Dallas Stars Game 37: The Good and the Bad

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Dallas Stars win 3-1 at the Anaheim Ducks

Shots: Dallas 25, Anaheim 28

PP: Dallas 0/6, Anaheim 0/4

The Good:

Work level- The Stars’ effort has gone up a notch throughout the lineup since the youth movement. Lead or no lead, PK or PP, with and without the puck, they work their tails off. They work hard, finish their checks and hustle all three zones of the ice. Their skill level may not be up to par with some other NHL teams, but this work level will keep them in some games and even help give them two points like in this game.

Penalty kill- 4-for-4 on the kill and they created four short-handed chances. Nystrom and Cole were excellent on the kill. Cole created a couple of the short-handed opportunities and did well getting the puck out of the zone. Nystrom, as always, did great winning battles for the puck and along the boards and clearing. Best of all was his short-handed goal. He simply outhustled the Ducks and made a move around Fasth to get the eventual game-winner.

Dallas goal #2- Fiddler clears the puck and Nystrom outhustles everyone to get to it. Fasth came out to play the puck, but was caught in the middle of nowhere when Nystrom got to the puck first. Nystrom made a move to his left and put the puck into the gaping net. 

Alex Chiasson- Another great game for the youngster. He showed great hustle and positioning on his first NHL goal. He had two other good chances on net. One was slightly broken up by Souray and then stopped by a sprawling Fasth. The other chance was when Chiasson tipped a puck from the high slot that sailed by Fasth but rang off the post and out. Again, he finished his checks, was strong on the boards and hustled all over the ice.

Dallas goal #3- Chiasson entered the zone and passed the puck to Fiddler on his left. Chiasson drove to the net and Fiddler centered the puck. Chiasson got in position behind Fowler, shielded him off and tipped the puck into the net.

He was beyond ecstatic after scoring and later said he didn't remember what happened after he saw the puck go in.

Good to see him get his first. 

A chance for Chiasson earlier in the first period. Souray partially blocked the pass to Chiasson and Fasth made the save when Chiasson couldn't get a clean shot off.

Chiasson had another good chance on a tip in the high slot that rang off the post.

Kari Lehtonen- Of course. As usual. He did have help from his teammates this game, especially late in the third when Allen took 4 or 5 shots that were blocked out front by Fiddler and Souray. The only goal that was scored on him was a fluke. The puck was shot in, and it took a strange hop off the glass and headed straight to the net. Lehtonen made the save, but the puck sat next to the goal as two Ducks were first to jump on the opportunity. Other than that, he was always in position, he saw the puck well through crowds and did a great job controlling his rebounds. He did have two hit off the post, which also helps of course.  

Perry made an unbelievable move around Rome and in traffic and still got a very strong shot off that Lehtonen kicked out. 

Lehtonen made a solid save on a blast by Beauchemin on an Anaheim power play. The best part of the save was his swallowing the puck, not allowing a rebound because Perry was on the doorstep with no one to stop him.

Goligoski turned the puck near the blue line, but Lehtonen came up huge on the ensuing breakaway. 

This was another great save by Lehtonen on a 1-on-1 with an Anaheim player. 

Faceoffs- Benn won 2 of 10, Eakin won 11 of 17, Fiddler won 8 of 15, Chiasson won 5 of 6 and Roussel, Nystrom and Cole combined to win 6 of 8.

The Bad:

Power play- Yes it was very dangerous, but with being so dangerous and getting so many opportunities, you have to get one in. I understand the last one was simply to kill the clock and secure the win, but take into account the other power play opportunities before that.The Stars ended up 0-for-5 but they had too many chances and too much room on the ice to not get a goal. I counted 18 shots taken, 9 made it to Fasth and were stopped.

Whitney one-timers- He took 6 that I counted. All of them were in dangerous range of the goal and quality opportunities, but here’s what happened to them: whiffed on one, shanked one, hit the post on one and had three saved by Fasth. He had an open net on two of them and the rest he was on the doorstep or closer than the hashmarks.

This was Whitney's one-timer that rang off the left post as time expired in the period.

This was Whitney's whiff on a wide open net during a power play.

Turnovers- Stars still have a problem with these in their own zone. In the three games against the Ducks this week, it was most evident in this game. There were times where the Stars couldn’t get out of their zone for 20, 30 even 60 seconds. They force bad passes or are pensively attempting to clear the zone. We’ve seen agreesive two-man forechecks give the Stars major problems getting out of the zone, but that coupled with errors they create themselves are probably the biggest problems of the team this season. They were strong down low, winning battled behind the net, but they simply couldn’t get the puck past the blue line.

Lines seen tonight:

Whitney-Benn-Chiasson

Fraser-Eakin-Eriksson

Nystrom-Fiddler-Cole

Macdermid-Roussel-Garbutt

Daley-Robidas

Dillon-Goligoski

Rome-Larsen

PP-Eriksson-Benn-Cole-Whitney-Robidas

PP-Nystrom-Eakin-Fraser-Daley-Goligoski

PK- Fiddler-Nystrom-Daley-Robidas

PK- Eakin-Cole-Goligoski-Dillon

PK- Garbutt-Roussel-Daley-Robidas

PK- Benn-Eriksson-Goligoski-Dillon

PK- Eakin-Cole-Goligoski-Rome

Notable Notes:

Dallas goal #1- Garbutt makes a little behind-the-back pass to Roussel as he enters the zone. Roussel passes it up to MacDermid as he headed to the net. MacDermid shielded the puck and backhanded the puck in. 

Anaheim goal #1- A dump in takes a weird bounce off the glass and heads straight at Lehtonen. He makes the save, but the rebound sits to the right of the net. Steckel skated behind the net and passed it to Cogliano in front for the one-timer.

Benn scored a goal near center ice in the third period, but it was disallowed because Chiasson was offsides. His shot bounced off the glass and went between Fasth's legs.

This was a short-handed 2-on-0 breakaway chance but Benn whiffed on Eriksson's shot. 

One of the best hits of the night. 

Lehtonen made a save and the puck went straight up in the air. No one knew where it was before it landed inches from the goal line. Roussel was there to try to clear the puck out as it bounced wide.

This was one of the two post shots by the Ducks. Koivu shot this one off Lehtonen's glove and off the crossbar. Later in the game, Selanne sent one between Lehtonen's legs but off the right post and out. 

Roussel and Etem dropped the gloves in a long, even fight that ended when their energy ran out.