Well, you could tell the Stars were still tired from the string of games they've played recently. The Stars have played 11 games in 19 days, which is more than usual because of the Olympic Break this season. However, it doesn't excuse the effort that was displayed on the ice last night. You could tell everyone was exhausted and just wanted to celebrate Tyler Seguin and go home. Florida looked like the team that had all the coffee they wanted.
Hopefully, the Stars kick back and relax tomorrow and get rested up for their upcoming slate of games. It's not going to get any easier with the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night, and then traveling to the West Coast for a back-to-back against the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks. We will discuss the Stars' upcoming schedule through the end of 2025 on Monday morning. Here are some news tidbits to get you through this off day for the Dallas Stars.
Dallas Stars News: Tyler Seguin's 1000th game celebration
The one thing that lifted everybody's heart last night was seeing Tyler Seguin receive his 1000th-game silver stick before the hockey game. I hope the customized golf cart comes in handy when he retires. I know the man loves to golf just like Papa Joe does. It was good to see him walking around after he tore his ACL against the New York Rangers. After coming back from hip surgery, seeing him back on the LTIR is something that you don't want to see.
I also do appreciate that Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers came out to watch the ceremony before the game. Sometimes opponents stay in the locker room a bit longer when a team has a pregame ceremony. You see the word class next to Maurice's name in the dictionary. I hope the Panthers have a good remainder of their season and they remain healthy for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have a good team culture, as the Stars' organization does.
Dallas Stars News: Nino Niederreiter's 1000th game celebration
Another player in the Central Division received his silver stick as well last night. Nino Niederreiter became the first Swiss-born player to reach the 1,000 game plateau as well. I loved how everyone except him wore the number 64 on the back of their jerseys during warmups. They have a great team culture in Winnipeg as well. They won 5-1 against the Washington Capitals. They also got Connor Hellebuyck back, so it seems like they had a good night in Winnipeg.
Dallas Stars News: Welcome the Los Angeles Kings to town
The Dallas Stars are hosting the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night. It will be the final time that Anže Kopitar will be playing at the American Airlines Center. He's had a historic career with the Kings, playing his entire career with the franchise. If you want to see him lace the skates up one more time, tomorrow will be the final chance to do so. I hope Jamie Benn and the Stars make sure to give him some respect following the game on Monday night. Stay tuned for tomorrow morning for more news around the league.