong offensive chances, just as they did last week when the Stars beat them 1-0 in Dallas.
Ryder, who hadn’t scored in the Stars’ previous six games, punctuated his fourth three-point game of the season with a goal in the final minutes.
Dallas, which began its post-break schedule in a three-way tie for 10th place in the conference standings, is hoping to avoid another skid after the All-Star festivities. The Stars went 1-8-1 out of the break last season, missing the playoffs for the third straight year.
Benn and captain Brenden Morrow both returned to the Stars’ lineup after injuries. Morrow missed the Stars’ previous meeting with Anaheim because of an upper-body injury.
Anaheim went 9-2-1 during a dynamite January, but is still stuck in 13th place in the conference because its first three months were horrible, leading to coach Randy Carlyle’s firing.
NOTES: Ducks RW Corey Perry played in his 500th NHL game, and F Bobby Ryan played in his 300th. … Before the game, Anaheim recalled RW Kyle Palmieri from its AHL affiliate in Syracuse. … Dallas D Philip Larsen played regularly after returning from the minors on Monday.
Stars activate captain Brenden Morrow
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars have activated captain Brenden Morrow from the injured list in time for the team’s return from the All-Star break.
The Stars made the move Tuesday, a day before resuming the season at Anaheim. The 33-year-old Morrow missed the last game before the break against the Ducks with a lower body injury.
The Stars center has 22 points, including eight goals, in 41 games.
Brenden Morrow… Could They? Would They?
Whenever there’s less than a month to go before the NHL trade deadline (February 27 this year), there are bound to be lots of wild rumours bouncing off the walls. One such wild rumour had Corey Perry on his way to the Vancouver Canucks for Corey Schneider, Keith Ballard and Mason Raymond. This is of course a ridiculous trade, one that doesn’t meet the Ducks needs at all. Yet, somehow there were a lot of Canucks fans that didn’t want the reasonably priced, highly skilled and gritty Hart Trophy winner from a year ago in exchange for a back-up goalie, sixth defenceman and third line winger. But I digress.
There’s always a lot of names that get tossed around before the trade deadline, but when Bob McKenzie brings up a name, people take notice. Bob McKenzie is reporting that Brenden Morrow may become available before the trade deadline. If Morrow becomes available, Mike Gillis will surely be one of the first people in line to put forth an offer.
McKenzie goes on t…
Stars active Jamie Benn in time for All-Star game
The Dallas Stars have activated forward Jamie Benn from injured reserve in time for him to participate in the All-Star game.
Benn missed five games while recovering from an emergency appendectomy. He’s expected to play in Sunday’s All-Star game in Ottawa and be back in the lineup when the Stars return from the break Tuesday at Anaheim.
The 22-year-old Benn has 13 goals and 29 assists.
The Stars also sent Tomas Vincour, Philip Larsen and Matt Fraser to the Texas Stars of the AHL.
Stars place forward Benn on injured reserve
All-Star forward Jamie Benn was put on injured reserve by the Dallas Stars Sunday night, and forward Matt Fraser was called up from the Texas Stars in return.
Benn is still out after undergoing appendectomy surgery, missing four games as he recovers.
Benn has 13 goals, a team-high 29 assists and is second on the Stars with 42 points.
Fraser, who has yet to make his NHL debut, is a sniper in the AHL, scoring 21 goals in 40 games.
Dallas is 24-21-2 for 50 points, good for third-place in the Pacific Division.
