Dallas Stars’ Morning After Thoughts: What An Interesting Win
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars are 1-0-0 on the season after putting away the Anaheim Ducks on home ice last night. Here are some first impressions on their first victorious effort of the season.
It may seem like a cool, quiet morning in Dallas, but the excitement and noise is still reverberating throughout the city. That would be due to the Dallas Stars’ victory in their 2016-17 season opener on home ice last night.
In front of a loud, proud, sold out crowd, the Stars pieced together a gritty and impressive 4-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks. The offense was its normal self, the defense put up a very respectable effort, and the goaltending was solid as a rock.
Last night’s season opener was very similar to the one a year ago in the fact that Dallas was outplayed in a couple of areas on the stat sheet, but made sure to grab the upper hand on the ice and eventually close out the game.
This team definitely showed that they have potential, even in the face of injury and absence. They were resilient and passionate throughout the game, and it helped them put Anaheim in a hole and start the season on a solid note.
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!
-One of the prime things that stood out early on about the Stars was their energy. For the first few minutes of the game, they were all over the ice at an extremely fast pace. This energy and speed is what eventually led to a Stephen Johns goal just 3:40 into the game. Multiple penalties later on in the period slightly extinguished the Stars’ jump. But that first goal was crucial to starting off on the right foot.
-At the end of the first period, the shot count sat at 17-1 in favor of the Ducks. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more lopsided shot tally at the end of a period. Surprisingly enough, Dallas was still tied 1-1 at the end of the frame. This was due to the fact that the Stars spent eight of the first 20 minutes on the penalty kill. These three penalties caused Dallas to slightly wander off into inconsistency, but they managed it well.
-The Dallas Stars penalty kill was a thing of beauty last night. Dallas ran with three different PK units, consisting of names like Radek Faksa, Dan Hamhuis, Patrik Nemeth, Antoine Roussel, Jamie Benn, Lauri Korpikoski, Stephen Johns, and Johnny Oduya. Even Jason Spezza, Patrick Sharp, and John Klingberg stepped in and helped out. The penalty killing was crisp, swift, and very effective, going 5/5 on the night.
-On the other hand, the power play could use some work. Dallas went 0/4 on the PP and even gave up a shorthanded goal in the first period.
-One of the more interesting portions of the Stars’ game was that they adopted the “Never, Ever Quit” motto from the Texas Rangers. If Dallas fell into a hole, they quickly and efficiently found themselves a way out. They never trailed in the game and gave Anaheim very little time to be satisfied with a tie game. The Stars never lost control of the status quo, and it helped them win the game.
-The Dallas Stars defense was surprisingly strong. After a lineup shuffle after the first period, the Stars only gave up 18 shots over the final 40 minutes. Patrik Nemeth played a very solid game defensively. Stephen Johns ramped it up on offense. Jordie Benn picked up his intensity. Each defender brought something new and special to the blue line that helped Dallas put together such a successful show.
-The iconic Stars duo of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin was relatively quiet tonight. Besides an early assist for Benn, neither player made any monumental strides during the game. We’ll see if they have something to show in game two.
-The newest Dallas Stars also had big nights in their respective debuts. Adam Cracknell shined bright amongst the others, scoring one goal and tallying one assist, as well as posting a +2 on-ice rating and being named the second star of the game. Lauri Korpikoski scored the Stars’ second goal of the game. Dan Hamhuis also tallied an assist in his Dallas debut. Overall, it was a big night for all the newbies in Victory Green.
–Antti Niemi turned on full “goalie awesomeness” mode last night, carrying Dallas to victory. In his second straight season opener start with the Stars, Niemi snagged the victory by making at least 30 saves. Last night, Niemi went 33-35 for a .943 save percentage. That’s night a half bad way to start off the year.
Next: Niemi Shines In Season Debut Win Over Ducks
I could go on all day with more interesting points or factoids about the win last night, but let’s just remember that the Dallas Stars won against a Pacific Division rival. What an intriguing game it was. Dallas is now 1-0-0 and is one win closer to going 82-0-0. If that isn’t enough to get you excited on a Friday morning, I don’t know what is.
The Stars will now travel to Denver, CO for their next matchup with the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night. Make sure to check back to Blackout Dallas for updates and news regarding the matchup. But until then, enjoy your day, Stars fans! What a win.