2020 Stars RR & Playoff Thread

[SaintAngerBH]

Stars seem to always suck against teams back up goal tenders, and teams starting goaltenders.

This has been true through multiple regimes too. It's weird.

[wonko80]

I swear someone here just a few days ago mentioned the passing. It is noticeably worse than other teams they play, so it sure does seem like they don't practice it as much. Or whatever drills they are doing aren't effective.

[SaintAngerBH]

I just think they aren't good enough player-wise. The coaching bites, but the roster is subpar overall. Benn is old and a shell of his 2013-self. Seguin is quickly following the same path as Benn. Radulov has hit a wall. Pavelski has hit a wall. Perry is as effective as Tomas Vincour was at this point. Bishop isn't as elite as he was before (which isn't a knock on him, you can't expect him to get a shutout every night).

The bottom 6 is full of garbage. Hintz looked promising for a while but hasn't since his injury. Same thing happened to Janmark a few years ago. Comeau is slow and in the way. Cogliano looks nice sometimes with that speed until he fires the puck into the jersey logo of the goalie.

The defense is probably their best asset. Heiskanen, Klingberg, and Lindell makeup a nice corps. Sekera is serviceable. Oleksiak is serviceable despite his slowness. But, even the defense has its issues. The coverage tonight was pretty bad at times.

The team just isn't good enough. They aren't fast enough, they aren't talented enough, and they aren't coached well enough.

They're good enough to not be a bottom-feeder but nowhere near good enough to contend.

[Jason]

[slaps]

I want to see what this team looks like with a Gallant coaching them. If they still suck, maybe I’ll go be a KrakHead.

[Troy McClure]

I want to see what this team looks like with a Gallant coaching them. If they still suck, maybe I’ll go be a KrakHead.

You think an owner of a hotel chain is going to pay top dollar for a coach?

[Math]

Before entering the playoffs in a beautiful shape and state of mind, likely carrying nine losses in a row (and at least 4 shootouts), who the hell in this team is capable of turning that locker-room upside down, to shake things like a 9.6-Richter earthquake and tell true things straight in the eyes, a respected guy that has honesty, leadership and balls? I don't see anyone and that a(nother) problem.

That would be Benn's role. Can you imagine him to do that? No effin' way. Seguin? Too soft. The other vets? Not there for a sufficient time to embrace this role. Bowness? not the nice grandpa friend with everybody. The closest guy would be Radulov but he seemed to have already left the sinking boat. Maybe we should ping Lites...

[wonko80]

I kinda thought that's what Pavelski and Perry were supposed to help with. Doesn't seemed to have changed much. Although I'm not really sure how much this is about leadership anyway. It's about players playing poorly offensively in a poor offensive system.

So really the blame should be shared all around.

[slaps]

I like this comment from DBD:


"...an organ transplant is what this organization needs. So much of what bothers me about Dallas is their binary thinking across the organization. It’s why they don’t have an eye for playmakers at the level of the draft, why they love two-way centers and role players, which then contributes to their lack of scoring, why they kept signing Polak, and why they constantly bring in veterans. Watching Colorado’s lines, some of these guys aren’t even that good on their own. I miss Nichushkin, but come on. How do you squeeze 13 goals out of Nuke through 65 games? It’s not like his shot improved that much. Burakovsky never broke 40 points, and easily surpassed it coming over to COL. How? Chemistry. A nuanced assessment of what each individual brought to the table, with an eye for forward types. I mean, what are Janmark, Pavelski, and Radulov supposed to do together? If they’re on the menu, I’m already seeing past the illusion and realizing that hamburger won’t come out plump, juicy, and three inches thick. Hell that line doesn’t even rise below Fred’s Fish Fry. Seriously, that’s just a hilarious misjudgment of chemistry that doesn’t entirely fall on Bowness."

[ToddM]

I've been watching the Stars for 21 years, and during that time, they've been defense-only for 18 of those. It's as ingrained into their culture as losing is to the Cleveland Browns.

I'd love for them to hire a guy like Gallant, who's proven twice that he can get WAY more out of his roster than anyone thought possible. But in reality, after Bowness we're probably going to hire some retread that won the Cup in 1937.

[slaps]

I've been watching the Stars for 21 years, and during that time, they've been defense-only for 18 of those. It's as ingrained into their culture as losing is to the Cleveland Browns.

I'd love for them to hire a guy like Gallant, who's proven twice that he can get WAY more out of his roster than anyone thought possible. But in reality, after Bowness we're probably going to hire some retread that won the Cup in 1937.

https://www.defendingbigd.com/2020/8/6/ ... e-for-real

What really got me boiling though was in the third period, when Harley still had gotten only two shifts over halfway through a 3-0 contest well on its way to 4-0. The Stars were in denial that they were in garbage time, finally giving Harley a few more shifts in the final six minutes, for all the good it did. At that point in the game, you have to be treating the whole thing as a learning experience. The Stars were already locked into at least third place by that point, so why not roll your lines and let the chips fall where they may?

I think the answer is that the team was scared of further embarrassment.

That shamefaced response is what led to Martin Hanzal and Ken Hitchcock after 2017. It’s what led to the Blake Comeau and Andrew Cogliano three-year tenures. It’s what led to Dylan Heatherington starting a playoff game in the second round last year when the Stars clearly needed to scrape up some offense more than anything else.

The team wants to make bold decisions and to be the next St. Louis Blues, but they don’t have enough organizational cohesion and confidence to implement a vision that can get them even close to that goal. Much like their offensive approach in hockey games.

[ScubaSteve]

Stars fans are hilarious in their constant unwavering belief that whatever generic prospect of the week is deserving of top pair minutes like it’s their birthright. Harley is not an NHL player yet. He may or may not be one someday, but for now the only reason he’s there is because of the very real possibility that three or four players ahead of him on the depth chart get sick or hurt, which is why he was in the lineup.

Young players who are good enough don’t get held back. Look at Miro.

[Troy McClure]

Stars fans are hilarious in their constant unwavering belief that whatever generic prospect of the week is deserving of top pair minutes like it’s their birthright. Harley is not an NHL player yet. He may or may not be one someday, but for now the only reason he’s there is because of the very real possibility that three or four players ahead of him on the depth chart get sick or hurt, which is why he was in the lineup.

Young players who are good enough don’t get held back. Look at Miro.

Harley isn't the answer, but to not play him on the PP in the third period of a complete ass kicking is a wasted opportunity to give a young player some minutes while also resting someone you want playing when the real playoffs start.

It's bad coaching. Bad coaching leads you to overworking a guy like Lindell by playing him 26 minutes during a lost cause of a glorified exhibition game.

[slaps]

Shapiro has repeatedly said that, from the redline into the offensive zone, Harley is absolutely ready. It's in the defending zone where he needs work. So...why not put him in a position to succeed instead of keeping him out of every situation that plays to his strengths?

Also, not for nothing, but maybe give the top scorer on the team more minutes to try and score?

[Math]

I despise the vision of inserting a rookie just to fill a hole, play him 5 minutes and bench him right after his very first mistake. That's the perfect way to destroy the little confidence he may have. You can't do well when knowing that you will be sidelined when you make a bad play, hence making you play with fear and the breaks on.

You want to evaluate the guy and gain him experience? Play him on a regular basis throughout the game whatever happens, continue to coach him like everyone else (You last shift was terrible. So jump on the ice again and show us you deserve the ice time I'm giving you), and make the post-mortem after the game. If it's still a catastrophe after some games, then ok it's another story. But we are clearly not in that situation.

[ScubaSteve]

Shapiro has repeatedly said

Ima stop you right there

[BigAl]

I would have only played him 4 minutes.

[B Kat]

He was getting eaten up. In the 3rd with the game gone, yes, put him on the PP, otherwise limited minutes.

[slaps]

Shapiro has repeatedly said

Ima stop you right there

I don't understand your dislike for him. He does a good job, and he knows his stuff.

[SaintAngerBH]

Stars fans are hilarious in their constant unwavering belief that whatever generic prospect of the week is deserving of top pair minutes like it’s their birthright. Harley is not an NHL player yet. He may or may not be one someday, but for now the only reason he’s there is because of the very real possibility that three or four players ahead of him on the depth chart get sick or hurt, which is why he was in the lineup.

Young players who are good enough don’t get held back. Look at Miro.

Yeah, this is why I only really get along with the Stars fans on this board. We are generally not delusional about this stuff.

It's been consistent through the years too. I don't understand it.

[SaintAngerBH]

Stars fans are hilarious in their constant unwavering belief that whatever generic prospect of the week is deserving of top pair minutes like it’s their birthright. Harley is not an NHL player yet. He may or may not be one someday, but for now the only reason he’s there is because of the very real possibility that three or four players ahead of him on the depth chart get sick or hurt, which is why he was in the lineup.

Young players who are good enough don’t get held back. Look at Miro.

Harley isn't the answer, but to not play him on the PP in the third period of a complete ass kicking is a wasted opportunity to give a young player some minutes while also resting someone you want playing when the real playoffs start.

It's bad coaching. Bad coaching leads you to overworking a guy like Lindell by playing him 26 minutes during a lost cause of a glorified exhibition game.

Yeah, it's very Hitchockian and is a relic in today's NHL.

[Shabazz Jenkins]

Why the *f-bomb* aren’t they parking Pavelski in front of the net on the PP? What was the point of signing him to play point? This team is stupid.

[slaps]

Why the *f-bomb* aren’t they parking Pavelski in front of the net on the PP? What was the point of signing him to play point? This team is stupid.

It goes back to that DBD comment I posted and poor talent evaluation.

[Troy McClure]

Why the *f-bomb* aren’t they parking Pavelski in front of the net on the PP? What was the point of signing him to play point? This team is stupid.

Because they insist on putting him out there with Benn, and for some reason, they decided Benn is who they prefer in front of the net. Maybe it comes down to Pavelski having a better shot from distance. Who knows. Either way, it's stupid. Pavelski was scoring 30+ goals a season by cleaning up garbage in front of the net.

[ToddM]

He's too slow to get there in time.

[SaintAngerBH]

Why the *f-bomb* aren’t they parking Pavelski in front of the net on the PP? What was the point of signing him to play point? This team is stupid.

Exactly. He's one of the best tippers in history. It's baffling.

[Knives Out]

NHL social media likes to post a vid of Pavelski tipping pucks in front of the net at Stars practice every two weeks or so, and yet ...

[slaps]

https://theathletic.com/1980522/2020/08 ... nt-things/

The games count, but they aren’t the end-all, be-all. Regardless, interim head coach Rick Bowness said he’s approaching things as though the season is on the line.

“To us, the playoffs started today,” Bowness said on Saturday. “We want to approach this as it is the playoffs, so the meeting this morning focused on that. The urgency and the intensity of the playoffs has started.”

So that's bad then.

[Math]

Will be fun to watch this game while hoping the Stars to go en route to cloud #9.

[Knives Out]

Seguin "unfit to play" today.