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Dallas Stars Rout Lightning, Snag First Preseason Win

By Josh Clark

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The Dallas Stars were 0-2-0 in the preseason going into Saturday night. Nothing had seemed to go right up until that point, and the Stars just could not gain enough traction to produce a win. They had been outscored 9-2 in the first two games, including being shut out 6-0 against the St. Louis Blues with starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen in net the entire game.

More From Blackout Dallas – Dallas Stars Hunting For First Preseason Win Against Tampa Bay

Saturday night was the Dallas Stars first home preseason game of the year, and a big response was necessary. Needless to say, they rose to the occasion.

The Stars dug in on offense and did not look back until they had finished what turned out to be a 6-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Lightning, who fell just short of the Stanley Cup last season, were taken down by a Dallas Stars lineup consisting mainly of young prospects. Out of the 12 total forwards that played Saturday, only four of them were NHL regulars, and only five had ever competed in an NHL game in their career. On defense, the Stars started three prospects who are considered “knocking on the door” in regards to moving up to full-time NHL players.

But possibly the biggest thing Stars fans were looking at Saturday night was the debut of two of the newest Dallas Stars. This past offseason, GM Jim Nill made three noteworthy acquisitions by trading for Antti Niemi and Patrick Sharp and signing Johnny Oduya.

Saturday night, Stars fans finally got a taste of what the upcoming season may hold in regards to these new players and their success. While Oduya did not play and has yet to debut, Sharp and Niemi did. Both definitely had their strong points to show off in front of a new friendly home crowd.

Sharp played on a line with Tyler Seguin tonight, and the rumors continue to swirl that the two will start on the first line together at the beginning of the season. The duo combined for five points, including two goals from Seguin and one from Sharp. They matched each other well and helped each other succeed through the majority of the game.

The Stars crease was a difficult burden last season, and Niemi was brought in to help stop the bleeding. He made 16 saves on 19 shots against Tampa Bay, but was not necessarily as poor as these numbers say. Here is a quote from head coach Lindy Ruff‘s post-game interview with Stars Inside Edge:

“I thought we got three or four real good saves out of him,” Ruff said. “I don’t think there was anything he could have done on the first goal. He made three saves on the third one. He probably wants the second one back. I liked him. I liked him. A small detail, he played the puck well. He got out and made some real good decisions to our defensemen, and we were out of the zone right away. That’s a big deal.”

The other three goals were scored by Brendan Ranford, Esa Lindell, and Cole Ully. It was Ully’s first NHL goal, and it was a beauty on the backhand.

So it looks as though all of the new players are settling in well and already beginning to make an impact. For highlights from the Stars-Lightning game, click here. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see Patrick Sharp’s celebration after his first goal in Victory Green?

Next: The Stars May Own The Best Looking Line In Hockey

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