Dallas Stars: Two Players Going For Medals At World Championships
By Josh Clark
The World Championships are quickly approaching a close, but a few Dallas Stars still remain. Of the five Stars that headed to Denmark to compete, two still remain and are one win out from the gold medal game.
The Dallas Stars sent a solid stock of young talent to the 2018 World Championships in Denmark. And after 14 days of excitement, things are finally coming to a close as the playing field narrows.
There’s a lot to be said about what Stars players have done for their home countries in the tournament. Miro Heiskanen achieved all sorts of fun statistics and metrics that only further proved the promise he carries as an 18-year-old. In addition, Julius Honka and Radek Faksa both made noteworthy contributions to their teams.
But those three are now heading home after being eliminated in the first round of the playoff. Radek Faksa and the Czechs were ousted in the first round of the eight-team playoff bracket. Though Faksa had an assist in the game, the Czechs could not recover from a slow start against the USA and fell 3-2.
Heiskanen, Honka and the rest of Team Finland were also knocked out in the first round in a surprise upset from the Swiss. The Finns took an early lead but the Swiss tacked on three goals in the second for their own 3-2 win.
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So as three Dallas Stars players head home short of the goal, it’s still worth noting all that they did. Faksa finished the tournament with three assists and a +1 and played in all eight games for the Czechs. Honka leaves the tournament with one assist and a +2 rating along with a full eight games under his belt. And finally, Heiskanen tallied two assists and an incredible +7 rating in a full slate of games.
But while they head home, the tournament rages on. And there are still two Dallas Stars left in the mix.
Both Mattias Janmark and John Klingberg are making a push with Team Sweden right now. After defeating Latvia 3-2 using the help of some newly-arrived Nashville Predators, the Swedes are now in the final four. But Janmark and Klingberg have been two solid catalysts in getting the team there.
While playing primarily on the first line, Janmark has three goals and nine points in eight games. Klingberg, on the other hand, has one goal and five points along with a +4 in the full slate. Both players are contributing on a regular basis to the Swedish attack and helped Sweden finish with a perfect 7-0-0 record and the top spot in Group A.
The Swedes are searching for their second straight gold medal after defeating Canada in the finals last year. John Klingberg was a member of that winning team in 2017, tallying two goals and six points along with a +7 rating.
Their next matchup comes on Saturday morning against a very good USA team that knocked out the Czechs in round one. The Americans finished in second place in pool play in Group B, just behind Finland.
If Sweden can get through that, they will be guaranteed a medal as they advance to the championship game against either Canada or the Swiss. If they lose, they will play for bronze against the other losing club.
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Two Dallas Stars remain in the fold. Either both will walk away with a medal or neither will. But either way, the World Championships have provided extra experience for all five skaters. That’s irreplaceable.