Tag Archives: Glen Gulutzan

Stars’ Late Surge Beats Oilers 4-1

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Photo by Andy Devlin

Photo by Andy Devlin

After three days of rest and practice, the Stars found themselves back in Edmonton for the second time in their last three games. The game was not pretty, but as they tend to do in Edmonton (where they’re 10-1-2 in their last 13 games), the Stars found a way to win, 4-1.

First Period
Despite the three days of rest and practice, the Stars started the game looking lackadaisical. The forwards seemed a step slow, taking an extra second to make decisions, which caused opportunities to be missed. The teams exchanged early power plays, and while both teams looked impressive, neither could score a goal on special teams.

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Benn Scores Twice in Stars’ 3-2 Victory

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Photo by Michael Martin

Photo by Michael Martin

Tonight the Stars faced a team in Colorado that, as DallasNews.com writer Mike Heika noted, is very similar to them. Both teams are grooming young players, changing lines every game, and are dealing with key injuries. Stars coach Glen Gulutzan attempted to more evenly distribute skill by shaking up his lines, moving Tomas Vincour to the second line, and Michael Ryder to the third line with Cody Eakin. Would the line juggling result in a more sustained attack?

First Period
The Stars came out of a gate with a sense of urgency to keep the puck in the offensive zone. Guys were swarming around the puck and forechecking like they’ve been forechecked by other teams this season. The Stars took the lead early when Jamie Benn poached a pass intended for Mike Hunwick, crossed over to his forehand and fired the puck under Varlamov’s right blocker. Continue reading →

Several Stars Impress in 2-1 Win

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The Stars’ first two games have given their fans a lot to think about. A thrilling 4-3 victory on opening night had them on Cloud 9, but then a 0-1 loss had the fans second-guessing their elation. Tonight’s 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings should have them feeling a bit better.

A big question coming into tonight’s game was whether or not the Stars could get any offensive production outside the first line. That question was answered early in the first period when the second line of Ryder, Eakin and Whitney netted a goal. Eakin, who took Wandell’s spot in the second line, gained possession of a loose puck and shuttled it to Ryder, who took it across the ice and whipped a no-look shot past Jimmy Howard.

Eakin was extremely impressive tonight, winning loose pucks, pestering opposing players and facilitating the offense. Eakin picked up his second point of the night when he got the second assist on Ryder’s second goal of the night.

Those two goals got past Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard, but he was a stone wall for Detroit tonight. The Stars had many good chances, including 17 in the second period, but thanks to a number of ridiculous saves, Detroit was able to stay within striking distance for much of the game.

Kari Lehtonen was equal to the task. Kari was fantastic, even as the Dallas defense broke down in front of him. Dallas allowed Detroit 16 chances in the third period, while only mustering 5 of their own. A puck finally got by Kari with 3 seconds left, but it was too late for Detroit by then. The Stars are lucky that Lehtonen seems to be in midseason form despite the long lockout.

Also impressive tonight was Trevor Daley, who was charging the opposition’s net all night. He was standing next to the goal when Ryder’s goal when in, and he created a shorthanded chance for Loui Eriksson by speeding into open space and stretching the defense. The Stars need an agressive defenseman, and I think Daley can fill that role, albiet in an a-typical way for a defenseman. The Stars can encourage this behavior from Daley by giving him neutral zone draw opportunities (as opposed to defensive zone draws), and there were signs that they were doing that tonight.

Jordie Benn and Brenden Dillion looked improved tonight and will only benefit from the increased on ice time they’re seeing. Still though, the Stars’ defense gave up 40 shots again, which is a number I’m sure Glen Gulutzan will be looking to reduce.

Considering the Red Wings were coming off a back-to-back and are struggling mightily defensively, it might be easy to dismiss this win a bit.  But there were definite signs of improvement, it was a win on the road, and a win without their best player, Jamie Benn. There is still a lot of work to be done, but there are some encouraging signs as well.

Jagr, Stars Defeat Coyotes in a 4-3 Thriller

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Jagr

That was an important win for the Stars on home ice, in front of a sellout crowd, after a long lockout.

Jaromir Jagr introduced himself to the Dallas crowd in supreme fashion, finishing the night with 4 points from 2 goals and 2 assists. Jagr looked completely in form, charging hard beyond Phoenix’s defense on many occasions and opening up lanes for teammates when the defense stuck with him. I don’t doubt that his work in the KHL during the lockout kept him sharp.

Another 40 year old new addition to the team, Ray Whitney, also had a great night. Ray contributed 2 points from 1 goals and 1 assist.

Aside from the new additions, the Eakin-Smith-Garbutt line looked, dare I say, pesky. They held the puck in the offensive end and won many loose pucks.

While the game was extremely free-flowing in the first period, the referees remembered they had whistles and used them in the 2nd period. The Stars were on the penalty kill 5 times in the period, and paid the price twice.

The Stars’ defensive inexperience has fans worried, and their fears are not misplaced. The Stars gave up 40 shots, and Jordie Benn looked very uncertain of himself. He played tentatively and gave up a bad goal when his errant pass left Kari Lehtonen hanging out to dry. Benn didn’t have much time to wallow in sorrow, as Gulutzan put him right back out there on the next shift. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Brenden Dillon played aggressively and effectively. Luckily for the Stars, Kari Lehtonen was up to the task, stopping 37 shots on the night.

The Dallas Star who is most pleased with this result might not have been in the building tonight. Had the Stars lost this game, the fans would have definitely been thinking about what Jamie Benn could have contributed to the team. Now, Jagr and Whitney have the spotlight and the media’s focus, and both sides of the negotiations aren’t feeling as much heat as they would if the Stars lost tonight. Once Benn does join the team, it’ll be very exciting to see him skating with Whitney and the legendary Jagr.