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Oct 17 '17
With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN. Von Miller Jersey .ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up are the Dallas Stars, who are locked and loaded for the new season with former Ottawa Senators Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky. Catch up on their summer moves and the issues they face this season, as well as Craig Buttons analysis of their top prospect and an analytical breakdown by TSNs Scott Cullen. Division: Central GM: Jim Nill Head Coach: Lindy Ruff 2013-14: 40-31-11 (5th in Central) Playoffs:Lost in First Round Goals For: 231 (10th) Goals Against: 223 (17th) PP: 15.9% (23rd) PK: 81.4% (21st) That Was Then: The Stars flourished under new bench boss Lindy Ruff last season, while netminder Kari Lehtonen stood tall and stayed healthy and Tyler Seguin delivered on the promise that prompted the Stars to pay a big price to acquire him out of Boston. Lehtonen played more games than he had since 2010-11 and posted his second-best single-season marks for both goals-against average (2.41) and save percentage (.919). Add in the bronze medal he won with Finland at the Sochi Olympics and it was a pretty great year for the 30-year-old. Seguin made a huge leap. Providing the perfect complement for Stars captain Jamie Benn, Seguin established himself as a top player and set career-highs in goals (37) and assists (47), finishing in the NHLs top five in goals and points. All that said, it took until February for the Stars to get hold of a wild card spot and that came on the heels of a Vancouver Canucks freefall. The team spent most of March fighting off the Coyotes for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They played near-.500 hockey down the stretch but held onto the second wild card thanks to a seven-game losing streak the Coyotes put up in April. The Stars put up a fight, pushing the Anaheim Ducks to six games in the opening round, but had their hearts broken on home ice with Nick Boninos overtime winner to seal the series. Scott Cullens Analytics Stars 2013-14 stats by Quarter Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS% 1-20 2.70 2.45 9.3% .925 50.1% .600 21-41 3.00 3.05 8.2% .909 51.8% .548 42-62 2.38 2.43 6.3% .920 53.8% .500 63-82 3.10 2.55 9.5% .927 49.2% .575 NHL AVG 2.67 2.67 7.8% .922 50.0% .562 Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score), PTS%= percentage of available points. Analysis: Games 1-20: Season started with middling possession numbers, but above average percentages led to a favourable record. Games 21-41: Possession numbers improved, scoring increased, but goaltending slumped. Games 42-62: Best possession segment stymied by poor shooting. Games 63-82: Even as possession dipped, the seasons best percentages kept the Stars in a playoff position. Key 2014 Additions: RW Patrick Eaves, RW Ales Hemsky, G Anders Lindback, C Jason Spezza Key 2014 Subtractions: RW Alex Chiasson, C Dustin Jeffrey, C Chris Mueller This Is Now: With Seguin centring the first line, hell get plenty of support from Jason Spezza on the second. Acquired from Ottawa over the summer, Spezza brings leadership and a heap of offensive vision to the Stars second line. He could play alongside fellow Ottawa-to-Dallas-defector Ales Hemsky or between younger talents like Valeri Nichushkin and Brett Ritchie. Were last years early-season struggles an acclimation period under Ruff? If they were, the addition of Spezza could thrust the Stars into contention in a tough Central Division. DEPTH CHART Forwards Left Wing Centre Right Wing Jamie Benn Tyler Seguin Ales Hemsky Erik Cole Jason Spezza Valeri Nichushkin Antoine Roussel Cody Eakin Ryan Garbutt Vernon Fiddler Shawn Horcoff Colton Sceviour Curtis McKenzie Rich Peverley Patrick Eaves Brendan Ranford Radek Faksa Brett Ritchie Defence Left Right Alex Goligoski Trevor Daley Brenden Dillon Jordie Benn Kevin Connauton Sergei Gonchar Jamie Oleksiak Patrik Nemeth Cameron Gaunce John Klingberg Goaltenders Kari Lehtonen Anders Lindback Jack Campbell TSN Director of Scouting Craig Buttons Top Prospect: Two elements that teams will always covet in players are size and scoring. Brett Ritchie possesses both as a strong winger who can wear down opponents with a heavy frame and make them pay with quick scoring hands. He will be a formidable player for the Stars. He is unique in that he can carve out his own space and then take full advantage with his skill and smarts. These are the types of players that help a team win in the playoffs and the Stars are looking to do more of that. Fantasy - Scott Cullens Player to Watch Ales Hemsky In his later years with the Edmonton Oilers, Hemsky was getting buried on the depth chart and last had a 50-point season in 2008-2009. However, after a trade to the Ottawa Senators last year, Hemsky finished the season with 17 points in 20 games. Moving to Dallas, Hemsky could have an opportunity to play setup man to snipers Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin on the Stars top line, the kind of situation that should boost Hemskys productivity. If not, continuing on the wing with Spezza is a pretty strong secondary option. Steve Atwater Jersey .ca. Hi Kerry, Thursday nights Bruins-Blackhawks game had a goal by Patrice Bergeron initially waved off by the referee, but video review clarified it was a good goal. Derek Wolfe Jersey . - David Tomasek had two goals in regulation time and was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Belleville Bulls upset the Oshawa Generals 6-5 on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action.Frustrating. Sloppy. Forgettable. Choose your adjective. Toronto FC was poor in a 2-1 home loss to the New England Revolution. The play on the field resembled the dark and dreary day by the lake in downtown Toronto. The Revs may have come away with all three points, but they were no better than the home side. Two absolute gifts were the tangible difference on the day. An overall disappointing display and now three straight losses for Toronto FC. Head coach Ryan Nelsen said afterwards it was a "really good" performance by his team. Beauty must be in the eye of the beholder. Toronto FC out-possessed their opponent for the first time all season, which is progress. It should be noted there is a tangible difference between positive and negative possession. The attacking play was all too narrow and lack of cutting edge or decisiveness in the attacking end is a significant concern. Many will point to the 82nd minute penalty as Toronto FC reverting back to their old ways, conceding late. In truth, the full 90 was concerning. A fully healthy squad meant, for the first time all season, Nelsen had his full compliment of weapons. Coming off a bye week, playing at home should have given ample time for rest, recoup and regeneration. Instead, 50-50 balls were won by New England (56.5 per cent) and mistakes were more noticeable than sustained, meaningful build-up. Canadian mens national team head coach Benito Floro was in attendance to see three of his internationals feature in Toronto FCs starting XI. His analysis of the Canadian contributions had to be similar to the rest of the Canadian team: a work in progress. A late right leg/ankle injury to Jonathan Osorio left the Canadian international on crutches. If England manager Roy Hodgson were watching, he would have seen a rather anonymous performance by Jermain Defoe in his return from a long-term hamstring issue. Defoe played the full 90 (a positive) but lacked his typical sharpness. Service from the midfield remains an issue and certainly contributed to the non-descript afternoon. There is only so much he can do on his own. Here are my five thoughts on the 2-1 loss: 1) Shapes of the Midfield - Alvaro Rey was kept out of the starting XI in preference of Kyle Bekker and/or Osorio, however you want to look at it. Bekker was deployed in a holding role, which seems to be Nelsens preference, allowing attack-minded Osorio and all-action Michael Bradley to get forward. The outside left position is an interesting one for Osorio, giving him freedom to roam, checking in and out of the middle of the field. The question is whether the team is better off using a more traditional 4-4-2 with natural wing players or having Osorio in a freer role. All too often, the attack was too narrow and predictable, easy to play against. If this is the way Toronto FC wants to play, they need more overlapping runs from the wingbacks to make it work. And whether Bekker is ready/able to be a stabilizing defensive midfield player is highly debatable. Nelsen acknowledged he was happy how his new-look middle four worked. To the critical eye, it needs work. 2) Oh Henry - Centre-back Doniel Henry returned from a five-week absence (left knee sprain) and the early returns didnt flatter. It was a struggle throughout, with Henry the culprit for both goals conceded. In the first half, Henrys careless, errant pass straight up the middle went right to Revolution midfielder Daigo Kobayashi. A quick pass to Patrick Mullins and a powerful strike from distance beat Julio Cesar for the equalizer. Credit Mullins, as he still had much work to do. Henrys distribution and decision-making must improve for him to take the next step. Remember, hes only 20. With a physical maturity beyond his years, its the mental maturity that is a step behind. Hes a beast in challenges and will continue to be a frustrating asset for the time being. The final blow on a gut-wrenching day for the defeender was his handball in the box, leading to the 82nd minute Lee Nguyen penalty winner. Matt Paradis Jersey. A controversial retaken corner kick and Justin Morrows ensuing poor clearance obviously played a role. All too often, Henry slides recklessly inside the 18-yard box and this time, he was punished with the ball hitting his arm. There was no argument whether it was a penalty. Henry will have better days. Hes still the starting centre-back for this team. That should not be debated. 3) In Bloom? - It remains somewhat a surprise Mark Bloom is the preferred option at right back. Bloom has done little wrong to start the season. Hes proven himself to be a valuable squad player on an incredibly team friendly contract. But is he the best option? Bloom provides little getting forward in attack. There were numerous opportunities to get forward and overlap, yet he stays put, falling deep in support. When he does get forward, good things happen. But hes not programmed to be that free-flowing outside back that is preferential in the modern game. Bradley Orr, on the other hand, has more to offer. The Englishman was outstanding deputizing at centre-back with Henry out through injury. Orr is a natural right back however, and seems a better fit to take over the position. Bloom should and will continue to play a role. But Nelsen may do better with Orr as his regular. 4) Action Jackson - The Brazilian midfielder was all over the field, in the middle of good and bad all day long. Jacksons goal was fortunate, taking a nasty deflection off AJ Soares, freezing goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. Its Jacksons goal for now, but a case can be made for an own goal. The rest of the day was hardly a Picasso. The Brazilians work-rate is his biggest asset. A controlled temperament is not in his arsenal. Jackson has been involved in numerous questionable challenges on the year. In the 43rd minute, he was involved in the worst of any to date. Jackson failed to control and went in high and late on Chris Tierney, catching the midfielder with his studs up to the chest. Jackson was shown a yellow but he should have been sent off. A little more restraint is needed in a league where more times than not, hasty decisions are made. He needs to be more in control: of the ball, in his decisions, and positioning. 5) Failure to Launch - Nelsen pointed to missed opportunities as being a disappointment. Misfiring Gilberto hit the post twice and still looks a step off and rather uncomfortable in his surroundings. Henry had a header on the far post go wide. And Defoe was crafty in manufacturing a chance late, putting a left-footed strike just past the left post. Its fair for Nelsen to point to the inability to take their chances as reason for defeat. Its also fair to say New England, despite only having 40 per cent possession, missed opportunities as well. Both teams were similar in attempts on goal (15-14), so its how Toronto FC uses possession thats the bigger issue. Bradley continues to be a powerhouse going forward through the middle. But on a day the opponent is content to sit back and welcome pressure through the middle, its all too predictable and easy to defend. Toronto FC needs to spread its tactical wings, developing layers of attack and giving more options through natural team movement. If they are unable to do so, they will remain best as a counter-attacking team, relying on the likes of Defoe to take whatever limited chances fall their way. This, perhaps, is not the best way to utilize millions of dollars of talent. Once again, this is a work in progress for all. Progress is essential over the next month leading into the World Cup break. There is still good reason to think this can all come together and work efficiently. Next up for Toronto FC is a date with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the opening leg of their Amway Canadian Championship tie, Wednesday (7:30pm et) at BMO Field. @WheelerTSNgareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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