Post-Game Show: Predators 3, Stars 2 (SHO)

Story of the Game: The Stars’ overall solid effort was negated by poor play in the red zone, if there is one in hockey. A couple of scrums resulted in chaos in front of the Dallas net and both Nashville goals. The Stars didn’t capitalize on as many of their point-blank opportunities, only the second James Neal score.

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Hockey Night: Stars-Nashville In-Game Blog

We will do occasional in-game blogs during the Stars’ season, starting with Saturday night’s gala opener against Nashville. RW Jere Lehtinen isn’t yet back from his hip and groin injuries. C Brian Sutherby and D Mark Fistric will be among the scratches. Nashville injuries are RW Jordin Tootoo (groin), RW Joel Ward (groin) and C Colin Wilson (yep, same thing).

6:48: Regarding the following issue that I caught discussed by Bob and Dan during the pre- pre-game show on The Ticket, the Stars list the pronunciation for No. 96 as: FAH-bee-uhn Bruhn-struhm.

6:59: Nashville will start former Stars G Dan Ellis ahead of Pekka Rinne, who took over as the No. 1 midway through last season. Ellis was 3-0 during pre-season play with a 1.59 GGA and .944 save percentage in four appearances.

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Comment on a Comment

While we have a moment on a Saturday, I thought I would try to explain my hockey content plans for this season. This was a comment from a reader yesterday on my Broncos Game Plan:

Bob, PLEASE, tell me you’ll be writing something on the Stars. With tonight being opening nite and all, I was sure hoping to read your thoughts on the upcoming season. I know that since I’m from Texas it’s apparently sacrilege for me want hockey as much as football, but I do…

Please help.

My duties over here – due to time, family, life, and radio issues – is strictly NFL until the Cowboys season ends. At that point, I believe I will be back in “Free For All” form, which will include my beloved ice hockey. In the meantime, I actually do blog for Dallasstars.com. Perhaps, I should notify readers here with a link to let you know when I have done something new over there. Let me know if that is something you might be interested in. Also, keep in mind, that Jeff Miller will be doing his thing here all season, including a live blog tonight, I do believe. There are surely some times where Jeff and I will conduct some live chats during the game or other wild opportunities I haven’t even considered.

I know this is sort of complicated to track where I write certain things, so the easiest way to figure all of this out might be to follow me on Twitter .

Here are the last few things I have written on DallasStars.com:

Jamie Benn stuff

My Biggest Concern for ’09

Overview of Expectations

Highland Park’s Kershaw Will Get the Ball on Saturday for Reeling Dodgers (One Up, Two to Play)

That once massive L.A. Dodgers lead in the N.L. West – 15.5 games over the Colorado Rockies on June 3 – is one game over Colorado on Oct. 3 after the Rockies’ 4-3 win at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. That was L.A.’s fifth straight loss. The Dodgers have looked like zombies recently against the likes of the Nationals, Pirates and Padres. Hit like zombies, more specifically.

Highland Park’s own Clayton Kershaw (8-8) will get the start on Saturday night to try to finally deliver the division clincher. Both the Dodgers and Rockies are already in, one as the division champ and the other as the wild card.

The 21-year-old lefty will be making only his third start since missing three weeks with an injury to his right shoulder. He dislocated it in early September when he ran into the outfield wall while shagging fly balls during batting practice. Here are his starts for the season.