OT Stars Hockey

[WilltheThrill]

Going to the game tonight... already getting excited!

 

[terpsfball09]

ahhh dude get those fans going. i feel like half of the crowd doesnt realize the importance of todays game.

it might be wrong of me to say, but i will be satisfied with one point here, just cuz we're already behind 1-0. tim thomas has gotta keep us in the game. if we win, and phoenix loses tomorrow, its over right?

 

[terpsfball09]

i know that was an unlucky bounce, but holy shit tim thomas didnt move one muscle back there. he just fuckin gave up on it.

 

[Justinkm83]

i know that was an unlucky bounce, but holy shit tim thomas didnt move one muscle back there. he just fuckin gave up on it.

He's looked terrible almost every game.

 

[terpsfball09]

so... does horcoff do anything right? he takes 2 penalties a game, never shoots, and is a turnover machine. what's his purpose? serious question.

 

[WilltheThrill]

Well, that sucked. It's hard to blame the fans for being mostly listless when the Stars give up the 2-0 lead just 1:30 into the game and showed no urgency for the next period and a half. The fans tried several times to get chants going, but the Stars would immediately turn the puck over or mess up in some other way and that would pretty much be the end of that. It was just a weird, off night all around. The Stars sleepwalked through the first two periods with miscues all over the place.

I will say there were a few positives to take away from this loss:

1) Kari got to rest up for the final 2 games. Lindy Ruff made the right call in starting Thomas. The way the Stars played and Bobrovsky stood tall at the other end, they weren't going to win tonight no matter who was in net. Thomas did let in that one softy, but he played ok from then on.

2) The team finally showed some life and offensive presence in the 3rd period and generated a lot of good scoring chances. They can certainly build on that heading into Friday's game against St. Louis (better than just rolling over and getting shut out).

3) Their last 2 power plays looked much, much better. Granted, the one they scored on was a 6-on-4, but still they generated a lot more chances and moved the puck around better. The power plays in the first two periods were horrible. But the ones in the 3rd period actually resembled an NHL team. On a different night against a different goalie, they'll cash in on a few more of those.

4) Even with the Stars losing tonight, the pressure is still on Phoenix. They not only have to win tomorrow night to pull even with Dallas, they also then have to find away to get 1 more point than Dallas over each team's last 2 games. The Stars remain in control.

 

[terpsfball09]

pretty sloppy game save for the last 8 minutes or so. oh well. win friday is all i can say

 

[WilltheThrill]

pretty sloppy game save for the last 8 minutes or so. oh well. win friday is all i can say

Yeah, like I said, the effort just wasn't there for the first 2 periods and I can't figure out why. They played with a very noticeable increase in energy and desperation in the 3rd. Where was that for the first 40 minutes? You'd think if it was due to fatigue, the opposite would have occurred (with less energy as the game wore on).

 

[terpsfball09]

if phoenix loses today, andwe win tomorrow, the race is over right? the magic number is 4. then ive got all eyes on tonight

 

[ESPN Refugee]

if phoenix loses today, andwe win tomorrow, the race is over right? the magic number is 4. then ive got all eyes on tonight

Yep the only way Dallas has any shot of making Sunday's game not mean anything is if Dallas wins tomorrow. Even if Phoenix gets a point tonight and Saturday will be meaningless if Dallas beats STL. I think STL will be fighting for their lives to get a win since their seeding is important.

 

[ESPN Refugee]

Yeah, like I said, the effort just wasn't there for the first 2 periods and I can't figure out why. They played with a very noticeable increase in energy and desperation in the 3rd. Where was that for the first 40 minutes? You'd think if it was due to fatigue, the opposite would have occurred (with less energy as the game wore on).

Jackets were just dominating Dallas the first half of the game and it was a bit frustrating given that the they too played last night in overtime and had to travel. They picked up it a little in the 2nd period but by the time they were on a full blown assault in the 3rd it was too little too late.

 

[WilltheThrill]

Yep the only way Dallas has any shot of making Sunday's game not mean anything is if Dallas wins tomorrow. Even if Phoenix gets a point tonight and Saturday will be meaningless if Dallas beats STL. I think STL will be fighting for their lives to get a win since their seeding is important.

At least we're getting STL at the best time possible, with them reeling lately and having just lost their captain. We seem to play them pretty well too for whatever reason. It's Chicago who gives the Stars the most trouble.

 

[Justinkm83]

I expect PHX to win tonight considering NSH has nothing to play for. Mike Smith could return also. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that the last game will be a win or go home. Like I said and Refugee (I think), that loss to the Panthers w/ a 2-0 lead was huge. A 3 point or possibly 4 point lead would be close to game over at this stage of the season.

 

[terpsfball09]

If it comes down to the last game I'm perfectly fine with that. We're good against phoenix, plus we catch them on the wrong end of a back to back

 

[terpsfball09]

columbus and florida just pose as a mismatch for us. sometimes that happens. we may be the more talented team, but its just a huge mismatch when we play these teams and they force us to make a bunch of mistakes. I think thats why we do so well against a team like st. louis. I think we're a mismatch for them. We played well against florida, and although we shouldnt have lost the lead and not even gotten a point out of it, I feel there are other games (calgary game, the entire new york road trip, montreal, philadelphia) that hurt more

 

[terpsfball09]

all eyes on the phx game tonight. they lose and we win tomorrow then this dramatic week is over!

 

[Justinkm83]

Hell yeah. NSH up 1-0!

 

[Justinkm83]

Hell yeah. NSH up 1-0!

2-0 !!!! I'm so happy I'm talking to myself.

 

[WilltheThrill]

2-0 !!!! I'm so happy I'm talking to myself.

I'm right there watching it with you. I read a stat before tonight's game that said that Pekka Rinne had better numbers lifetime against Phoenix than against any other team. So far, it's showing.

 

[WilltheThrill]

Yes!! Stars can now clinch with a win tomorrow night!