Bleacher Report - Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars Trend of Failure on Home Ice Becoming Expected

Ken Armer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:34:50 -0500

After a well put together win in Detroit on Wednesday night, the Stars flew home to do battle with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but appears that they left a bag in the Motor City; the bag containing the Stars' ability to play on home ice.

In one of the more one-sided games this season, the Stars were downed by the Jackets 4-1. Even more impressive, the Stars have generally always been able to count the Jackets as a win since Columbus joined the league, yet no watchful eye could tell that from Thursday's performance.

What's even more insulting is the fact that three of the four Columbus goals came on the man advantage, and the other came short-handed. Can anyone else find an issue here?

If that doesn't make a good, loyal Stars fan sweat a bit then I have information that will. To anyone who has witnessed a game at the American Airlines Center, you know it's a great venue, always a great crowd, and always die-hard supportive. Yet the Stars post a better record outside of Dallas.

At home, the Stars post a 3-3-3, and a record of 6-3-3 on the road. It is true the Stars have been on the road a lot, but the road trip is supposed to be when the wheels fall off, not in front of the home fans.

Even more concerning is the fact that the Stars now play seven of their next nine at home, four of which will be in a row. Anyone else not liking the way the evidence points here?

Sure, the Stars simplify things on the road, that much is clear. Possibly, their focus is better after the long trip, or the team even finds relaxation in the luxury suites they enjoy. Problem is this is a team that's supposed to win in front of their fans, not the other guy's.

The Stars need to learn what is working on the road can work at home. Simplify, don't take stupid penalties, and above all, keep it simple. These tried and true parts of their game have been successful on the road, and for their three wins on home ice.

The Stars consistently put a great product on the ice, and this team is one of the most talent-packed I have seen in years, yet they struggle every other game.

All I know is, after this seven of nine if the Stars don't have their mind together and play like they should I'll pay attention to the baby stars. Not only are AHL tickets cheaper, the Texas Stars also actually win games in Cedar Park (north of Austin)!

The Stars face the New Jersey Devils at 7 PM at American Airlines Center. For those interested in Texas Stars' product they face the Milwaukee Admirals Friday night at Ceder Park Center at 7:30 PM.

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Know the Opposition: The School Up North

David Thurman — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:48:58 -0500

Dave and Drew Thurman (11:45 am)

Mascot: Wolverine (AKA "Skunk Bear")
Stadium: Michigan Stadium (106,201)
Coach: Rich Rodriguez (2nd year at Michigan, 8-15; overall D-1, 68-41)
2008 Record: 3-9
2009 Record: 5-6
Base Offense: Spread
Base Defense: 3-4
Letterman: Returning - 50; Lost - 20
Returning Starters: Offense - 10, Defense - 5, Specialists - 1
Returning Stars: RB Brandon Minor, DE Brandon Graham (pictured)

Notable Alumni:

- Mike Wallace: Host of 60 Minutes
- Barry Larkin: former Cincinnati Red shortstop, 1995 NL MVP
- Branch Rickey: former owner of Dodgers who signed Jackie Robinson
- Larry Paige: co-founder of Google
- Tom Brady: former QB and two-time Superbowl MVP
- Edward Wright: Astronaut; first American to walk in space
- Michael Phelps: Olympic swimmer with 14 career gold medals
- Gerald Ford: 38th President of the United States
- Theodore Kaczynski: The Unabomber

Cheerleading Scouting Report:

For the sake of all parties involved we will skip this section this week, because the sight is too gruesome!

Michigan Overview:

After a 4-0 start, including an upset of Notre Dame, everyone in Ann Arbor was drinking the Rich Rodriguez Kool-Aid. Things haven't been pretty since the early surge though, as the Wolverines have only one win against Delaware State (and no Big Ten victories since a win against IU 36-33 in week four).

Their troubles haven't been because of a lack of offensive output though. They average 31.3 points per game to go along with 391 yards a game. When was the last you heard of a 5-6 team with those sorts of numbers?

Part of the reason the Wolverines are improved offensively this year is because of freshman quarterback Tate Forcier (AKA "Tater Tot"). Though he has had his struggles at times, as any freshman does, Forcier as come up with a lot of big plays this year. On the season he has thrown for 1,824 yards to go along with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions, and also has 230 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

What the Buckeyes will have to watch the most is the innovation of Forcier, who often extends plays in unique ways as things are breaking down. Rodriguez will also use freshman Denard Robinson at QB, who is much more likely to use his legs than his arm.

He has only completed 12 passes all year long, and has 185 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions. He is the third leading rusher on the team, with 320 yards and five touchdowns.

There are about a thousand different receivers who could catch the ball for the Wolverines come Saturday. The guy that has emerged in recent week is Roy Roundtree. He only had two catches on the year going into the Illinois game three weeks ago, and now has 318 yards and three touchdowns on the season.

The Wolverines are also expecting Martavious Odoms (272 yards, one TD) to return this weekend, who was the most consistent receiver on the roster before battling a knee injury the last three weeks.

Also look for Greg Mathews (285 yards, one TD) and Junior Hemingway (263 yards, two TD) to play a role at wideout. At tight end the Buckeyes will have to watch for former Ohio talent Kevin Koger, who has 220 yards and two touchdowns.

At running back, Rodriguez and company will take a huge blow this weekend as top runner Brandon Minor will be out with a shoulder injury (502 yards, 8 TD). That will leave the carries to Carlos Brown who has 480 yards and four touchdowns on the season. He is also banged up though, so also watch for Vincent Smith (244 yards, 1 TD) to take some snaps at running back.

The Wolverine defense, coached by new defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, has been abysmal at best this season. At this rate Robsinson is probably looking at a job with the Big Ten Network, so he can blast successful coaches. His defense is giving up 28.1 points per game and a amazing 400.2 yards per game. Pretty ugly stuff!

The one guy of major note on the defensive side of the ball is Brandon Graham, who has dominated people from the defensive end spot. He has 57 tackles on the season, to go along with 21 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

The rest of the front seven has not been been stellar, but the 164 yards a game rushing they are giving up isn't terrible. Linebackers Stevie Brown, Obi Ezeh, and Jonas Mouton have been active, especially Brown who leads the team in tackles with 73.

Now the secondary on the other hand, has been exposed by about every team they have played. Last week they made Scott Tolzien look like a Heisman candidate as he picked them apart for four touchdowns. Outside of Donovan Warren, they are undersized and outmanned, especially at safety with Mike Williams (5'11'' 188) and Jordan Kovacs (5'10'' 194).

Game Outlook:

When Michigan has the ball a lot will rest on the offensive line and Tate Forcier. Opponents are only averaging 2.7 yards a carry against the Buckeye defense, and with Minor out, that puts a lot of pressure on Forcier to air it out. No doubt Rodriguez will have some things up his sleeve, but the Wolverines will most likely not be able to run the ball with consistency.

So David Moosman and the boys better come prepared to back up their talk this week. The big question will be what defensive line fans will see this Saturday. Will it be the dominating unit that took over the Penn State game or the unit that looked like they had cement cleats against Iowa (*cough* and Purdue *cough*)?

Look for the defense to come out and resemble the Penn State game, especially in scheme. Heacock will show little respect to the Michigan wideouts, jamming them at the line, and forcing Forcier to throw the ball into situations that favor the Buckeyes.

On the other side of the ball, when Ohio State is on offense, expect Tressel to try to pound the ball yet again. Michigan is very undersized, and with Boom and Zoom dominating the last two weeks he will want to wear down their defense. Tressel will probably use Pryor in a larger way this week though.

He always pulls out all the stops in this game, and he knows he has lots of time to get Pryor healthy before the Rose Bowl. The weather should be good enough in Ann Arbor for Pryor to air it out, and a undersized (and slow) UM secondary could mean big plays for guys like Posey, Sanzenbacher, and Small.

Overall, its hard to predict exactly what to expect, especially since Michigan has so many reasons to be motivated for this game. Tressel has obviously been incredible against Michigan, but over most of his tenure winning this game was vital for postseason success.

This year the Buckeyes already have the Rose Bowl clinched, and coming off of two highly emotional games, they will have to overcome the temptation to be flat. With that said, Tressel and the players seem focused on the goal, and Rodriguez has not proven he can win a big game. New jerseys and all, the Buckeyes continue the streak...

Father vs. Son Prediction Battle:

Dave: OSU 35-20
Drew: OSU 31-14

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Ken's Corner: Are the Dallas Stars Lions or Tame Kittens?

Ken Armer — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:57:52 -0500

Much like the above photo, the Stars have taken parts of this season right on the jaw, and with little consistency to the team in sight, it seems likely they will continue to.

While their record over their last 10 games isn't too terrible, 4-3-3 isn't worth being proud of.

Over the course of the week, the Stars dropped from being second behind San Jose to being second to last, losing valuable points to Los Angeles, which they had no control of due to the schedule, and Phoenix, which they should have won a game against Saturday night.

The question becomes are the Stars the real deal, or are they a team that looks better than they truly are, destined to sit out of the playoffs again.

One stat worth recognizing is the goal differential. The Stars, over the course of 19 games, have scored 59 goals, while giving up 57. While I admit the stat can be deceiving, this isn't a usual issue the Stars have.

Currently sitting on the outside looking in of the playoffs, having given up points to Phoenix, the Coyotes and Stars are currently even on points.

While four teams could make the playoffs from the Pacific Division, it's not likely, and the Stars should plan on being in third place if they have hopes at the playoffs.

The problem on the ice is even more difficult, the Stars goaltending and philosophy has appeared to be strong, yet the Stars have dropped games they shouldn't, and lost way too many in the overtime and shootout.

The Stars top scorers in Brad Richards, James Neal, and Loui Eriksson have all played well, but it appears likely more scoring from Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow could mean the difference between sitting out come May, or playing for the Stanley Cup.

In the end, I get the nagging feeling where the Stars are sitting in the conference at the end of the month will likely prove whether they are a team worth fearing, or just a tame infant kitten in the division.

Here's hoping the Stars don't wait until Christmas to find consistency under their tree. By then, it will be too late.

Ken Armer is a Community Leader for the NHL and the Dallas Stars for Bleacher Report. He also covers the Anaheim Ducks for SoCalSportsHub.com and covers the Texas and Dallas Stars for Hockey54.com. He can be contacted at karmer@bleacherreport.com.

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Dallas Stars Battle Back with Two Late Nov. 12 Goals, Win in Shootout

Denton Ramsey — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:49:26 -0500

Sitting in the hospital room just seven or so hours after my son was welcomed to the world on Thursday, Nov. 12, I witnessed another miracle while watching the Dallas Stars.

Down 2-0 entering the third and final period of play, the Stars battled back with back-to-back goals in a less than a two minute span to deadlock the game.

Shortly thereafter, Dallas took the W with a shootout victory.

It was quite a birthday gift for Charles (Charlie) Denton Ramsey, who entered the world at 1:37 p.m. that afternoon: clocking in at eight lbs, eight oz, and measuring 20.25 inches long.

With the future sports star asleep in his bassinet and my wife attempting to get some rest, I watched in awe as the Stars strapped together a pair of late goals and escaped with a big win in the shootout on a Stephane Robidas goal.

In my honest opinion, Thursday’s late night game has to be Dallas’ biggest victory of the season thus far; and I’d even say it’s got to be one of their greatest comebacks in team history.

I am sure other NHL and ESPN writers and analysts have discussed the issue in greater detail in terms of play-by-play content, but I just wanted to send a personal “thanks for the birthday gift” to the Dallas Stars organization.

To Mike Modano and James Neal, thanks for those late goals; and Marty Turco, thanks for those late amazing saves.

A great win to welcome little Charlie to the wonderful world of sports…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

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