GDT: [#34] Dallas Stars in the Wilderness

[phil7488]

Lol best empty netter ever

 

[ugrakarma]

I knew the Stars were good with empty netters but this was just prophetic.

 

[Scoresberg]

Nice bounce

 

[phil7488]

Demers is a tough sob

 

[phil7488]

Nice night from fids.

 

[ugrakarma]

Fiddler with the finish.

 

[phil7488]

First star of the game has to be Lindy Ruff. I think if we leave Kari in we lose. Great coaching and discipline tonight.

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

Felt like a playoff game, great job by the Stars. Niemi deserves a ton of credit too, goes in cold to save 30 of the 31 shots he faced, have to think he'll be in against the Hawks.

 

[phil7488]

Felt like a playoff game, great job by the Stars. Niemi deserves a ton of credit too, goes in cold to save 30 of the 31 shots he faced, have to think he'll be in against the Hawks.

I concur. Niemi has to be a go tomorrow.

 

[brighteststars]

Great win tonight. Time to get ready for Chicago tomorrow.

 

[ugrakarma]

First star of the game has to be Lindy Ruff. I think if we leave Kari in we lose. Great coaching and discipline tonight.

It would have been an automatic loss last year with no one to cover for it. They haven't received stellar goaltending but just average seems to do the job in the regular season. January has always been tough so hopefully they'll buckle up.

 

[phil7488]

It would have been an automatic loss last year with no one to cover for it. They haven't received stellar goaltending but just average seems to do the job in the regular season. January has always been tough so hopefully they'll buckle up.

Nill looks like a genius running this tandem.

 

[masinaLFC]

 

[Satan]

I'm bummed I missed this game but omg wowwwww

 

[LT]

Absolutely disgusting.

I thought we had the rights to these jerseys?

 

[Mr Misty]

That whole organization is so in love with its own history, almost to a Flyers level, that it is bizarre they aren't trotting out the same crew they had in that first Dallas visit to Minnesota that they reference on the Wild broadcast every time we play them. Unless the problem is that they are all now vital team employees who can't be spared for an alumni game.

 

[Indianation65]

Goals 1, 2, 3 and 4, very good, Stars picked it up and erased period 1, then goal 5, that was the slap in the face to the other side of the face the Wild fans didn't want! Wow!

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

Yes, interesting that they pick the North Stars sweater for the outdoor game. We sell them in our pro shops, so I thought we did own the rights. But, the Stars are a class organization, and if the Wild asked, I bet the Stars simply granted permission. Besides, if the NHL won't let the Stars play in an outdoor game, at least their old sweaters can represent them, no?

 

[Troy McClure]

I thought we had the rights to these jerseys?

No, the NHL owns it.

 

[King In The North]

Thoughts on Lehtonen? Is Ruff still going to rotate the goalies regularly? Seems Niemi has been more consistent.

 

[Satan]

Thoughts on Lehtonen? Is Ruff still going to rotate the goalies regularly? Seems Niemi has been more consistent.

Absolute ****ing garbage

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

31 Antti Niemi 22 Games 19 Starts GAA 2.42 SV% 912 Shutouts 2 Record 14-5-2
32 Kari Lehtonen 16 Games 15 Starts GAA 2.66 SV% 910 Shutouts 0 Record 11-2-0

If you buy that 40% through the season, you are what you are, it seems Ruff favors Niemi slightly, and he has slightly better stats.

Kari has had some long stretches of very good play and does have the better winning record, but the eye test continues to fail him. Ruff apparently knows when Kari is off, and haven been given the gift of a second goaltender, knows to pull Kari fast.

My guess is this trend line continues, and Niemi starts the playoffs as the No. 1

 

[Mr Misty]

The quick hook Kari gets is nothing like how long Niemi gets to fight through stuff. Niemi gives up 3 in the 1st vs Minnesota and plays the entire game, Kari gives up 2 and gets pulled after 8 minutes. It isn't like those weren't good shots or the team was playing great and Kari was the sole problem.

 

[Indianation65]

What I've noticed since last year is that when Kari gets shots over the shoulder, usually his glove side, he does not raise his elbow up "with" his shoulder, just his shoulder, like he's shrugging. The new goalie coach is teaching him to stop the "second" shot, not just the first. Both men are playing better, but no goalie is perfect. Being this good, we as fans have gotten used to so much winning, we won't tolerate any loss, much less a poor performance from any player. Kari, get the elbow up higher, not just the shoulder!

Addendum: In the big scheme, no matter which goalie starts, the Dallas Stars have two of the best "backup goalies" around!

 

[Unspecified]

Kari is not the goalie that will carry this team to the promise land.