Dallas Stars Complete Back-to-Back SWEEP in Music City 3-2 over Preds: A New Recipe for Success?

Dallas Stars Complete Back-to-Back SWEEP in Music City 3-2 over Preds: A New Recipe for Success?

The Dallas Stars hang on in the Music City for a 3-2 victory over the Pres to complete a back-to-back sweep over the weekend. And are the Stars becoming comfortable being uncomfortable in finding ways to win games? But it does come at the cost of another injury this time rope bay hints. We have so much to break down next. Your Locked On Stars, your daily podcast on the Dallas Stars, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Howdy Stars fans. I’m Joey Ericson, former producer 105 through the Fan. Please be sure to subscribe. We are free and available wherever you get your podcast and on YouTube. And as always, thank you so much for making us a part of your day and making us your first listen. Welcome to a Monday edition of Locked On Stars, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. Your team every single day. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Download the FanDuel app now by visiting fanuel.com and win $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. The Dallas Stars complete a backtoback sweep over the weekend against the Carolina Hurricanes and the Nashville Predators, squeaking out 32 victories. And I think the Stars have found a way and a recipe they can win hockey games in their current makeup with all the injuries. Roe Hens is now added to that list after the hit he suffered against Taylor Hall. We’ll talk about that and how the stars may have a silver lining in all of this and we’ll play Galaxy Grades as well at the end of today’s show. So stick around for that. As always, thank you so much for the love and support on each and every show. But my biggest takeaway and what I want to lead off the show with tonight is this is how Dallas has to win hockey games right now. It is not going to be aesthetically pleasing in their current makeup. They just have too many injuries. Rope hints, Matt Duchain, two very important centers, two of the top centers for the Dallas Stars. They’re asking Sam Steel to step up and play on the top line. They’re asking a lot of others like Adam Ernie, like Radic Foxa, who normally just play that fourth line checking role. They need them to step up and take on some of the load, take on some of the burden with the injuries. And there are just going to be moments. There’s going to be lols in each and every game for Dallas. And tonight against Nashville, it was really the first 30 minutes. They just did not have their legs. They were not winning battles, they were slow, they were real sloppy with their puck control. But if they get really good net minding like they did from Casey to Smith tonight and they get just enough offense and they win the special teams battle, they get a huge power play goal tonight from Miko Rantin. That was the difference maker in the contest with one second remaining on the man advantage in a tie hockey game on the road. Everybody’s tired under 10 minutes to play. You have to cash in on that opportunity. They were 0 for four up to that point. The first minute and a half was not very good and they cash in. They convert. What a pass by Maverick Bourke as well. He was phenomenal in the game. But that’s just what Dallas has to be right now. They they are going to struggle at times. It’s going to be hard, but I think that may be a good thing for Dallas. They just have to find ways to win games. And after losing three straight winless in four, they bounce back here against two really good teams. Carolina’s off to a scorching start. Of course, Stars get some luck there. They cash in on their power play opportunities. Their PK was great. And once again tonight, they uh give up a power play goal, but they they cash in on a huge man advantage late. And that’s just sort of how Dallas has to muster up wins right now. Uh they they’re just missing a lot of in and key bodies in key positions like important pieces that you were expecting to be large parts of your group here this season. And I I didn’t even mention Jamie Ben, just your captain and emotional uh leader. It it has been all thrown out of whack. And this is a big challenge, but this can be a recipe, right? Sometimes you just got to bend, don’t break. To Smith Otter, make just enough saves. To Smith was excellent tonight. He ends up stopping 23 of 25. Uh, one of his his saves was kicked out, which led to the the Johnston goal on the two-on-one which tied the game. That was beautiful. A nifty little move through the five hole of Anin who was great for for Nashville too. It looked like the Stars were going to get goalied through the first two periods or at least first half of the hockey game because when Dallas did a ton in the first half, it was a tale of two halves for Dallas. When they did, Anin just was stone cold. He made a couple of tart saves on Sean and Steel, point blank, and it felt like it’s just going to be that type of night, isn’t it? But they just continue to whack away, whack away, and they got that power play in the second period, which they didn’t really create much, if anything at all. But it it did give them some momentum, and then they started skating. Then they started leaning on Nashville. They came out great in the third period. It was a really great final 20 from Dallas. And when they get their tail up and they can lean on teams, they can play with some physicality, get pucks in, right? Some of the cliches just wear down the opponent and you force them to defend. They take penalties, which they did tonight. You get five power plays. You like to convert a bit more, but you converted on the one you had to. Otherwise, it probably goes to overtime and and who knows what what happens and and maybe we’re talking about a different result. But I just thought that was a really gritty road win. Really gritty road win. Had to travel, of course, to get to Nashville and the the Stars sweep the the weekend. That’s a a couple of big- time wins. Oh, they just feel so massive right now. If if you take one of four points, we’re sitting here thinking, my goodness, the the hill’s just a bit steeper now. And that is with the loss of hints, right? Right now, they just have to find ways find ways to to to pick up points to win game. Can can you just hold on, right? Can you hold on during the next month or two? hopefully get bodies back and and then you can then you can start to uh I guess uh start to move in the the direction that you saw the Dallas Stars being at the start of the season, but right now they just can’t do that in their in their makeup. There’s just too many moving pieces. They’re they’re asking a lot out of different guys to to play in in weird spots. Um, welcome back Oscar Beck, by the way. A beautiful deflection for the the first Stars goal tonight. That was um an excellent uh excellent goal to get Dallas on the board. And that just comes from hard work, right, from Bastian Beck and Foxa. They win a battle along the walls. And those are the type of battles they weren’t winning in the first half of the hockey game. They work it up high and then Beck gets the the tip. They ended up outshooting Nashville 27 to 25. At one point I think it was 27 to to 18. Like Dallas had just flipped the script. Um after two periods um Nashville had 16 shots. Dallas was up to to what was 13 plus 5 18. Math is hard for me. So it was rather close. But in the first 5 10 minutes of that third period, Dallas was on the attack. They were the aggressor. And that was great to see. They were forcing the issue, dictating play, and they get rewarded by by drawing a penalty. Um, it’s a delay a game minor, but you you’ll take it. Uh, that’s what happens when you you force teams to to make plays they don’t want to make. Um, and uh, it was pretty it it it it was a chore. Oh, the first period and a half was like, my goodness, Stars could not get past the red line. They couldn’t connect with one another. Uh it was just sloppy, sloppy. And Nashville should have had probably more than a twogoal lead, but that’s props to the Smith. Stars held them in. That’s the job of a backup net minder on these second nights of backtobacks. You need him to be great. He was stellar. And the Stars did enough. They did enough in both games. The power play comes through. Um and uh just a real pleasing two wins. A real pleasing two wins for Dallas, but it does come at the cost of rope hence. Stars made some moves today. We’ll get into those. And now hence may be out for some time. We’ll discuss that and how the stars have to meander through another obstacle after this. Today’s episode of Locked on Stars is brought to you by FanDuel. 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Play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. So Rope Hence takes a lick from Taylor Hall on Saturday night uh against Carolina in the uh the third period. And I’ll I’ll start off with with some of my thoughts on uh the the hit from Hall. I I did not watch the the game live, so I had to to go back and and rewatch it. First off, it was an obvious charging penalty. Hall left his feet and he he blew up Rope. Hence, I I’m surprised it was just a minor penalty. Um I I certainly could have seen them making that a major. I’m almost shocked it wasn’t just because Rope was uh a bit defenseless trying to to move the puck and by him leaving his feet. It would be one thing if he just drove through him because for the most part it was a it was a clean hit. Um, for the most part, in my opinion, I I I don’t think he it wasn’t like he contacted head first, but he did he did fly in with his arm, but it was it was shoulder to the midsection. Um, I’ve said this before, like hockey is a contact sport. Uh, it’s physical. You’re going to get some body blows sometime sometimes. Um, but I was I was surprised that that wasn’t deemed a a major because of of Hall leaving his feet. Um, and they they elect to to just toss him two minutes for a minor. Um, and away they go. Um, but I I don’t think it was the nastiest hit. I don’t think there was any ill intent from Hall. Um although like that was a penalty like he he went you know flying in um to Hint. So some of my thoughts on it. Obviously the bigger news is is now Hint is out. Um he didn’t play tonight. Um obviously as as I pointed out um and now Dallas is down what two of their top centers, two of their three. Um fortunately John Johnston right now for the most part is is a number one. Um they had Sean with Ranson and and uh and Steel um tonight. Uh we’ll we’ll touch on some of the numbers and and lines in the in the next segment when we we hand out our our Galaxy uh grades, but you you do get Oscar Beck back. So that’s a nice addition. Um, but as I sort of stated there, there could be a silver lining in all this with Neil’s out and and now you add in rope like Dallas just has to be uncomfortable and maybe down the line, maybe a couple months from now, we look back and u not saying this is a good thing all we want the Stars to be healthy, but maybe it’s a good thing they go through some of this adversity early guys just having to figure it out on the fly. That’s the other thing. You know, the stars don’t aren’t practicing a ton and they just have to figure it out. And you can’t you can’t go on these lengthy long slumps, especially losing streaks. They go winless in four. You can’t have that happen another time just because you’re you’re going to get left behind, especially in the Central, which is tough. The West is all chaotic right now. So you you you have to stay within striking distance. Can you just hang around, right? Can you be competitive? Stay stay within arms length. That way when you do start to get healthier, get some bodies back. Um you’ll you’ll be in in in good position. I think that’s just how the stars have to think about it right now. some of the moves that happened earlier here today filming this on a a Sunday. Uh Neil Co was placed on LTIR. That stings. We were hoping it was more like of a week- toeek situation. Um I I believe that means he has to miss three or four weeks. I could be wrong on that. Um or or maybe it’s maybe it’s six games, something of that nature. So he’s going to be out now. Um they did call up Kyle Capabeno. He was a candidate I threw out there on Friday’s episode, I believe. Could have been Thursday of last week. I I I thought he would probably be the likely candidate to to be brought up for Dallas. Um and that was the case today. So, he has been recalled. Um I I think they’re going to need to get him in. Petrovic has struggled here early this season. what we saw in him that Carolina the the first goal uh that Kane scored just uh not the uh not the best effort there off the uh the face off, but they just need they needed to give Pro a rest, right? He’s he’s had to be used quite a bit um out of necessity. Um the Stars have really just been dressing the minimum healthy amount. So they’ve needed him to play and he hasn’t been awful, but um they don’t want him playing five, six games in in a row. At least that’s my opinion. They probably would like, you know, to get him in two out of every three games or maybe even one out of every four. Uh but he he’s going to have to to play more because well it’s a necessity. Uh but Capo Biano very uh very reliable, right? 74 games in the NHL. Like he’s he’s had a cup of coffee. Um has has been great in Texas since um he was picked up last year. That was a a nice key uh acquisition for um for for Texas. So, um I I imagine we’re going to see him here in the the next, you know, couple of games. I would imagine they want to get him sort of involved. Um he does have a little offensive pop and um and he’s 28. He he he’s going to be fresh. Um and Dallas just needs that uh right now. They’ve been asking a lot out of Mero. He’s played a ton. Um they have him all over the place. Um and uh he’s he’s getting involved, man. Uh Mero got a couple of goals over the weekend which was which was nice. Just not trying to score but uh he throws some pucks off sticks and that helps. Um you know Rich Scovian um you know he he’s he’s kind of playing up in the lineup. Um he’s had some juice. It’s it’s nice to see him play um a bit more, but you know right now like the the stars are are being you know carried a bit by their their top guys. The good thing is, I mean, it’s even crazy to think, you know, with Duchain out with like you got Ransin, you got Robo, you got Johnston, like that’s still pretty good. A lot of teams would love to have that. Um, so those guys have stepped up. Uh, I I think they have. And and you know, Miro’s looked really good over the last couple games. Look, he he’s made mistakes, don’t get me wrong. first period against Carolina. Um that bobble he had was uh uh but you know he’s playing a lot. So is Harley. I think we’re just going to have to live with some of that because they’re being relied on for heavy minutes. They’re going to be a bit weary. I know it’s still early. Uh but these games are coming fast. Uh they’re they’re they’re they’re trying to do too much at points. I think some of that is just over trying. um they got to get that out of their game um a bit and just and be a little bit more simple and um and I think I think Dallas can can benefit from this and really do just just figure it out, right? Just figure it out. Like they’re going to have the first period like we saw against Nashville and the first period uh what we we saw a couple of games ago against LA I believe it was. It’s just it’s just ugly. It’s blah, right? just just disgusting. Uh not not LA. Uh they were actually pretty decent against LA in the opening period. But um anyways, you’ve you get the point, right? There’s a couple games where it’s just it’s it’s stretches of bad play, turnovers, giveaways, yada. But you know, the other night on Saturday, they blocked 30 shots. They’re sacrificing the body. Tonight, they blocked some shots. Robertson with a couple big blocks. Steel with a couple of big blocks. They’re selling out. They’re making plays and that’s all that matters at this point. No one cares. No team’s apologizing for injuries. Carolina was beat up too. No one feels bad for them. Nobody feels bad for Dallas and uh they know that. They know that. So they uh they they have they buckled up over the weekend. Those are just I mean oh that’s massive. What? Five and five and three feels infinitely better um than what could have been three and five or three four in one. Um right, that’s huge. Um it’s early to talk about standings, but their first wild card if that means anything through through nine games. So here we go. Um it’s uh it’s it’s going to be a wild ride the next month. So buckle up Stars fans. Uh it’s going to be a fun one. All righty, let’s give out some Galaxy grades. We did this uh the other night. Um Stars went through a little bit of a losing streak, so I didn’t feel the the need to break this out, so let’s do it again. We had some fun. Uh I’ll break down the rules uh again, and would love to hear your answers in the comments. We’ll do that in just a moment. Today’s episode of Locked on Stars is brought to you by our friends at Game Time. Hockey season is officially here, and nothing beats being in the arena for those opening games. But let’s be real, getting tickets can be a total headache between waiting in cues, surprise fees, prices that jump before checkout. It’s easy to get frustrated when all you want to do is just cheer on your team. I’ve uh had issues before with certain sites or uh it’s just completely ruined my desire to even go to the game. But that doesn’t happen with Game Time because it’s simple. It’s easy. It’s easy. It gives you the advantage, right? Uh it allows you to see your view from the seat that you you’re thinking about purchasing uh before you have to buy it. That way you can understand where you’re going to be, make sure there’s no obstructions, and you can find tickets for under $25. It has no hidden fees, and they have this thing called zone deals. It is a great option. You pick the section, Game Time will pick the seats, and you can save big. So, take the guesswork out of buying NHL tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, use the code NHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. That’s code LCK ED own NHL for $20 off. Swipe ticket tap and go. Let’s do some galaxy grades on today’s episode of Locked on Stars. And uh if you recall from the last time we did this, I’ll give a refresher as well. We’re having three grades. We have a supernova. That’s the top grade. It’s like your first star. We’ll give a shooting star. Great. uh but maybe not worthy of uh the big one. And then a black hole. A black hole is like one negative thing. And it doesn’t have to be a certain player. It can just be a a specialty. It could be a penalty kill. Um it could be really just something completely stupid. So, um we’ll uh we’ll we’ll we’ll do that as well. Maybe for the weekend. We could do it for the the weekend as a whole. Would love to to hear your um uh your answers in the comments below. and then we’ll we’ll touch on some of the the numbers um from tonight um against Nashville as well. Okay, we’ll we’ll start with a black hole. Uh it it goes to Carolina defenseman sticks allowing Amiro to score a couple of goals by just rifling shots off twigs and into the back of the net. Um not a good weekend for the Kane’s defenseman and their weapons of choice. got to figure that out. So, a black hole for the Canes defenseman sticks um is is being handed out uh over the weekend. Stars with a a back-to-back sweep, which was so sweet. Otter was great. So was Casey to Smith. Identical 3-2 victories. Now, for a shooting star, um this one, it’s a tough one. I I’ll give it to I’ll give it to I’ll give it to Jason Robertson. He He was great tonight. I I’ll give it for his performance. Picks up a couple of helpers. He deserves a shooting start for his weekend. Had a couple of blocks too down the stretch. Uh yeah, let’s let’s give it to Robo, man. He’s, you know, there’s there’s been probably five, six stars, maybe four or five that have just been good all year. Robo Johnston Sean is in that conversation. Uh I think firmly in it, not just in the conversation. I think Robo’s in there. Um I I I throw I throw uh I throw Rantin in there. Um I know he’s taking too many penalties right now, but look, the guy for all he does just produces. Um so um he he was good. So we’ll give him the shooting star. Now for the supernova, we’ll just give it to Stars Goending over the weekend. Stars net minding gets a supernova. Casey to Smith with an excellent night. Stops uh stops what 23 of 25 tonight. Um yeah, he stops 23 of 25. And then Otter stopped 26 of 28 against the Canes. Supernova to the Stars net minding over the weekend. They were massive. stars need them to be uh when uh when they go through those stretches of uh of really just lack of puck control. Um and at at points just maybe forgetting what’s going on. Uh they have some brain farts here and there. Uh and uh they they take some time to to get their legs going and and just skating. And that was the thing tonight against Nashville. It was like all of a sudden they it just seemed like they were skating like they just were skating better. It it wasn’t like massive adjustments they made. It was just they started competing um and and just being harder on pucks. Um and sometimes it’s all it is, right? Just winning battles. It can be simple hand-to-hand combat. Remember that phrase Goldson’s used a ton, handtohand combat. Just win your battles. you win 50/50 bucks, you’re probably going to end up on on the right side uh of the score sheet at the end of the night um if you uh do that. So, those are our Galaxy grades here on a Monday. Now, for some uh numbers to to throw your way. Always like looking at some of the analytics. Natural statre is always a great resource. Stars out chance the Predators 19 to 18 at five on five. It was 107 in favor of the Stars in high danger chances. They outshot them 20 to 17. Expected goals for 2.12 to 1.76. So u the Stars um did have the advantage at five on five. Um and that really stemmed from about the the midway point of the game. They they were just much better um and they started testing on him and that was great. Uh Beck in his first game back he played 828. He scored a goal. Um just needed one shot. So welcome back um to the lineup. He gritted out really good. Uh third highest player in the game via hockey stat cards. Robo with a couple of assists and two blocks. His game score was 2.37. Man, he he has just been really slippery. Uh he he is just firing shots on net at will. Uh he ended up with four shots tonight. Um I believe Razer said he had nine shots in the past two games coming into tonight. Like he just looks so dangerous. Um he he he is he has been just on a mission to begin this year. His expected goals for 3.78 tonight. That was massive. Um in all situations at five on five it was one point 1.21. Uh not bad. Um and uh he he was looking great. You know, Bourke is, you know, that’s the one line they’ve kept together through all of this. Bourc, Johnston, and Robo. Uh and and they are flying around. They’re making things happen. Uh that line ended up with how many scoring chances? Seven. Seven scoring chances. The next closest was two. And it was Blackwell, Ritzovian, and Ernie. Um like that that’s lug in the mail, right, for for those guys. Um and uh at one point, you know, that second period, they were going back and forth, back and forth to Smith makes that save, which springs the twoon-one. Um and Johnston was able to to bury it. Uh what a season he’s having. Um he’s up to six goals now on the year. Uh love to see that. That was a sweet little feed from Robo. By the time Robo was was ready to make a play, I thought the pass was taken away. Um, but he threads the needle. Um, and Anonym was there. I mean, Johnson was was able to to make it happen. Uh, that was that was beautiful. All in all, just a gutsy, grimy victory on the road uh for Dallas. Uh, Mero played over 25 minutes along with Harley. Robo played 24. um you know goalie is it’s one thing you know we’re seeing right w with with Dbor at least over the last couple years you didn’t see a lot of guys play over 20 especially up front outside of Johnston maybe like Johnston I think he averaged just over 20 minutes last year you didn’t see that you’re not seeing multiple guys but now you get like Ranton and Johnston Robo they’re consistently you know getting over 20 minutes um uh a night. Um part of it is they just need offense. Uh they they at times it’s like are they ever going to score? Um but they have the talent to do so. Um and tonight they they converted on on chances and and their looks uh which they they desperately uh needed. Um yeah, just a really really good night looking around for any numbers that were maybe a bit appalling. uh Robo when he was on the ice scoring chances 21 to 15 um in his favor. That’s good. Miro 17 to 10, right? Like we’re getting that consistently out out of Miro. Uh like he he is just a driver. Um and it doesn’t it doesn’t always lead to points. fact rarely does, but good things happen usually um when he’s, you know, helping uh helping lug the mail, especially on exits um and just getting the stars up the ice uh which has been a chore at at points uh this season. Harley picks up an assist tonight, right? He just continues to to whack away. He gets shots through. Like they’re just a good combination together. um and love seeing them play well. Need them to be kind of on it together at one point. They’ve kind of each gone through their LOLs here. If they can both be on point together at the same time, watch out. Uh stars are are going to be dangerous. But uh yeah, that’s uh some numbers from the uh the evening. Uh anything else sticks out? Not really. Good stuff from uh from Dallas. Finding ways to win, right? As Razer once said, sometimes you just you got to pee in the kitchen sink. Stars had done that over the last couple nights. That’s going to do it for today’s edition of Locked on Stars, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every single day. As always, like, comment, and subscribe. Thank you for those of you that have joined us here that are new. Please stick around. We’re happy to have you. And let’s go Stars, baby. We’ll see you on the next episode of Locked On Stars. Have a great day. So long, Stars fans.

Dallas Stars stun Carolina and Nashville with back-to-back 3-2 victories. Can they maintain momentum despite mounting injuries? Joey Erickson breaks down the Stars’ impressive weekend, highlighting clutch performances and evolving strategies. The discussion covers Roope Hintz’s injury impact, Jason Robertson’s offensive surge, and how Pete DeBoer’s tactics are reshaping Dallas’ gameplay. Key topics include the Stars’ special teams improvements, upcoming roster challenges, and potential adjustments to watch. Don’t miss this in-depth analysis of the Stars’ path to success in the face of adversity. Will Dallas continue to grind out wins as they navigate a crucial stretch of the season?

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