Wrapping Up The Dallas Stars Successful Week

The Dallas Stars seem to have left the losing plague behind them for good, going 2-0 this past week in two road showdowns. These wins come off the heels of a seven game losing streak in which the Stars only seized two points over a span of seventeen days.

It seems like a lot longer than six days since the Dallas Stars tallied their most recent loss. After holding a dominant lead of 3-1 entering the third period against the San Jose Sharks last Saturday night, they fell apart at the seams in a mere 17 minutes and ended up with another loss that really shot the fan-base’s hopes in the foot. But with wins against the Arizona Coyotes and the Los Angeles Kings, it looks like head coach Lindy Ruff has whipped them into shape.

The Dallas Stars faced off with the Arizona Coyotes in the desert on Tuesday night, searching for more than a win, but merely searching for themselves and a full team effort. After falling down 2-0 early, the Stars were able to pull even off of two Tyler Seguin goals, and then enter the third with momentum, something they had not been good with for two weeks and counting. With precious minutes dwindling on the clock, Erik Cole was able to cash in on the rebound and put the Dallas Stars ahead for their first lead of the game. Mere seconds later, Mikkel Boedker capitalized and tied the game. The Coyotes were granted a power play with 2:10 left in the game, leaving many Stars fans hopeless due to the Stars pathetic penalty kill that they had exhibited recently. But Ryan Garbutt found his chance and broke free pass the Coyotes defense to score shorthanded and win the game 4-3 for the Stars. Dallas had broken their apparent curse and had pulled out two points in a very lopsided win.

Thursday night was a different story. The Dallas Stars headed for the Staples Center to take on the defending Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings, who had already beaten them once prior to the matchup this season. The Stars came out without hesitation and put forth a threatening attack, which helped them to get on the board in the first period with a Ryan Garbutt goal. Later, the Super Line of Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza, and Tyler Seguin, got to work with a couple of crafty passes that led to a Jason Spezza snipe. With a few stellar, and I mean STELLAR, saves from Kari Lehtonen, the Stars pulled away with a 2-0 victory to win their second straight.

Three main players from these two games deserve recognition for their tremendous play:

Ryan Garbutt:

Garbutt has pulled off two goals in two games for the Stars, and they have both turned out to be the game-winners. He continues to play scrappy and always fight for the loose puck, and it is finally paying off.

Kari Lehtonen:

Lehtonen has been phenomenal over the last two matchups. He has saved 61 of his last 64 and has added a few game-changers into the mix. He continues to keep up his steady and smart style of play.

John Klingberg:

Klingberg, as I so boldly called, has definitely saved this Dallas Stars’ defense for the time being. He has a +2 rating and has played the puck very smart, making sure not to commit any lousy turnovers. He looks like he will be staying for a while, and that’s just what Stars fans want to hear.

Practice update:

Patrick Eaves is out “for a little bit.” He took a puck off of his foot last night and was seen in a boot this morning. Ruff says there is no extensive damage, but that he will need a few games to recover. Enter Travis Moen, who cleared immigration and is skating with the Stars, but he will not play in tomorrow afternoon’s tilt against the Wild. Ruff says he wants to let Moen skate a few more practices and get acquainted with the team a little more. So, now, enter Ales Hemsky. Hemsky was a healthy scratch against LA last night, mainly due to his recent struggle to put up points on his stat sheet. He will be able to fill the Stars void for the time being.

Make sure to stay updated to Blackout Dallas for up-to-date info on tomorrow’s game!

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