Missing Michael Ryder

Thank you, person on Tumblr (plz tell me who you are so I can give you credit!)

So Michael Ryder got dealt to the Habs for Erik Cole and a third-rounder, a trade which devastates me because I love Michael Ryder.

 

It was kind of a confusing move at first, but after thinking about it and reading people’s reactions it makes a lot more sense. 

As much as I love Michael Ryder, I knew he’d be traded sometime or another (though I presumed it’d be closer to the trade deadline), and Cole has two years left on his deal. I understand why they made the deal: Cole is a more of a two-way forward than Ryder and is the net presence we need (sidenote: Morrow replacement?) with the same number of goals last season. However, I’m still uneasy about it. This is one of those trades that could end up making GM Joe look like either a complete idiot or a complete genius. I understand it, but I just don’t know how it’ll work out.

We’ll see.

The One Where Jamie Benn Fought Joe Thornton

Look at the fear in Joe’s eyes. “I never should have asked him to go,” he laments to himself as he prepares to take a beating.

And what a fight it was. Joe Thornton’s had a penchant for fighting star players lately (see: Jonathan Toews) and he did it again last night. Some called it the greatest fight from a Stars player since Benn fought Jarome Iginla, and it’s hard to argue with that statement. The fight was a turning point in the game, as the Stars scored a bit after it and ended up dominating in a 3-1 win.

• Jamie Benn got the Gordie Howe hat trick. I think it’s interesting how it’s the second GHHT this year, yet before Dillon’s the Stars hadn’t had one since I think 2007.
• Alex Goligoski had a hell of a game.
• Tommy Wingels has a fantastic name, but he’s kind of a coward. He started that one scrum and then wouldn’t even fight a rough and ready Morrow. Really, Wingels? Really?
• Nilstorp got his first career win, which is awesome.
• SELLOUT CROWD. And they got to see a hell of a game.
• Okay but, uhm, here’s the bad thing: we finished the game with four defensemen. It looks like Larsen’s going to be okay (that fall into the boards looked really nasty, though), but I still haven’t heard anything about Aaron Rome’s foot injury. So that’ll be an interesting development.

Overall, those were two very important points that the Stars earned. They played so well last night and I can’t get over it. Maybe it’s time we should believe in this team. Maybe.

3 Stars of the Game:

1. Jamie Benn

2. Christopher Nilstorp

3. Alex Goligoski

True Grit

The Stars-Ducks game last night was the only game in the league, and it was seriously entertaining. When NHL Network analyst, Jamie McLennan, said that the Stars and Ducks “don’t have much of a history,” and I was like

 

The Ducks are the closest thing we have to a rivalry, so I don’t know what McLennan was getting at with that statement. Stars-Ducks games almost always bring hostility, and last night’s matchup was no different.

The first period was particularly gritty. We saw:

• Brad Staubitz being a dick on two separate occasions, both of which led to Stars goals. That spear, though, was an especially dickish thing to do. Since it happened early enough in the game, it was basically a one-game suspension, so he got what he deserved.
• Corey Perry and Stephane Robidas jawing at each other and ultimately fighting. I didn’t realize it at the time, but their scuffle stemmed from Robi knocking Perry into the boards and injuring him last season. And Perry is also a douche, so I’m sure that had something to do with it as well.
• Sheldon Souray and Jamie Benn going at it. Souray seemed angry during the game, leading me to believe that he harbors some extreme resentment toward the Stars for not re-signing him. Anaheim is doing so well that he really shouldn’t be that angry, but I could feel the resentment from him.

Overall, this was a huge win for the Stars. Finally, they’ve beaten a real opponent. This wasn’t a hapless Avs team; nope, it was the Pacific division leaders. They played a great game last night, and it’s starting to seem like Glen Gulutzan actually knows what he’s doing.

Just some other game notes:

• Jamie Benn’s goal was sick. His shot is severely underrated by the rest of the league, even though he showed it off at the All-Star Game a year ago. It’s like the Loui Eriksson of shots.
• Loui Eriksson looked so relieved when he scored that goal (a sick one at that). He’s seemed off at times, and I know he knows it. Scoring that goal should give him a good boost of confidence.
• Kari Lehtonen continues to be stellar. God, where would we be without him?
• Trevor freakin’ Daley. Ugh, he had SUCH a good game. He scored the opening goal, he made key defensive plays (ex. the amazing play on Palmieri), and he was just overall amazing.

My Three Stars of the Game:

1. Trevor Daley
2. Jamie Benn
3. Brad Staubitz

 

 

 

Terrific and Horrific

It’s become accepted that the Stars will very, very rarely win the second game of a back-to-back (blue moons are more common than Stars back-to-back wins on the second night), so it’s critical that they win the first night. 

Let’s just say that everything went exactly the way we all thought it would.