Dallas Stars Morning After Thoughts: “Wow, What A Win”

It’s funny how the Dallas Stars played their first game of the regular season last night, yet it still seems like the game has yet to occur. This is probably because the hype is still radiating strong throughout the hearts of Stars fans.

More From Blackout Dallas – Dallas Stars Shine Bright, Down Penguins 3-0

The Dallas Stars pulled out all the bells and whistles Thursday night at home in front of a very welcoming crowd. Putting together a stellar showing on offense, surprisingly decent defensive play, and a lockdown performance in the crease, the Stars downed the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 on opening night.

That is a very exciting team, and if you are a huge and passionate Stars fan, chances are you may not have gotten much sleep because you were full of energy and excitement all night.

There were a few things to note about last night’s contest in regards to the Dallas Stars play, and I took the liberty of neatly arranging them all into a list. Because it’s Friday and the Stars won and lists are always more fun than long paragraphs!

– Mattias Janmark is already growing his legend in Dallas. After being traded to Dallas in exchange for Erik Cole on March 1st, 2015, Stars fans did not know what he was bringing to the table and labeled him as a “years away” type player. Stashing him in the back of their mind was not a good idea. Scoring his first NHL goal in his first NHL game on his first NHL shot is no small matter. Janmark simply looked like he was having fun last night, yet he was still one of the most powerful forces all night.

– Antti Niemi is definitely making his case to be the Dallas Stars legitimate starter and be one of the greatest net-minders in Stars history. It has only been one game, but after a 37 save shutout including four or five high desperation chances, his future looks bright in Victory Green. Not to mention that he leads the team in points at two.

– Ales Hemsky looked light as a feather and had some seriously slick moves to show off. He exhibited his stick-handling strengths on his first goal of the season, and quite possibly his prettiest since joining the club. He tallied two total points last night and looks like there may be a special year in store for him.

– Jyrki Jokipakka learned how to play physical this past offseason. Last year, Jokipakka was deemed ultimately new and shy to the league. Now that he has gained experience at the top level, Jokipakka learned how to use the body and showed it tonight by making a few big hits.

– Cody Eakin was able to keep up with the top line tonight and skated well. But for the most part, the Stars top line was unusually quiet for the majority of the game. A change in positioning may be necessary to see if all lines can succeed, but at least the other three lines found ways to be productive.

– Jamie Benn picked up right where he left off last season, only this time with repaired hips. We’ll see how that turns out.

Last night could not have gone much better for the Dallas Stars. They completely shut down the Pittsburgh Penguins club and ultimately looked like a legitimate contender team. We’ll see how long that lasts. But for now, enjoy the morning. The Dallas Stars are one step closer to going 82-0-0 in 2015-2016. So have a great day, Stars fans!

Next: Dallas Stars Preseason Play Not A Huge Worry Factor

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