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| Continued: Expect the Retooled Stars to Return to Winning Ways Once Injuries Heal | |
| There isn't any doubting the ability and natural scoring touch of Neal but Nieuwendyk had a weakness in depth to address. Goligoski's addition to the Stars' lineup will take pressure off of Stephane Robidas and Trevor Daley who both average over twenty-three minutes per game. He will also give Dallas a puck-moving quarterback on the power-play, something that the team has lacked since the days of Sergei Zubov. Goligoski carries a plus/minus of +23 and is a responsible defenseman that will be a big help cutting down the workload of goaltenders Kari Lehtonen and Andrew Raycroft. Nieuwendyk shared his impressions with the media shortly after completing the deal. "We're very excited to add Alex Goligoski to our hockey club," he said. "Alex is a legitimate top-four defenseman who will have a positive impact on our entire crops of blue-liners. He has averaged over 20 minutes per game and can play in all situations." Head Coach Marc Crawford was excited by what Goligoski brings to the table. "I can see where he's going to really help," Crawford said. "Anyone that can skate as good as he does, he's an effortless skater. It looks like he doesn't get tired, so we'll be able to ramp up minutes for him and give him lots of opportunity."  Langenbrunner and Morrow battle with Kovalchuk for the puck.Jamie was pleased to have the opportunity to meet up with some of his friends like David Clarkson but admitted it was strange to be on the opposite side. "Seeing the training staff this morning at the rink and Clarkie and some of the guys who came down early, it was definitely a little weird," Langenbrunner said. Immediately, Goligoski made an impact in Dallas' 1-0 loss to the Devils. New Jersey rookie Nick Palmieri scored the lone goal while Johan Hedberg picked up the shutout. Although the Stars were defeated, Lehtonen only had face 23 shots and as a unit Dallas looked much improved in their own end. If this trend continues, Dallas should be able win plenty of games once their scorers return to full health like Jamie Benn who appeared in his first game since missing ten games due to a shoulder injury. The Stars were further boosted by the return of Krys Barch and Adam Burish to their lineup when they visited the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday after each missed eight games. Lehtonen once again shined in net by making 38 saves in Dallas' 4-1 dominant performance. Ribeiro got Dallas out in front with his twelfth goal of the year as Morrow and Benn gained their sixteenth and twenty-first assists respectively. Just before the first intermission, Eriksson streaked down ice and scored a back-hander to increase the Stars' lead to 2-0. It was a short-handed goal and his twentieth of the year.  Ott and Langenbrunner wait for a potential rebound against the Red Wings.Crawford believed it was an important victory, "It was a real solid effort for us. We had good spirit in the group. I think the return of Burish and Barch helped bring up the enthusiasm of our guys. We were sharp tonight. We did a lot of good things, and played with the proper amount of aggression up front. It was such a desperate win for us, and now it puts us back in a playoff position. We have to keep rolling out performances like this." With Benn, Burish and Barch back in the fold, the Stars' team health has taken a turn for the better. Furthermore, both Richards and Grossman have begun skating. Nieuwendyk made it clear during interviews that Richards will not play until after the February 28th trade deadline and though he is received calls from multiple NHL teams about the availability of Richards, it would take a massive offer for Nieuwendyk to consider dealing the playmaking center. "We're hopeful that we get another shot in the arm with the return of Brad and Nick Grossman," Crawford said. "Those are two guys that are big parts of our club as well. In the interim, you just have to be patient. Those are both injuries that require the players do what the medical people tell them." The Stars currently hold 8th place in the Western Conference but are even on points with the 6th place Minnesota Wild. Dallas carries an overall record of 32-23-6 through 61 games. Brad Richards leads the team with 63 points while Captain Brenden Morrow is ahead of Richards by a single goal with 25 on the season. Richards is narrowly leading the Stars in assists with 39, with Mike Ribeiro just behind him at 38. In combined duty with the Penguins and Stars, Alex Goligoski has a plus/minus mark of +23 while Eriksson has collected the most power-play goals at 8. Kari Lehtonen has recorded 24 victories in net and maintains a goals against average of 2.62, both best among Dallas goalies. The Stars take on the Nashville Predators at the American Airlines Center on Saturday before beginning a five-game road stretch that concludes in Los Angeles on March 7th. |
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