How do you get to the Stanley Cup playoffs? The Stars will have to do it without the practice part. Plus, Sidney Crosby’s latest milestone, a Texas Stars update, and more.
Between playing a game roughly every day and a half and making a frantic last-minute playoffs push, the Dallas Stars will have one of the busiest Aprils on the NHL schedule. It will leave little time for practice, just at a moment when they might need it.
The Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks devoted a recent article to examining the situation:
As the Stars navigate a busy month of April that features 16 games in 29 days, they will not be practicing much at all. Friday’s practice was the second straight optional session (following Thursday’s optional morning skate), and came on the back of no morning skate Tuesday and no practice Wednesday.
The last full practice the Stars held was on March 30 in Anaheim. The next chance for a full practice is Wednesday, or two full weeks between practices.
How will the Stars manage their time? As carefully as possible:
They went to Anaheim a day early to adjust to the time difference, and squeezed a practice in Orange County. They also left Seattle a day later than usual in an attempt to allow players to sleep better after playing the Kraken. (The plan backfired when an unusual travel day forced the Stars to arrive late back in Dallas.)
When they go to Canada later this month, they’ll leave a day earlier to Vancouver and stay a day later in Calgary.
“There’s a difference between being tired and being half a step behind and not working and being half a step behind,” Bowness said. “That’s what we watch very closely.”
Matt has more. [SportsDayDFW]
Stars Stuff
The Stars won in Chicago last night, and DeFranks has plenty of information about that, too.
CHICAGO — When the Stars needed a win, they knew who they could turn to.
The same players that have dragged this team into a playoff chase. https://t.co/wMoUo0eW1V
— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) April 11, 2022
Around The Leagues
In On The #Kill Taker
- The Nashville Predators escaped with a point after losing in overtime to the Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-2. [On The Forecheck]
- The Minnesota Wild overcame a three-goal deficit, and Kirill Kaprizov tied the franchise’s single-season goals record, and beat the Los Angeles Kings 6-3. [Hockey Wilderness]
- And the Winnipeg Jets kept their playoffs hopes alive by eking out a victory over the Ottawa Senators, 4-3. [Arctic Ice Hockey]
Sidney Crosby is still good. Who knew? Here he is scoring his 1,400th career point.
Sidney Crosby’s 1️⃣4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣th point is a beauty pic.twitter.com/lYmBRoZMgt
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 10, 2022
Meanwhile, Jordan Staal has set an interesting milestone of his own.
It’s been almost 14 years since Jordan Staal’s last hat trick. Just a friendly reminder that the @Canes captain has still got the scoring touch. #NHLStats: https://t.co/55geAWNwnS pic.twitter.com/pLpEZOCFKX
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 11, 2022
And Minnesota State University’s Dryden McKay has scored a breakthrough, too.
For the first time since Ryan Miller won it in 2001, a goaltender has been awarded the Hobey Baker Award as the top men’s NCAA player after a tremendous season from Dryden McKay.https://t.co/U7Hwds9eJC
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) April 8, 2022
Greetings From Scenic Cedar Park
The Texas Stars have a lot of ground to cover if they want to make the Calder Cup playoffs, and an increasingly narrow window in which to do it.
The Stars suffered a 3-0 loss at the hands of the Iowa Wild Sunday at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. With the weekend sweep, the Wild jumped Texas into the fifth and final playoff spot entering the final two weeks of the season.
More
— Texas Stars (@TexasStars) April 11, 2022
Finally
Which Jake Oettinger save made the most recent NHL Top 10? Right answers only.