A Few Hours Before Stars-Edmonton, “The Monster” Will Be Let Loose in Toronto

Courtship of "The Monster" (L) included trip to Rangers Ballpark with GM Joe Nieuwendyk (DRC)

Rookie goaltender Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson, whom the Stars tried to sign over the summer, will get his first start for the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at home against Ottawa. This comes after Leafs no. 1 goalie Vesa Toskala has been beaten in Toronto’s first two games.

After the 24-year-old Swede signed with Toronto, the Stars added veteran Alex Auld as backup to Marty Turco. It’ll be interesting to see how Toronto coach Ron Wilson handles this, especially if Gustavsson plays well and wins. (Even Wilson calls him “The Monster.”)

Surely there will be plenty of coverage on this during Versus’ 6 p.m. Washington-Philadelphia telecast.

No Question Who Leads Dallas Stars’ 2009-10 Defense: Just Follow Your Nose to Robidas

Robidas' cage look (Pro Ice Hockey, Ronald Martinez)

Nashville forward J. P. Dumont was laid out along the AAC boards on his back on Saturday night, and he wasn’t moving. Dumont was surrounded by the Predators’ trainer and a handful of teammates. Among this silent group, Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas slowly skated in, bent at the waist, stick across his knees. “I just wanted to make sure he was OK,” Robidas said after the game. After all, it was Robidas’ hit – high but clean – that sent Dumont to the ice. “He wasn’t ready. I think his head hit the board first, kind of hit the board awkward.”

Robidas, 32, carries his own souvenirs of NHL hits over 10 years. A broken jaw? A busted nose? Just slap a cage on his helmet for a few games and pencil him into the lineup. Given up on by multiple teams early in his career, Robidas earned the associate captain’s “A” last fall and was an injury replacement in the NHL All-Star Game. He’s now the glue of a defense otherwise occupied by youngsters and veteran newcomers.

“The bottom line is try to lead by example,” said Robidas, signed last week to a contract extension through 2014. “Play hard, and try to play the right way.”

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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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Dallas Stars’ October Forecast: Chance of Clearing

Marc Crawford’s term as Stars coach will begin on Saturday night when the Nashville Predators provide the loyal opposition. And if you like what you see, the Preds will be right back a week from Wednesday!

Eight of the Stars’ 14 October games will be played away from AAC, beginning with a three-game trip to Western Canada after opening night. (Here’s the full season sked.) The Stars will play three back-to-backs: the standard Anaheim-LA double in southern California, plus Friday-Saturday home-and-homes featuring Boston-Chicago (Stanley Cup Finalists?) in the middle of the month and Florida-Nashville at the end.

(Programming note: The plan for in-game blogs this season is to spot them for particular games of interest, the Saturday night opener being one of them.)

Some observations about the Stars and Western foes:

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Dallas Stars Veteran Jere Lehtinen Working Toward Bang-Up Performance on Opening Night

FRISCO – It has long been one of the great mysteries of NHL hockey in Dallas – mild-mannered Jere Lehtinen and his devotion to head banging, heavy metal music. “It’s surprising,” captain Brenden Morrow said, shaking his head. “You’d think he’d be into classical. Maybe Beethoven.”

The Stars’ trip down to Cedar Park, Texas this week allowed Lehtinen the opportunity to see Metallica. For the seventh time. “I think this was one of the best ones,” he said. “It’s amazing. Those guys stick around and play good.”

Stars fans feel the same way about the 36-year-old right wing who is slowly recovering from hip and groin problems. He skated on his own Thursday morning and then made it through half the team’s practice as planned, the first time this pre-season that he has worked out with his teammates. Coach Marc Crawford hopes Lehtinen can put in a full practice Friday in advance of Saturday’s season opener at AAC against Nashville.

“It’s how he feels that’s dictating how much he’s doing,” Crawford said. “He understands himself. He understands the stakes.”

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Dallas Stars: Who Will Step Up in 2009-10?

Numbers of various origins – some statistical, some subjective – don’t paint a pretty picture for Stars fans going into the season that will start Saturday night at AAC against Nashville.

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Five Minutes With Dallas Stars’ Brenden Morrow

(si.cnn.com)

FRISCO – Hockey players define summer in terms of how long it has been since they last played. For Stars captain Brenden Morrow, summer “has been nine months.”

His 2008-09 season ended abruptly last November following only 18 games because of an ACL tear. He was hopeful of rejoining the team for another playoff run, but the extended absences of players like Morrow, Sergei Zubov and Brad Richards contributed to a 12th-place finish in the West.

Summer in Dallas saw Tom Hicks replace co-general managers Brett Hull and Les Jackson with former Stars favorite Joe Nieuwendyk, who in turn replaced coach Dave Tippett with Marc Crawford.

Morrow is back on the ice and ready to start his 10th season in Dallas. The following is from a brief visit with Morrow this week at StarsCenter in advance of training camp:

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Five Minutes With the Dallas Stars’ Mike Modano

FRISCO - Mike Modano reported to his first NHL training camp in autumn 1988 in Kalamazoo, Mich., home of the Minnesota North Stars’ farm club.

Next week, camp No. 21 will get underway and include a field trip to Central Texas to help kick off the Stars’ new affiliate in Cedar Park. This week, most of the players are participating in voluntary workouts.

The NHL career goals and scoring leader among American players, Modano turned 39 over the summer and decided to at least finish out his current contract, take another run at a Stanley Cup now more than a decade since that late night in Buffalo, and maybe make a fourth trip to the Olympics.

Modano sat down for brief interrogation earlier this week:

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Preparing For Life After Zubov

I finally have a chance to write about the Stars again, and more specifically, the story that is in the process of completion as speak: The exit of the great Sergei Zubov.

I think many of us hate to see this happen. Zubov is one of my absolute favorite Dallas Stars for years and years. Imagining this organization moving on without him is as tough to process as moving on without Mike Modano or Jere Lehtinen.

But, there comes a time. And that time is now it would appear.

Zubov and his agent claim that they have up to 9 teams who are interested in Zubov. That is a believable number, and in reality, you wonder what the other 20 teams are thinking. A healthy Zubov merits a spot on any team in the National Hockey League. A healthy Zubov is amazing.

A healthy Zubov, say one that is somewhere between the ages of 25-37, is one that kills all of the penalties, powers all of the power plays, and plays roughly 30 minutes of every 60 minute playoff game. He is the calmest player on the ice, but also plays with incredible vision and clarity of what each moment calls for. There is no question that Sergei Zubov is a player who belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and it will be an absolute travesty (in my eyes, at least) if that doesn’t happen.

But, that is for later. What about now? Didn’t the Dallas Stars have the 27th best Power Play in the NHL? And, didn’t they also have the 24th best Penalty Kill in the NHL? And would anyone argue that he is the very best defensemen on both of those units that the Dallas Stars have EVER had? – (Some might suggest Derian Hatcher was the better penalty killer for his fine work clearing the crease in front of Ed Belfour, but I would roll with Zubie) – I think back to the firing of Dave Tippett, and when Joe Nieuwendyk was at the press conference he made reference to the special teams not being terribly special. I would interject that Dave Tippett was trying to make due without his best option on the ice.

Which brings us to where we are right now for both parties. I don’t believe Sergei Zubov wants to leave Dallas. And, truth be told, I don’t belive the Dallas Stars want Zubov to leave Dallas, either. So, why is this about to happen?

Follow the money.

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Dallas Stars’ 2009-10 Schedule Released

They’ll open on Saturday night, Oct. 3 at home against Nashville. It’s another season featuring a break for the Winter Olympics. They’ll play six Saturday afternoon home games and one Sunday afternoon game.

From the Eastern Conference, they’ll play Carolina, New Jersey and Philadelphia twice each. The other East teams that will come to AAC will be Boston, Florida, the New York Islanders, Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Toronto.

Here’s a link to the complete schedule.

Agent: It’s Dasvidaniya Between Dallas Stars, Sergei Zubov

Sergei Zubov’s agent tells Scott Burnside, one of ESPN.com’s first-line NHL writers, that Zubov won’t be returning to the Stars. Agent Jay Grossman says Zubov, an unrestricted free agent, prefers a team with a better chance to contend for the Stanley Cup. And he says Zubov is 100 percent healed from last winter’s hip surgery and ready to go. That would seem remarkable given the way that Zubov, who will turn 39 in a few weeks, was still limping a few months ago.

Stars Announce Pre-Season Schedule, Which Includes I-35 Field Trip To Cedar Park

The Stars just announced their pre-season slate, which includes a game in their new minor league rink down in Cedar Park. (All times are Dallas times.)

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MGM – On a Tuesday.

As I continue to catch-up from my mysterious absence (or vacation), I thought the best way to touch on a number of issues at one time is to roll out a Machine Gun Monday on a Tuesday.

On one hand, you would think this is a nice slow time of year where we could merely lock in on the Rangers attempt to battle those Angels on the sports stage all by themselves. But, look around. NBA Free Agency is tonight; NHL Free Agency is tomorrow; Wimbledon is in its Championship week; Longhorns are running into apartment buildings; and much more.

As a wise man once said, “there are no slow sports days, just slow sports people”. So let’s touch on many items in a short amount of time:

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Dallas Stars’ Brett Hull: From In The Crease To In The Hockey Hall Of Fame

Brett Hull has told DMN‘s Mike Heika, his former partner on the popular “Hull and Heika” series shown on the Jumbotron during stoppages of play, that he’ll be announced as part of the next class of inductees in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. It comes only three days after the 10th anniversary of his Cup winning goal and two days after Fathers’ Day, the latter significant because he and Bobby (class of ’83) will become the first father-son duo in the hockey hall. Does this mean he gets his Dallas sweater number retired?