Saturday, April 13, 2013

Dallas Stars Game 40: The Good and the Bad

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Dallas Stars win 5-2 at the Nashville Predators.
Shots: Dallas 18, Nashville 28
PP: Dallas 1/3, Nashville 1/3

The Good:

Alex Chiasson- So happy for this youngster, getting called up and taking advantage of ice time on the top line. He scored two goals, again showing his nose for the net and his ability to finish. His second goal was a bit fortunate and one that Mason definitely wants to have back, but the ability to take the puck, skate it up ice, realize he can't make a good pass on the rush and send it on net is very good to see.

Dallas goal #4- Chiasson entered the zone and cycled the puck down low for Whitney. Whitney skated up the boards and sent a tremendous pass across the zone, behind the defense and right to Chiasson who was driving the net. Chiasson just had to tap the puck in between Mason's legs for the goal. 

Another view of just how behind the defense Chiasson was on his first goal.

Dallas goal #5- Chiasson skated the puck out from the Dallas zone and led a 3-2 rush into the Nashville zone. He wristed the puck in from the top of the right circle.


Richard Bachman- Again solid in net. He stopped 26 of 28 shots and he had some tremendous saves on in-close opportunities, especially on the PK. Looks like he might have found his form of old. Good to see have back-to-back solid performances in a fill-in role during a critical push for the playoffs.

One of the best saves of the night for Bachman, and this was on the PK.

Cashing in on chances- The Stars only took 18 shots. 18 all game. And on those 18 they scored 5 goals. That's taking advantage of your opportunities.

Power play- The power play has looked great the past week, but they simply couldn't put it in the back of the net with the man advantage. They finally broke that goose egg on Whitney's one-timer to the left of the Nashville goal.
Dallas goal #2- Fiddler sends a pass from the left of the goal to Nystrom in front. The puck missed him and went to Goligoski at the point. Goligoski sent the puck cross-ice to Whitney who one-timed it in from the left circle.

4th line- Roussel stood up for the team in a good fight and the line combined for a goal. They were fast and physical. Wandell scored a goal, Garbutt had a skillful assist and they combined for 8 hits, all in little over 9 minutes of ice time each.

Dallas goal #3- Bachman stops a puck from reaching the trapezoid to his right. Goligoski makes a long up-ice pass to Roussel at the Nashville blue line. He passed the puck up the boards to Garbutt who centerd the puck off his backhand to Wandell. Wandell drove the net and tapped in the feed from Garbutt.



The Bad:

Still seeing some of the same defensive problems- Still, there are some turnovers in the defensive zone, bad first passes out of the zone and some sloppy coverage down low. Nothing new to add here, really. It's good that the forwards are coming back a little more in swarms of support, but it's still a little troubling to see some of the same problems to continue to plague the team in their own zone.

Nashville goal #2- A little sloppy play in the neutral zone and back on defense allowed Butler to skate in the zone and take a wicked wrist shot from the right circle. It was perfectly placed over Bachman's left shoulder and the crossbar. 

Faceoffs- Benn won 6 of 15, Eakin won 8 of 13, Fiddler won 7 of 16, Wandell won 5 of 11.



Lines seen tonight:
Whitney-Benn-Chiasson
Fraser-Eakin-Eriksson
Nystrom-Fiddler-Cole
Garbutt-Wandell-Roussel
Daley-Robidas
Dillon-Goligoski
Rome-Larsen

PP- Eriksson-Benn-Chiasson-Whitney-Goligoski
PP- Nystrom-Fiddler-Cole-Daley-Robidas
PK- Fiddler-Nystrom-Daley-Robidas
PK- Eakin-Eriksson-Daley-Robidas (rome in when robidas in box)
PK- Fiddler-Cole-Dillon-Goligoski (Nystrom in box)


Notable Notes:

Nashville goal #1- On the PP, Legwand sent a pass from the left circle down to Hornqvist to the left of the Dallas net. He kicked the puck out front across the crease and Beck buried it behind Bachman.

Clune scored a goal in the third period, but it was waved off due to a distinct kicking motion.


Clune passed by the Stars bench and apparently said something to challenge the team. Immediately off the following faceoff, Roussel dropped the mitts with Clune. It was a haymaker-trading fight that was pretty even throughout.


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