D

  1. Find It
    Food & Drink
    Health Care
    Prof. Services
    Shopping
    Beauty
    Weddings
    Home & Garden
  2. Blogs
  3. Videos
  4. Buzzworthy
  5. Magazines

Live Blog Feed

  1. Blogs
  2. Best of Big D
  3. Restaurants
  4. Bars
  5. Entertainment
  6. Party Pics
  1. Home
  2. Shopping
  3. Home & Garden
  4. Real Estate
  5. Weddings
  6. Find a Doctor
  7. Find a Lawyer
  8. Giveaways

Stars’ Middle Management

Posted on March 24th, 2009 12:13pm by Jeff Miller
Filed under Uncategorized

The planned return of Tom Wandell tonight against Vancouver could help out the Stars in the face-off circle. Dallas has won the face-off battle only once in the last 12 games. Wandell is a left-handed shooter who spent all season at center playing for Timra IK in Sweden’s elite league. He should be centering between Krys Barch and countryman Fabian Brunnstrom against the Canucks.

“I’ve been playing in the middle all season,” said Wandell, who first practiced with the Stars on Monday. “I feel comfortable there. I can make some play if I get the opportunity.”

Swedish hockey has more restrictive rules on face-offs than North America, but Wandell played 2007-08 for the Stars’ former Iowa farm team and said the transition should be no problem.

Dave Tippett said Wandell might get some power play time.

Tippett said Brad Richards is scheduled for surgery today on his left hand. On Monday, Richards told ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun that he will be lost for four to six weeks. “It’s similar to what Steve Ott had, a spiral fracture of the bone in the back of his hand,” Tippett said. “He’ll get a plate put in. I talked to him late last night. He’s upset. He cares about this team.”

And, related to the morning topic in this space on the Stars’ goals against, Tippett addressed the presence of so many young defensemen: “I think it’s even harder than young forwards. You’re under siege. The mistakes that you make back there – they can lead to bad results. Young players have to feel confident when they get to this league to play in those situations and feel like they can get the job done.”

Bookmark and Share