Happy trails, Brad Richards

Ryder, I hardly know her!

It's like your ex-wife getting married.

Last week, Brad Richards signed a nine-year, $60 million with the New York Rangers. With salary and a signing bonus, he'll make $12 million in 2011-12.

Richards' departure is more than a little bittersweet.

For one, we knew he was in his final year of his deal and we knew that the Dallas Stars were not going to be able to re-sign due to ownership chaos and a total lack of funds to sign any big free agent.

Richards was leaving. By December, the Stars were in the playoff hunt. They'd led the Pacific Division. The decision was whether or not to go for it all in the Stanley Cup playoffs or get what you can from Richards in a trade and most assuredly miss the playoffs.

By March, they'd kept Richards and the Stars ran out of gas and missed the playoffs anyway. It was a calculated move and I don't question Joe Nieuwendyk's decision.

Richards was the Stars' best player. Imagine the Rangers losing Josh Hamilton. The Cowboys, Tony Romo. The Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki. Just think about them walking away and going somewhere else.

This is the state of things for the Stars. By all accounts, he would have had no problem staying. However, the Stars could not promise Richards a chance to win, and that's being honest. The ownership thing was rumored to be settled last season. It wasn't. It doesn't look very close to being handled.

The Stars are multiple players away from competing -- not only for a championship -- but for their own division. The Stars could have all the money in the world, but if they can't win Richards was going to walk. Simple as that.

Still, the Stars have money to spend. I believe it was $10 million they needed to spend to hit the cap floor.

They signed six players -- very low key, very inexpensive -- and have addressed some real issues. Those signings:

Michael Ryder
31 - Right Wing - two years, $7 million
A very salty character. Just won a Stanley Cup with Boston and he's just 31 years old. He notched 27 goals in 2008-09 and has two 30-goal seasons. Last year he had 41 points as he's becoming much more of a facilitator. I think he's most valuable because he's very sturdy. He's never played less than 70 games in his career (seven seasons). He's played 79 or more games five times. For a team wrought with injuries most season, having Ryder is a huge boon.

Vern Fiddler
31 - Left Wing - three years, $5.4 million
Statistically, he doesn't look like much. Hockey, however, is a sport that goes far beyond stats. For one, Fiddler was named alternate captain with Phoenix a year ago. He wins 53 percent of his faceoffs and he's the lead turd on Phoenix's penalty-kill squad. Does all the stuff the Stars couldn't do last season. Love it.

Radek Dvorak
34 - Right Wing - one year, $1.5 million
A veteran. A past-his-prime penalty killer. One note, he's cheap and very little commitment, and he's the biggest (literally) free agent signee at 6-2 and 200 pounds.

Adam Pardy
27 - Defenseman - two years, $4 million
Dvorak was with Florida when Nieuwendyk was an assistant GM there. Pardy was with new head coach Glen Gulutzan in the minors. He's going into his fourth season in the NHL and spent most of last season out with a bad shoulder. This has to be a Gulutzan signing.

Jake Dowell
26 - Center - one year, $800,000
Played a total of four NHL games before getting into 79 games for Chicago in 2010-11. Second time Nieuwendyk's raided the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks on the cheap after Adam Burish a year ago.

Sheldon Souray
35 - Defenseman - one year, $1.65 million
Interesting. Huge guy (6-4, 233). A two-time All-Star, who had 53 points in 2009-10, 23 of them on the power play. He was demoted to the minors a season ago. Maybe on the downward slope of his career, or just needs some tender love and care. We'll see.

Nieuwy, Eddie get call

Fast Eddie

Two lynchpins in the Dallas Stars' glory days of the late 1990s were voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame yesterday.

Joe Nieuwendyk and Eddie Belfour were voted in. Both were gigantic in the Stanley Cup runs as guys that put the Stars over the top.

Nieuwendyk is the current general manager with the Stars. He played a ridiculous 20 years in the NHL, seven with the Dallas Stars after coming over from Calgary in the Jarome Iginla trade. He was really good with Dallas although injuries ate up quite a bit of his time. He scored 30 goals with the Stars twice and never approached the 80- and 90-point seasons he had with Calgary. But he had his role.

He won three Stanley Cups with three different teams (Calgary, Dallas, New Jersey) and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy (MVP of finals) with Dallas. He was awarded the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) with Calgary. Ironically (or not), the Ontario Lacrosse Association's rookie of the year trophy is named after Nieuwendyk as he was an accomplished lacrosse player. Good to know.

Belfour signed as a free agent before the 1997-98 season after being traded from his original team (Chicago) to San Jose. He promptly put up GAAs of 1.88, 1.99 and 2.10 in consecutive years, the best of his career. The Stars won the President's Cup two straight years and went to the Western Conference Finals his first year and the Stanley Cup Finals the two years following.

Great between the pipes, Belfour was also a noted badass. He was arrested at a Dallas hotel and attempted to bribe the police with $1 billion. Maybe the highlight of his career. He probably thinks so.

He also flipped out one time when asked by Ken Hitchcock to play goalie at the morning skate. He refused and left the team.

Glengarry Glen Gulutzan

There aren't a lot of "Glens" in the world, are there?

I've known one personally in my life. There's a new one in Dallas-Fort Worth.

The Dallas Stars replaced Marc Crawford with Glen Gulutzan.

All I can think about is money. The Stars still aren't owned, still step-children of the NHL and bastards of the Hicks Sports Group. They don't have money and I can't imagine Gulutzan required a ton of money to come on board.

Also, the fact that he's coached 80 percent of the team as the el jefe of the Texas Stars, the franchise's farm team. Of course, these kids -- although good -- are still getting playing time because the Stars are not adding names from free agency. Whoever is already getting a paycheck is getting ice time.

I'm not going to judge Gulutzan right now. I was underwhelmed by both Ron Washington and Rick Carlisle. Each have taken their teams to the championship level of their respective leagues. So, what the hell do I know?

Nuttin'.

Been there, bought a T-shirt

Uncle Rico Could Have Gone Pro
Napoleon Dynamiteat MOVIECLIPS.com

Hours before the Dallas Stars fired Marc Crawford yesterday, Tim Cowlishaw, columnist for The Dallas Morning News, published an article detailing how the Stars should, in fact, fire Crawford and hire former head coach Ken Hitchcock.

Now, you might say, "Did Cowlishaw know something?"

Possibly. That son of a bitch is inexplicably plugged in.

However, I tend to look at it like this: It's such a stupid fucking idea that only a doofus like Cowlishaw could come up with it.

It has taken a full decades, 10 rubbernecking years for the Dallas Stars to finally move on from 1999. They were the Uncle Ricoes of the NHL. They just knew if coach would have put them in the final game of the season, they would've won state.

They could still throw that football over those mountains.

They dreamt of sitting in a hot tub with their soul mate.

It was a decade of sticking with Mike Modano, re-signing Richard Matvichuk, dealing with Jere Lehtinen's and Sergei Zubov's ailing bodies and always chasing that 1999 dream.

Two years ago, a sea change took place. Kinda.

Joe Nieuwendyk was named general manager. This stinks of 1999. However, it was a new guy in a new role. He hired Crawford. The Zubov dream died. Modano was let go. Lehtinen retired.

They went and traded for a young goalie. They rebuilt the team around young, exciting players.

Now dipshits like Cowlishaw want to blow it all apart by bringing Hitchcock back in.

For one, Hitchcock hasn't done a whole lot post-Dallas. He helped the Philadelphia Flyers post three good seasons. However, that resulted in just one trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. In Columbus, he bombed like the nervous, unfunny guy at open-mic night.

Two, the retread thing never works. For every Billy Martin, there's countless Joe Gibbses, Art Shells and Red Holzmans.

Nothing against what Hitchcock did here in Dallas. He was great in every way. A personable guy, who coached the hell out of those Stars teams. People are worried about filling seats at the American Airlines Arena despite admitting the hiring wouldn't be good.

Do you know what fills seats in stadiums and arenas? Winning. Just as the Texas Rangers.

Marc Crawford, out

Crawford: Will work for hockey

The Dallas Stars fired head coach Marc Crawford today. This, two days after the Stars lost a play-in game against a bad Minnesota Wild team Sunday.

Questions:

1. What if the Stars were 10 points out of the No. 8 seed and never had the opportunity to play that play-in game, would Crawford have been fired?

2. Was it too hasty?

The Stars have missed the playoffs for three straight years, including both seasons of Crawford. The Stars were 79-60-25 the last two seasons. They finished ninth and 12th in the conference with 95 and 88 points. They got better from his first year to the next.

They collected a bunch of youthful talent, a goaltender and a solid defenseman (Goligoski) that you can build around.

They also played in the best conference of recent memory. In 2009-10, seven of the eight Western Conference teams had at least 100 points. This year, they notched 95 wins, which would have put them as the sixth seed in the conference. All of this with a ton of injuries, uncertainty in the owner's office and a pathetic payroll.

To answer my own questions, I think if the Stars had 80 points and were well out of the playoff spot and were not playing for the playoffs this Sunday, I think Crawford stays.

And I do think it was a hasty move.

What I and really none of us know is what was happening behind closed doors. Crawford was known as a hard ass. Did this grind on the players? Did he piss off Joe Nieuwendyk? Or was it just a reflex move? If so, why wasn't it done Sunday night or Monday?

Seems like a lot more questions than answers, and to my ignorant hockey brain like a questionable move.

Dreams dashed

Win and you're in

Hey, I'm not going to sit here and pretend I know what was going on with the Dallas Stars yesterday.

I don't know what it takes to win four straight hockey games. I don't know the injuries, the fatigue and the scrambled brains that suited up yesterday in Minnesota. I will not try to get into their brains.

However, I do know one thing: For once for the past two weeks, the Stars finally controlled their own destiny.

Outside of having already clinched a playoff spot, it was the ideal situation. Win and you are in. The Chicago Blackhawks were beat by Detroit earlier in the day setting up a situation that if the Dallas Stars beat the Wild yesterday evening, they would be the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

They lost, 5-3.

I stand by my claim of a few weeks ago that the Stars are gassed. They're not a very deep team.

Yes, they have quite a few talented guys, but in case of injury or fatigue, there are not many hotshot, NHL-ready prospects bubbling under in the minors.

Nothing against Adam Burish or Tom Waddell (they have their places), but you can't count on them for constant production if guys go down. I think all professional athletes play through injuries. Considering their situation, how many Dallas Stars played in spite of possible semi-major injuries or even to the detriment of their team?

Look at the blue line. The defense played solidly at times. However, they never got a dependable third pair that could eat up some minutes.

Still. In and you're in. That was for all the marbles and you fell short against an 86-point Wild team that you've handled all season. That was a playoff game for the Stars. It was not for the Wild. I love the Dallas Stars, but they did not deserve post-season action.

It's three straight years of playoff-less hockey in North Texas. Brad Richards is leaving. Ownership is still in flux. There will be no major, big-dollar names walking through the door.

It can only get darker before the dawn.

Too little, too late

We all win in this photo

The Dallas Stars, backs up against the wall, have won three straight, including 4-2 over the Colorado Avalanche last night.

Still, they're two HUGE points out of the eighth seed with two games left. Despite the wins, the Stars are a mere 4-3-3 in their last 10. Those overtime losses to Philadelphia, Phoenix, Anaheim and Calgary in March are killing the Stars. I guess we should be thrilled there's a team fighting.

But you look back at all those dumb losses and imagine the "what ifs?"

Right now, individuals are padding their stats because I don't think they'll jump the guys ahead of them.

By the way, the photo above is there for one reason. And it has nothing to do with hockey players or the game.

Cooked

Otter

It's nut-cutting time, folks.

This isn't the part of the season that you aim to just improve, work on things and develop lines and chemistry. There's six games left in the 2010-11 campaign for the Dallas Stars. It appears that will be the limit.

They pulled out a point in a 2-1 shootout loss to Phoenix, a 95-point team. Simply put, the Stars needed two.

They're ninth in the conference and still three points behind Chicago for the final playoff spot. The time is now. The Stars are a sickly 3-3-4 in their last 10. The Blackhawks are 4-4-2. No one wants. Doesn't matter. The Stars are not in the driving seat.

The Stars try. They're a team that could have used more luck this season. Their depth and skill also is being shown the last month or so. The front of the line guys are as good as you get.

However, unlike other higher-caliber teams, they don't have the middle and lower line guys that contribute and perform the little tasks. We saw it with the 1990s Stars.

Barring a minor miracle (jumping a team by three points and holding off 10th place, who are technically tied), we are watching the last of the Dallas Stars until September.

The Dallas Stars probably won't make the playoffs and they probably deserve it

The Dallas Stars have had some nut-kick losses this season.

Last night's 4-3 bruiser against Anaheim may be the worst.

Teemu Selanne -- who has to be 800 years old by now -- scored with six seconds left in the game sending the game into an extra period. Cam Fowler netted the game winner.

It was the Stars' fourth overtime loss in March alone. I haven't seen the stat yet that adds up how many times the Stars have surrended a lead in the third period. It has to be in the 20s by now.

Defending Big D has already started shovelling the dirt on the casket, and for good reason. They take everyone to task, especially noting the coach and leadership in the lockerroom.

I will say this: The Stars have had one good run since Brendan Morrow took over as "leader". It's no real statement about him. I love Morrow. However, Modano was the best player on some pretty good teams, but he was never the "captain" material we wanted him to be. Morrow may be a nice player with the same problem.

Who is the leader here? There's no Sergei Zubov or Mike Modano. There are no consistent grinders. Injuries up and down the roster are an issue. I honestly don't know where you start.

It helps getting an owner. This team hasn't spent significant money in free agency in years. Their best player -- Brad Richards -- is about to walk after the Stars are unable to sign him.

However, the season isn't over. Yet. The Stars have nine games and, as of this moment, they are two points out of the fifth seed. Anything could happen. Maybe they goof off and make the playoffs. Maybe they don't. This current team doesn't seem to have the stomach for the fight.

Nine games. Let's check back when the final horn is sounded.

Wild night

Brad Richards: Witness to the carnage

It was a night of trends and statistics as the Dallas Stars whipped the shit out of the Minnesota Wild, 4-0 last night.

The remnants:

1. Jamie Benn scored in his sixth straight game. All in the month of March.

2. The Wild are 0-10-4 against the Stars in Dallas in the past 14 games.

3. The Wild haven't won in Dallas since 2003.

4. Kari Lehtonen notched his 29th win. It was also his first shutout of the season.

5. The Stars are 6-1-2 with Alex Goligoski.

6. With the two points, the Stars are now fourth in the Western Conference.

7. Mike Ribeiro has 10 points in his past eight games. Another goal and assist.

8. Jamie Langenbrunner's played 25 games with the Stars and has four goals, nine assists and an even plus-minues. In 31 games with New Jersey, he had a -15, four goals and 10 assists.

Winning

Like a man possessed

Hockey. It's an amazing sport. So much so, I am often shocked its not more popular.

On the brink over the weekend, the lil' Dallas Stars went in and stole a game from the San Jose Sharks. This after blowing one against Anaheim.

Never knowing where their heads are at, the Stars have always found a way to get the two points on the board.

After stealing the San Jose game, the Los Angeles Kings -- a divisional and conference thorn in their side -- gave the Stars everything they could handle last night.

Naturally, like clockwork, as the sun rises and sets, the Stars find a way.

Down 2-1 and nothing going on, Trevor Daley breaks for the middle of the ice and takes a feed from Jamie Langenbrunner and nets it. Right on schedule, Dallas gives up a goal less than a minute later.

Then, Jamie Benn. I don't know where the Stars are this season without him. He plays like a savvy vet most nights. He uses his brain, picks off a pass on a Kings power play for a breakaway goal. Tied.

Brenden Morrow. Overtime. Game.

It's four points in two games that no one can take away from them. It catapults them to fifth in the conference, second in division and just three points behind San Jose and a paltry four points out of ninth.

Notes:
1. Jamie Benn has four shorthanded goals. Overall, he's got 17 goals and 22 assists (a career high) and just two points from his 2009 point total.

2. Alex Goligoski has played seven games as a Star. He's got a goal, five assists and a +5. The Stars are 5-1-1 since his arrival. I don't think that's an accident.

3. Kari Lehtonen has not been outstanding. However, few could argue he hasn't been a yeoman in goal. He's logging his second-most games and minutes for his career. He's also logging his best GAA and save percentage for his career. All with no shutouts. Not great, extremely solid.

4. Trevor Daley's tied a career high in points (25), assists (19) and plus/minus (+8).

5. At times, Mike Ribeiro looks unstoppable, like the best guy on the ice. Last night was one of those times. A goal and two assists. As of right now, he's played in the same amount of games as he did a year ago (66) and he has nine more assists and three more points.

6. Stars went 3-0-1 on Pacific Division roadie. Now has nine come-from-behind wins.

Closing out

A beauty

There's one aspect to the Dallas Star's game that I think will sink them sooner rather than later: Closing teams out.

It bit them in the ass again last night. Up 3-1 in the third period, they allowed two goals for the tie and an overtime tally for a 4-3 loss.

These just ain't losses to division and conference foes. They're kicks to the nuts.

This is not isolated. It's been an issue all season.

Basically, if you're watching the Stars and they are leading, rest assured that the opponent will tie the game. Sometimes, the Stars still end up winning. That's still not good.

The Stars are not unlike the Dallas Mavericks. Both teams allow bad teams to stick around. Rarely is there a blow out. The difference is that the Mavericks allow the run and pull away.

A rally in hockey, most likely, ties the game. You can't allow rallies.

What is apparent is that the Stars miss Nik Grossman. Getting the blue line settled and healthy is important. At no time have they had the entire group up and running at the same time.

In the late 1990s, you could depend on the Stars -- defensemen, forwards -- to tighten up late in games with a one-goal lead. They also pulled those out. The 2011 Stars need to conjure that same intensity. Quick.

There's big wins then there's 'big wins'

Acting Burish

Not being one to peruse the pre-game comments of the Dallas Stars, I don't know if anyone went to the mat and said last night's game at the Phoenix Coyotes as a huge game.

But it was a huge game.

At stake was the possibility of the playoffs, seeding and simply keeping pace. Maybe also ekeing out a road win. Just maybe.

The Stars beat the Coyotes, 3-2, and it was indeed a big win.

The Stars moved from the eighth seed to the seventh seed. However, they pulled to within two points of the Coyotes for the fourth seed. The Western Conference is a slugfest. Still, the Stars are a mere three points out of the 11th seed and sitting at home in April and May.

It wasn't easy. Much like the Dallas Mavericks, the Stars like the drama. Up 2-0 in the third period, they allowed two quick goals late. Thanks to a penalty and some gritty work on the boards, the Stars scored a power-play goal with five seconds left for the two points.

You love the work. Watch the play and the goals and you wonder why the Stars aren't winning more. Then you watch them continuously give up late leads due to lame-brained defensive miscues and you often wonder why they aren't worse.

Looking back, this game might prove to be some kind of hinge game, where the season turned around and united this team toward higher goals. Or it might be another brick in the wall of why this team is flawed.

For the record, the Stars are 3-0-1 since Alex Goligosky was traded for. He's posted a +3 in that timeframe.

Hanging Brad

Still here

One of two things will happen with Brad Richards now that the trade deadline has passed:

1. Some rich guy -- ahem, Mark Cuban -- will buy the Dallas Stars and sign Richards to an extension to play the remainder of his days in North Texas.

2. Or, he'll sign somewhere else.

The deadline passed and the thoughts of Richards being traded passed also. He's still a Dallas Star.

I thought it ridiculous to think the Stars would trade him. For one, how do you go into the room and look Steve Ott and Brendan Morrow in the eye and explain to them how swapping their best player for draft picks and some spare parts is in the best interest of the team.

It's one to let free agency pass only adding Adam Burish. It's another to jettison players because you're broke. If Richards leaves in the off-season, those guys know the score. It's a business. They'll be disappointed, but you can move on.

The Stars are a good team. Adding Alex Goligoski helps. Keeping Richards is huge. I think they have a legit shot at making a splash in the playoffs despite their participation in post-season play is still in doubt.

I applaud the Stars for passing up untold deals and staying the course.

Goligoski

Good times

Since his acquisition from Pittsburgh, Alex Goligoski has caugh my wandering eye.

The Stars are 2-0-1 with Goligoski solidifying the blue line after today's 3-2 win over Nashville. Goligoski tallied a goal and assist. He's posted a +2, the one goal and two assists as a Dallas Stars.
What first seemed like a hefty bounty (Matt Niskanen and James Neal), is rounding into being a grand deal for the Stars. They're not only saving money (obviously, important), but they've addressed tehir weakest spot (defense) with the young Goligoski. Joe Nieuwendyk may come out smelling like roses here.

After the February they've had (now, 3-7-1) any win is a good win and it's high time to start collecting Ws. At 72 points, the Stars are now in seventh place and still third in their own division.

All I know is that I need more Alex Goligoski.

Notes:
1. With a pair of assists, Brendan Morrow has 43 points, just thre shy of his total a year ago in 76 games.

2. A day after an awkward interview with The Hardline, Loui Eriksson posted his 21st goal. He's got four goals and four assists in the disastrous February.

3. The Stars are 18-9-5 at home.

Someone needs a win

Go Stars!

The Dallas Stars hate February. They're 1-7-1. Need to take it to the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis tonight.

Neal, Niskanen traded

Neal with it

A youth movement is taking place with the Dallas Stars.

Unfortunately, it's leaving, not coming.

The Stars traded forward James Neal and blue-liner Matt Niskanen to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Alex Goligoski.

Neal, 23, had 21 goals and 18 assists in 2010-11. However, so far his is young career, he ran pretty hot or cold. He had just one goal and one assist in February as the Stars try to right the ship.

Niskanen, 24, was the first-round pick in 2005. He jumped to the NHL in 2007 and posted a +22 in his rookie campaign playing in 78 games. Since, he's had a -27 in three disappointing seasons and has, accordingly, lost the faith of management and what little fandom that can actually discern what defensement do in hockey.

The trade might be a money saver for the penny-pinching Stars. Both Neal and Niskanen signed two-year deals before the season. The total cost was $10.75 million. At least with Neal you got something. Niskanen, however, was a bit of a waste.

Of Goligoski, I know nothing. He's signed through next season for about $4.2 million. He's 25 and, based on all accounts, is like a successful Niskanen.

He's a defenseman with the ability handle the puck. He had 37 assists and a +7 last season. This season, he's upped the ante with a +20, nine goals and 22 assists.

Defensively, it's clear the Stars are better. Putting Goligoski back there with Trevor Daley, Nik Grossman, Stephane Robidas and Karlis Skrastins will make their blue line only better ... and hopefully their offense.

No matter how much I like Goligoski, giving up Neal and Niskanen seems like a lot. But this is a team that scores goals. They just can't prevent them.

Thursday morning grab ass bag

Hope this makes it a good day

The Dallas Stars lost, again, 2-1 to the Phoenix Coyotes and are now in a dead heat for the Pacific Division. The surging San Jose Sharks have gone 9-0-1 and are tied atop the division. In fact, the Stars are just six points out of last in the division.

****
Wisconsin wanted a rematch of the Rose Bowl with TCU next year. TCU balked at it. TCU has nothing to gain there and leave it to a big school to want a rematch after getting beat.

****
The Dallas Mavericks are the worst-best team in the NBA. They win. They win a lot. Ten straight. Beat the Sacramento Kings 102-100. But they can't blow out bad teams. It kills them. They were up on the Kings by 19 in the first half and needed 15 points from J.J. Barea in the fourth to win the damn thing. The Mavericks are posers and nothing short of overhauling the entire line-up will help.

****
The Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers chatted about Michael Young. He isn't going anywhere.

****
Mike Hindman goes off on Young.

A real knockout

I love Krys Barch

I no other sport do you find a bunch of fired-up, hunky, meaty dudes with sticks that can genuinely hate each other than in hockey.

The Dallas Stars played the Edmonton Oilers three times in like two weeks and by the third game they were ready to rip each other's heads off.

The previous time the Stars played hte Boston Bruins, they talled 176 penalty minutes in a brawl-filled meeting. Note: The Bruins and Stars, being in different conferences, rarely see each other.

So, naturally, last night, they wanted to kill each other.

Steve Ott, Brian Sutherby and Krys Barch all got into fights in THE FIRST FIVE SECONDS OF THE GAME thus sparking what most are calling the wildest start to a game in NHL history.



Then, the Bruins' Daniel Paille decked the Stars' Raymond Sawada (I mean, if you going to get fined and suspended, why not take out someone of status?).



Unfortunately, fights don't win games. The Bruins scored twice in the firwst 1:20 and were up 4-0 after one. The Stars lost 6-3.

It's like the dog eating a whole wheel of cheese. I'm not even mad. In fact, I'm kind of impressed.

A winning attitude

Let the right one in: Lehtonen

It's hard not to be pumped up about the Dallas Stars.

The sons of bitches won again, beating the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 last night.

You can brag about it all. The special teams. The offensive prowess. The improved defense. The attitude, grit and fire.

Today, let's talk goaltending. Not enough is being made about Kari Lehtonen. Or, should we say, not enough is being made about GM Joe Nieuwendyk.

It was Feb. 10, 2010 when the Stars shipped young defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy to Atlanta for Lehtonen. The big story here wasn't Lehtonen, but instead the eventual divorce from Marty Turco.

Everyone questioned Lehtonen's propencity for being injured. Or his ability. According to Nieuwendyk:

"I just believe he has so much potential if he is healthy, and all the indications that we have are that all of his problems have been taken care of."

Lehtonen couldn't made Nieuwendyk look any smarter. He's having a potentially career year. Already 21-10-5 and a 2.49 GAA (his career low is 2.79). The best goalie in the league not to pitch a shutout.

It helps being on a team with talent. Although the Stars were not a playoff team a year ago, there was too much talent, especially offensively, for this team to be that bad. It was assumed that a new goaltender and a stiffening blue line would turn the thing around.

That assumption was right. You can point to any one thing and argue that it's the key to the Stars' success. I think you start with Lehtonen.

Notes:
1. Stars are 4-0 with Jamie Langenbrunner on the ice.

2. The Stars have won eight straight on the road. They were 6-7-1 away from Dallas before this streak.

3. The Stars are 7-0-1 in January. That's 15 of 16 potential points.

4. Another nice Nieuwendyk find: Adam Burish. An understated cog.

5. Loui Eriksson's 10-game point streak ends. Mike Ribeiro's point streak hits 10.

6. I love Jamie Benn. How can you not?