SB Nation Chicago: All Posts by Brandon Worley

What Went Wrong: Texas Stars Season Ends With 4-1 Series Loss To Oklahoma City Barons

2013-05-17T15:26:06Z

It was the best regular season the Texas Stars had enjoyed in the franchise's four seasons in Cedar Park and expectations were high as the team entered the postseason. After the disaster that was the 2011-2012 season, just getting to the playoffs should have been considered a massive success but this was a team that was expected to once again make a run at the Calder Cup, with AHL Coach of the Year Willie Desjardins behind the bench an SEL champion goaltender in net.

The season ended unceremoniously on Thursday night with a 5-1 loss to the Oklahoma City Barons, a a 4-1 series loss. In the final three games of the series, all played in OKC, the Stars were outscored 16-4 and completely outplayed in nearly every aspect of the game in the third period in each contest.

On Wednesday, a 3-2 lead headed into the third period fell apart as the Barons scored five goals in a 7-3 rout. It could be said the season was the moment Fedun scored to give the Barons the lead, because after that goal the Stars were never the same. The wind left their sails and there was basically no fight left in what turned out to be a rather hapless Game 5 effort on the way to the loss.

Aside from the third period meltdowns of the past few games, the Stars can't be accused of not giving everything they had -- and that's the problem. Desjardins and the Stars threw everything they had at the Barons and were frustrated so much that it appeared the team actually regressed as the series wore on as all confidence and chemistry left the ice.

At the crux of the issue was the play in net by both goaltenders. Yann Danis was nothing short of brilliant, while Cristopher Nilstorp ultimately proved to be mortal. The Barons were a high-scoring team and the Stars needed to do anything possible to keep the score low; Texas allowed just three goals combined in the first two games yet had just one win, with the frustration around that fact showing through as the series progressed.

The Stars were all flash and no finish, with Alex Chiasson, Matt Fraser, Reilly Smith and Brett Ritchie all generating chance after chance against the Barons but were unable to put the puck in the net when it counted the most. On Thursday, the game began to fall apart when Chiasson just missed on a brilliant shot off the rush only to have the Barons skate the puck back down the ice and bury a well-placed shot to go ahead 2-0.

Texas had a strong start on Thursday, outshooting the Barons 12-8 in the first period. Yet Hartikainen scored in the final minutes of the frame and all of the hard work was for naught, as Fedun's goal came less than two minutes into the second period and the Stars never recovered.

The body language on the ice and on the bench was tough to see. As the Stars skated off the ice for the second intermission heads were hanging low and you could see this was a defeated team. Perhaps it all boiled down to Danis outplaying Nilstorp and nothing more, but this was a hockey team that did not resemble the one that had been so successful for the majority of the season.

Back in October, with the Stars still trying to gain their footing in the AHL standings, here were the line combinations and defensive pairings:

R.Smith-Eakin-Vincour
Fraser-Morin-Hedden
Wathier-Petersen-Chiasson
Gazdic-Roussel-A. Smith

Barker-Fortunus
Dillon-Benn
Nemeth-Oleksiak

Here were the line combos and pairings last night:

Fraser-Petersen-Morin
Hedden-Chiasson-Dowling
R. Smith-Sceviour-Glennie
Wathier-Vause-Ritchie

Gaunce-Connauton
Oleksiak-Benn
Fortunus-Sloan(Morrow)

Morrow played most of the postseason next to Fortunus but was scratched for Thursday's game.

Now, every team experiences turnover throughout the season and the AHL is home for such changes more than any other. It's expected that the best teams are the ones that can deal with this change the best; the Barons are just as dangerous now as they were five months ago, yet don't have Taylor Hall and Justin Schultz leading the way.

Simply put, Willie Desjardins and the Texas Stars were unable to deal with this change -- for whatever reason -- and the right balance and chemistry needed for the postseason was never found.

Part of this issue hinges around the injury to Travis Morin that kept him out of Game 1; the Stars could never really find offensive balance after his return. The lack of depth at center was woefully apparent in this series, as Chiasson and Glennie were unable to provide the sort of boost that Cody Eakin and Antoine Roussel had enjoyed before the lockout.

It's also clear that Desjardin's attempts to spark some sort of offensive output actually had a negative effect, as whatever chemistry the team might have had before was now gone. Credit goes to the Barons and Danis for frustrating the hell out of the Stars, but the Stars were incredibly flat in two of the three games in OKC and especially in that third period on Wednesday.

What is clear is that, even with Gaunce and Connauton added at the end of the season* this is a very young and inexperienced team that was just handily dispatched by a veteran and skilled Barons squad. The Texas Stars have a fine crop of young forwards and defensemen that are just getting their feet wet in the pros but the entire organization must have better success and a better effort than what we witnessed against OKC.

*To go ahead address the question of "how could you have been so praiseworthy of the prospects yet the team fell apart against the Barons?": The answer is simple... I was scouting individuals and not the team. The Barons exposed the Stars all season long and that continued in this series. Desjardins was outcoached and frankly tried to do too much, especially moving Morin to the wing; in the end the individual skills on this team were not enough to overcome the lack of depth at center and an obvious lack of cohesive chemistry when it counted.

This has been an issue for a few years now, but the Stars need veteran leadership in that locker room and they need veterans that can also lead on the ice as well. Francis Wathier and Luke Gazdic are popular and hard working players, but they aren't what this team ultimately needs.

Stephen Meserve also chimes inwith his thoughts on why the Stars fell apart against the Barons:

Texas's best players were not their best players. Matt Fraser didn't have a point in the series and had the egregious turnover in OT of Game 1 to give the Barons the win. Alex Chiasson's only point came on the inconsequential lone goal last night. He struggled with the unexplained transition to center and was minus-8 in the series. The Stars' leading scorer in round 1, Kevin Connauton, had a single assist and was minus-8 in the series as well.

Line shuffling last night was very confusing. Travis Morin, all-time points leader for Texas and all-time assists leader, was moved to the wing to be centered by Toby Petersen. Colton Sceviour dropped to the third line to center Glennie and Reilly Smith. Glennie had been doing well in the defensive center role in the series. While he hadn't recorded any points, coming into last night's game he was one of Texas's few plus players in the series. Also, Sceviour hasn't played center in months. It's not like you forget, but it's not the best time to make a shift and play with new linemates.

Perhaps this is all just part of the growth. We can't look at last season and use that as a barometer for this year's outcome; there was just too much change for such a comparison to be made. Instead, this should be seen a starting point and a place to move forward but the same challenges lie ahead, especially if the Stars are unable to find some suitable AHL veteran help moving forward.

What is very important, however, is that the same culture of success that Jim Nill is charged with instilling in Dallas is also instilled in Cedar Park. The players hanging their heads at the end of last night's game are expected to form the core of the Dallas team in the very near future. While getting to the second round of the postseason is no small feat and should be commended, the expectations in this organization are certainly rising.

Once again, time to look ahead to next year.

2013 NHL Playoffs: San Jose Sharks can't overcome choker label in heartbreaking loss

2013-05-17T14:59:52Z

At this point, it's just a self-fulfilling prophesy that has descended into the depths of a bad joke retold at each holiday gathering.

"Hey, remember that time when the San Jose Sharks choked?"

"Which time was that?"

Uproarious laughter ensues.

Add Thursday's heartbreaking 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, in which the Sharks allowed two power play goals in the final two minutes of the game, to the list of moments where San Jose choked away a golden opportunity.

Perhaps all of the pointing and laughing is just jealousy and basic schadenfreude at work.

The San Jose Sharks are an incredibly successful hockey franchise and arguably a top five franchise in the NHL the past decade. The Sharks have not missed the postseason since before the last lockout and have secured six divisional titles since 2002, as well as appearing in three Western Conference Finals in that span.

There are many teams around the NHL that would kill to trade their history for that of the Sharks, that would love to be a perennially successful playoff team that has made it out of the first round in six out of the last eight years while putting together some of the stronger teams the Western Conference has to offer.

Yet success is always judged on a relative scale. While the Florida Panthers may look across the continent at San Jose in jealousy, the Sharks franchise and their fans have a completely different set of expectations to meet. While the Panthers may look to a rebuild because they struggle to actually make the playoffs, the Sharks are constantly looking at the possibility of a rebuild in each successive season in which the Stanley Cup is not obtained.

There's been a lot of talk the past two seasons about the "window closing" for the Sharks and their current run of success, as Joe Thornton and company get on in the years and the core of the team gets older and crustier. There's been some shots of youth and skill on the team, most notably Logan Couture, yet with the same essential group of players the Sharks continue to fall short in their battle for the ultimate goal in hockey.

Last season the Sharks were handily dismissed by the St. Louis Blues in the first round and there was talk of blowing the team up, or possibly firing head coach Todd McLellan. Other than signing Adam Burish to a four-year contract and losing a number of role players to free agency, not many changes were actually made in the offseason and the Sharks entered the truncated 2013 season with essentially the same team -- perhaps that first round loss was just a fluke?

The Sharks did make some significant changes at the trade deadline, parting ways with Douglas Murray, Michal Handzus and Ryane Clow while acquiring future assets, then picking up Raffi Torres and Scott Hannan as the dynamic on the roster was tweaked a bit. The results weren't exactly encouraging, as the Sharks went just 6-5-1 after the deadline and lost the final two games of the season before facing Vancouver.

A four-game sweep of a hapless Canucks team obviously solved everything, right?

To be fair, the Sharks have mostly outplayed the Kings in the first two games of the series. The Sharks were shutout in Game 1 by an absurdly strong performance by goaltender Jonathan Quick and then dominated Game 2 on Thursday. After going down 2-0 early in the game the Sharks controlled every aspect of play, winning 68 percent of the faceoffs and scoring three goals to eventually take the lead in the third period.

Yet hockey is a 60 minute sport and no one understands this better than the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings have tasted success; this is a team that understands exactly what it takes to win when the pressure is at its highest and that came through on Thursday.

The Dustin Brown power play goal to tie the game with 1:43 remaining left the Sharks reeling and it showed the moment the puck dropped. Trevor Lewis' goal just 22 seconds later came on a rush with Brad Stuart, Joe Pavelski and Dan Boyle aimlessly skating back to their net and then left staring at each other in disbelief and disgrace.

If Brown's goal was a back-breaker, then Lewis' goal was a soul-destroying blow. Can the Sharks rebound from a 2-0 deficit, especially after losing in such a fashion in a game in which they actually played very well? More importantly, are the Los Angeles Kings right back to being the unstoppable force from the 2012 postseason and do the Sharks have any chance at all in slowing them down?

The Sharks lost another postseason game in heartbreaking fashion (remember Boyle scoring on his own goal in overtime?) and once again will be facing questions of team construction and coaching if this series is lost. Sweeping change has been talked about for two years now and it's possible that 1:43 of game play at the end of a singular game could become the straw that breaks that metaphorical camel's back.

The Sharks claim they won't give up, however.

"I liked our game," McLellan said after the game. "We'll meet at the rink and I'll tell our team that. The thing I like about our team -- maybe in the past this would have bothered our team more, but with the group of guys we have I think we can recover from this. I think we can get out and play hard again."

Game 3 is set for Saturday, May 18 with the puck dropping at 9 p.m. ET.

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NHL playoffs: Logan Couture's Sharks unable to solve Jonathan Quick, Kings

2013-05-15T16:14:02Z

The San Jose Sharks easily dismissed the Vancouver Canucks in the first round, the only team to put together a sweep thus far in the postseason, yet the path will be much more difficult moving forward. That reality hit hard on Tuesday night in a 2-0 shutout loss as the Sharks were unable to solve the continuing playoff mystery that is goaltender Jonathan Quick.

Logan Couture and his line enjoyed incredible success against the Canucks, with the big center finishing with eight points in just four games -- including six points in two home games in San Jose. Couture's rise over the past few seasons, as well as his big play in the first round, was expected to help add some balance to an offensive attack that too often had become one-dimensional and wrapped around Joe Thornton to succeed with the stakes were at their highest.

This lack of balance in the playoffs has led to the Sharks gaining a reputation of a team that falls apart when adversity strikes in the postseason. The franchise has not missed the postseason since 2003 and has two conference finals appearances since 2010, yet still cannot shake the moniker of a team incapable of getting the upper hand against the best the NHL has to offer -- no matter what may have happened in the regular season.

The Sharks came out in the first period, after a full week of rest following their first round sweep of the Canucks, as a team on a mission and controlled play for most of the first period. As has happened so many times in recent years, however, the Sharks proved unable to take advantage of prime scoring chances and despite a lethal-looking power play never could truly take control of the game.

That sliver of sunlight was all the Kings needed, scoring with just 13 seconds remaining in the first period to take what would be an impossible lead for the Sharks to overcome.

The Kings did a masterful job of putting the Anze Kopitar line directly up against Couture, Patrick Marleau and Raffi Torres, victimizing the Sharks' top line for the majority of the game and using a big second period push to fully take control of the game. Couture proved no match straight up against Kopitar, who dominated play against the line for the majority of the game -- which also allowed the Kings to better focus on shutting down Joe Thornton.

Couture and company were then beaten by Mike Richards and Slava Voynov for a second period goal that would essentially place the game well out of reach.

To their credit, the Sharks showed plenty of fight and perhaps moreso than we would have seen in recent years. San Jose directed 28 total shots on goal in the third period, officially outshooting the Kings 16-4 in the frame and putting Los Angeles back on their heels for the majority of the period. This was the sort of attack the Kings were used to doling out to the opposition and showed against St. Louis that this was a team that is indeed vulnerable when put against the ropes.

Yet again, however, the Kings showcased the sort of resiliency that carried them to the Stanley Cup in 2012. After two straight losses to open the postseason the Kings have now won five straight, outscoring the opposition 12-6 in that span with Jonathan Quick obviously right back in the top form he enjoyed on his way to lifting the Cup last season.

It's a scary thought for the Sharks, that once again they come up against a team clicking on all cylinders right a time when San Jose appears ready for true postseason success. This is not the same Sharks team of year's past; there is a belief this a deeper, stronger team with better goaltending than ever before -- but that there's a chance the window is closing on the Sharks' chances at truly finding glory.

Quick was a perfect 35-for-35 on Tuesday night, showing the incredible sense of calm and control he has when moving about the crease. There were many instances where a scramble in front appeared to be headed toward an imminent goal against yet Quick would confidently shut down such thoughts with a masterful kick of his leg pad or a subtle flick of his shoulder.

The Sharks appeared to command play of the game for the better part of the first and third periods, yet the Kings were never truly not in control of the game. Not with Jonathan Quick in net. A team that opened the 2013 season a bit rusty and perhaps feeling the pressures of being the defending champions suddenly appear to be the most stable teams remaining in this postseason.

This series is far from over, however, and the guess is that the Sharks walked away from Game 1 feeling confident despite the shutout loss. If San Jose cannot begin to solve Quick, however, and Couture is unable to find the same level of play he enjoyed against the Canucks, then this is a Sharks team that could be once again headed for a relatively early departure from the postseason.

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Dallas Stars Fire Glen Gulutzan; Coaching Search Begins

2013-05-14T17:40:21Z

As expected, news came today in regards to the Dallas Stars coaching situation. Glen Gulutzan will not return next season.

The Dallas Stars will not have head coach Glen Gulutzan and assistant coach Paul Jerrard return next season, the team announced on Tuesday, stating that the two have been relieved of their coaching duties. Gulutzan was not technically under contract for next season, although the Dallas Stars did have a team option for that third year.

Gulutzan, 41, was hired in 2011 as a coach expected to grow with a young team and was coming off two very successful seasons with the Texas Stars in the AHL. It was clear, however, that Gulutzan was likely in over his head from the start and had a very inexperienced coaching staff and front office around him -- as well as a team that never truly had the sort of firepower a coach needs to be successful.

In two seasons, one that was cut short to just 48 games because of the lockout, Gulutzan had a 66-57-9 record with the Stars missing the postseason both years. Each season, the Stars were in control of their postseason fate with just five games remaining and both seasons lost those final five games. The Stars were also mired by a historically bad power play last season, as well as continued difficulites on defense and in transition.

Like Nieuwendyk, it could be said that Gulutzan was put in an impossible situation -- especially considering the amount of turnover on the team in a season cut in half by the lockout. In the end, his team never seemed to really be able to gain the upper hand when the stakes were at their highest and it's likely that Gulutzan needs a few more years of coaching experience before he's ready to take over an NHL team again.

Just as it was with Nieuwendyk, the biggest issue with Gulutzan is that the Stars never truly had an identity as a hockey team while he was coach. There just didn't appear to be the sort of inherent structure a team needs to have to fall back on, and perhaps he just did not work as well with veteran players as would be expected of a NHL coach.

All of that being said, it was apparent that Gulutzan never really had the benefit of a team that was properly assembled -- and this season's attempt at short-term transition was not nearly as successful as it was expected to be. Some could argue that the Stars overachieved at times under Gulutzan, but at the same time it's clear that this was perhaps the right decision for all involved.

Gulutzan is an intelligent, thoughtful coach who always treated those in the media with respect and class. We wish him nothing but the best moving forward and hopefully he'll be back coaching in the NHL sooner than later.

The big question now becomes which coach is chosen to replace him? Curt Fraser is going to stay on board with the team, as well as goaltenders coach Mike Valley. There has been speculation that Alain Vigneault could be at the top of the list to be the next coach, with Dallas Eakins and Dave Tippett also having been mentioned.

Here's the press release:

Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that head coach Glen Gulutzan and assistant coach Paul Jerrard have been relieved of their coaching duties, effective immediately.

Jim Nill will be available to the media today at 3:00 p.m. inside of Dallas' locker room at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco. Audio of Nill's statements will be posted on StarsMediaCentral.com shortly after media availability.

"I would like to thank Glen Gulutzan and Paul Jerrard for the work they provided to the Dallas organization over the past four seasons," said Nill. "They are both quality coaches and men, but we have decided to go in a different direction with our coaching staff and we wish them well in their next endeavors."

Gulutzan, 41, was the 21st head coach in franchise history and led the club to a 42-35-5 record in 2011-12, and a mark of 22-22-4 in the shortened 2013 campaign.

Assistant coach Curt Fraser and goaltending coach Mike Valley will both be retained by the club moving forward.

Dallas Stars Coaching Search: Alain Vigneault, Dave Tippett & Dallas Eakins All Possible Candidates

2013-05-14T17:33:25Z

Now that official word comes down that the Dallas Stars have fired head coach Glen Gulutzan, we immediately turn our attention to the possibilities on who his successor will be.

It's tough to nail down exactly what sort of coach general manager Jim Nill would be looking for, although logic says that the Stars would likely be looking for a coach with prior NHL head coaching experience. There are several options already available, as well as the rumored availability of other coaches, so coming up with a short list of coaches likely to be hired by Dallas is a bit difficult to nail down.

Nill also seems to be one to not make quick decisions, taking his time with the Gulutzan decision, and there could be some time before the next coach is hired. There are still eight teams playing in the postseason, and we've yet to see some of the other coaching firings that are to be expected as the offseason moves forward. It could be that Nill will wait until both the NHL and AHL seasons are complete to get a good idea of just who the best choice would be.

As we've discussed, the biggest decision that Nieuwendyk made in his time as GM was the hiring of his two head coaches -- hindsight tells us that perhaps neither decision was exactly the right one to make. The Stars will now be on their fourth head coach in just five years this coming season and I'd hazard a guess that Jim Nill is looking for a bit more continuity and consistency in this franchise than that.

Here is the short list of possible options for the next head coach of the Dallas Stars:

Willie Desjardins -- Texas Stars, AHL

Desjardins has been with the Dallas Stars organization since 2010, and recently took over head coaching duties of the Texas Stars. Leading his team to the best record in the Western Conference, Desjardins earned AHL Coach of the Year honors and is now being looked upon as a legit option for a vacant NHL coaching position. It's likely that Desjardins needs a few more years in the AHL before making the jump, however.

Curt Fraser -- Assistant, Dallas Stars, NHL

Fraser was hired out of the Detroit Red Wings organization last summer, and remains with the team after Gultuzan and Jerrard were relieved of their duties. Fraser was the first head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers, and failed to make the postseason in his four seasons with the team. After some time as an assistant, and was the head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL before being hired by Dallas. Fraser understands the Detroit system that Nill is bringing to Dallas and could be one of the top names on the list to replace Gulutzan.

Alain Vigneualt -- Vancouver Canucks, NHL

Technically, Vigneault is still the coach of the Canucks -- that's expected to change very soon. The Canucks were a game away from winning the Stanley Cup two seasons ago but have since collapsed in the first round in two straight years, leading to what appears to be a big change in Vancouver. Vigneault is well-respected as a coach and coaches the defensive and aggressive physical style that the Stars appear best suited to play.

Dave Tippett -- Phoenix Coyotes, NHL

Tippett, fired by the Stars in 2009, has spent the past four seasons with the Coyotes. He is not under contract for next season and it's unknown what his future in Phoenix holds; it's expected that the Stars could look to Tippett to return to the team and help bring back the success he enjoyed for the better part of the 2000's with Dallas. The question is whether Tippett's defensive system will every be successful enough in the postseason, where his Coyotes also struggled.

Dallas Eakins -- Toronto Marlies, AHL

Eakins enjoyed a relatively short career in the NHL, although he played for nearly 16 years between the AHL and the IHL. After two seasons out of the playoffs, the Marlies have become one of the stronger teams in the AHL and have two straight division titles -- after losing int he Finals last season, the Marlies are currently tied 1-1 in their second round series with Grand Rapids.

Guy Boucher -- formerly, Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL

Boucher was a long time assistant coach before being named head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs and soon after, the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning finished with 103 points his first season before losing in the Conference Finals, but struggled after to live up to those same expectations. The Lightning missed the playoffs last season and Boucher was fired after 31 games in 2013. Boucher was previously considered one of the hottest names on the coaching market.

Lindy Ruff -- formerly, Buffalo Sabres, NHL

Ruff is known as the long-time coach of the Buffalo Sabres, recently fired after his team got off to another poor start. The Sabres had not won a playoff series since 2007 and experienced first round exits in both 2010 and 2011. After getting to the Cup finals in 1999, Ruff's Sabres never seemed to live up to expectations. Despite this, he is expected to be one of the top names on the coaching market this summer.

Larry Robinson -- Assistant, San Jose Sharks, NHL

Robinson's name hasn't come up specifically related to the Dallas coaching search, although he's always been of of the more respected coaches in the NHL. Robinson is a former head coach with stints with the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils, winning a Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 2000. It's unknown if he's interested in becoming a head coach again, although he did return to behind the bench after four years to become an associate coach with the San Jose Sharks.

Dallas Stars Fire Head Coach Glen Gulutzan, Assistant Paul Jerrard

2013-05-14T16:45:23Z

Here's the press release:

Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that head coach Glen Gulutzan and assistant coach Paul Jerrard have been relieved of their coaching duties, effective immediately.

Gulutzan, 41, was the 21st head coach in franchise history and led the club to a 42-35-5 record in 2011-12, and a mark of 22-22-4 in the shortened 2013 campaign.

Assistant coach Curt Fraser and goaltending coach Mike Valley will both be retained by the club moving forward.

2013 Dallas Stars Season Review: Cody Eakin

2013-05-14T15:21:23Z

Not many knew what to expect from from Cody Eakin, when he was acquired from the Washington Capitals just before the draft in exchange for Mike Ribeiro. The Dallas Stars were obviously looking to move on from a core of players that had once again underwhelmed that season, as well as to get younger, and Eakin was expected to be a big part of that future.

At the time of the trade, it was cautiously optimistic that Eakin could develop into a solid two-way center that would be a good option on the third line. Our own Erin Bolen summed up the trade by stating that Eakin had earned comparisons to Maxime Talbot and that around 25 points a season would have been a reasonable expectation for the young center in his first few years with Dallas.

Drafted in the third round in 2009 by the Washington Capitals, Eakin had put up some gaudy numbers in the WHL, including 91 points in 70 games in 09-10, and 83 points in just 56 games in 10-11 between two teams. Eakin was rated as one of the top 50 prospects in the NHL heading into 2012, yet he struggled to live up to expectations once he was playing in D.C. Just eight points in 40 games had some questioning whether his offensive talents would transfer to the higher level of play.

Said Corey Pronman of Hockey Prospectus after the trade:

Cody Eakin, Center, Dallas: Eakin was decent in his first pro season and as a guy who last year thought he looked like a legit top six talent has at least made me question that somewhat this season although I still like him. He's a high-end skater with a great on-ice work ethic and a plus shot. He has a solid skill level too but I think next year he's going to need to show more offensively if he starts at the AHL level.

With seven goals and 24 points in all 48 games for the Stars this season, Eakin emerged as perhaps a bigger offensive threat than many expected. The Stars offense was erratic and inconsistent for much of the season, starting off as one of the lower scoring teams in the league before putting up some gaudy numbers for a good chunk in the middle of the year.

Eakin was used primarily on the third and fourth lines this season and showcased the consistent high-energy, high-work ethic style he was touted with after the trade. There were many nights were Eakin and his linemates became the players driving play for the team, with Eakin the standout in both the offensive and defensive zone. Eakin embodied a "swarming" style of play and rarely had a true "off night."

It's easy to say that Eakin was one of the major bright spots for the Stars this season.

The young center also proved his versatility this season, ranging from the third line up to the second and first lines for short stretches in the season as injuries warranted. While Eakin might never make the grade as a top-line scoring center in the NHL, he certainly showed capable of being an effective option for a top-six role when the need arises.

Would Eakin be capable of becoming a full-time top-six center? It's still tough to say at this point. Compared to the other centers on the team, mainly Jamie Benn and Eric Nystrom, Eakin was used against relatively weaker competition while getting 54 percent of his starts in the offensive zone. Let's see how Eakin compared to rest of the Stars' forwards in this regard:

As a reminder, the darker the blue the better CorsiRel, and the darker the orange the worst.

Last season with the Capitals, Eakin struggled with his possession numbers after the change to Dale Hunter as coach, and this season it seems his numbers averaged out a bit. Sitting right in the middle of the Stars forwards, Eakin put up a 47.7% Fenwick percentage, which was lower than Whitney, Smith, Eriksson, Benn, and Ryant Garbutt -- but significantly better than Vernon Fiddler. This is also reflected in what the CorsiRel above tells us.

The key is here is that of all of the centers currently on the team, Eakin accomplished this against the easier competition. To his credit, however, Eakin also posted the second-highest GVT of all forwards -- second only to Ray Whitney, who was clearly the best forward for the Stars this season.

So where does this leave Eakin moving forward? I think it's safe to say that Eakin surprised many of us this season and that his tenacity and energy were traits that had been missing on a consistent basis the past few years on this team.

Eakin's value will likely never hinge on his ability to be an elite scoring center, but this season he showed the potential to be more than just a 25+ point-per-season third line forward. Adjusted for a full season, Eakin might have managed more than 40 points in just his second NHL season.

With the Stars likely bringing younger players up through the ranks in the coming seasons, Eakin is in prime position to grow along with this team and continue to be a major piece of this franchise for years to come.

Texas Stars Observations & Scouting: Kevin Connauton, Cameron Gaunce, Scott Glennie Impressive In Loss

2013-05-10T16:15:03Z

On Thursday night I had the chance to attend Game 1 between the Texas Stars and the Oklahoma City Barons, which the Stars lost 2-1 just 90 seconds into overtime. It was a tough, hard-fought game that the Stars controlled for most of the contest, yet two defensive turnovers doomed Texas on both goals.

During the game my focus was on a specific set of players moreso than the actual game itself; I spent a lot of time watching players away from the puck rather than paying attention to the big picture. However -- before I get to my individual observations of the Stars prospects -- I did have some general thoughts on what I saw from the team.

First, it was painfully obvious that the Stars are missing Travis Morin. The 29-year old center never got much of a shot in the NHL or with Dallas, but he's certainly the best playmaking forward the Texas Stars have at this point. He led the team with 32 assists in the regular season in what was a bit of an injury-riddled season, and he's consistently been their top performer the past few seasons.

Morin, who took a puck to the face in the first round against Milwaukee, was not able to play on Thursday night and hopefully could be back on Saturday. Without him, the Stars simply do not have enough speed and offensive awareness to really drive the offense through the middle of the ice. Alex Chiasson and Scott Glennie were certainly effective at center in this game, and at times impressive in that role, but you could certainly tell there was something missing.

Brett Sonne, who filled in for Morin on the top line between Matt Fraser and Colton Sceviour, is not up to the task of replacing what Morin brings to this team.

The Stars generated 35 shots on goal yet had no shots in the final six or seven minutes of regulation and none in overtime. Most of the pressure came from the outside and while there were some pushes up the middle, there just wasn't enough space in front of goaltender Yann Danis to generate the sort of offensive chances this team needed -- especially when allowing just two goals against a very skilled Barons team.

"I thought there might be a little more open ice," said CoachWillie Desjardins. "You have to get more shots from the middle. We had some good chances that didn't go. We have to get more from our power play."

Yes, the power play was downright atrocious. That was certainly the biggest issue on the night. I thought the Stars played a good team game but the inability to take advantage of the chances they did produce ultimately doomed them as they allowed the Barons to hand around too long.

The winning goal came just 90 seconds into overtime, when Matt Fraser made a horrible decision with the puck in his own zone. Taking the puck behind his goal and into the near corner, Fraser had both of his defensemen on his side of the ice and the Stars beginning to move up the ice in transition. For some reason, Fraser decided to blindly swing the puck back behind his net and to the far corner -- where only a Barons player was waiting. The ensuing scramble to recover defensively led to Anton Lander beating Kevin Connauton to the net and tipping in a Toni Rajala pass to win the game.

Okay, on to some observations I made on made on specific players throughout the game. Remember, this is just a one-game scouting report so nothing is really indicative of longer-term success or failure.

Here were the lines and pairings for the game for reference:

Fraser-Sonne-Sceviour
Hedden-Chiasson-Dowling
Ritchie-Glennie-R. Smith
Gazdic-Petersen-Wathier

Fortunus-Morrow
Gaunce-Connauton
Oleksiak-Benn

Alex Chiasson

The Stars now have Alex Chiasson playing center between Justin Dowling and Mike Hedden, and that line was by far the most impressive on the night for Texas. Chiasson playing exclusively at center seems to be a relatively new occurrence, although he was taking faceoffs for Texas earlier in the season, and it's interesting to see how his skill set translates to such a different role.

When he was up in the NHL, Chiasson was impressive because of his ability to play hard along the boards, to smartly move the puck and to get to the net in almost perfect position to score goals. That he was playing with Jamie Benn and Ray Whitney was a big factor for his success, but there's something to be said that allowing him to simplify his game in such a manner was a big reason he scored so many goals with Dallas.

At center, Chiasson plays a very different game. While he's still a hard charging, physical forward the drive to the net isn't there -- instead, he's feeding Dowling and Hedden, two players certainly capable of burying the puck. The line worked exceptionally well off the cycle but also found some good space off the rush at times.

So...are the Stars looking for a permanent move to center for Chiasson? It's doubtful, although there's certainly something to be said about his versatility and ability to be strong in the faceoff circle when needed.

Joe Morrow

Not a whole lot to say about Joe Morrow, and that's a good thing in this context. He finished with just one shot on goal, but he wasn't asked to provide the offense in this game. Paired with Maxime Fortunus and moved over to the left, Morrow was forced to stay back and not activate as much as he'd probably like to because of the limitations of Fortunus -- whose foot speed is certainly holding him back at this point.

I didn't notice any defensive issues and he certainly played hard in his own zone. There were a few times where he was aggressive, carrying the puck into the zone and generated a few chances with such a play. I'd like to see what Morrow can do with a defensive partner similar to Brenden Dillon; Fortunus was not horrible, but it's clear what his limitations are at this point in his career.

Speaking of which, the lone goal scored by the Barons in regulation came with Fortunus, Morrow and the Chiasson line on the ice. Fortunus attempted to clear the puck off the high glass in the zone and the Stars had already begun vacating when the puck hit a stanchion and literally went backwards back into the zone; that created all sorts of a defensive mess and the Barons promptly scored.

Brett Ritchie

Ritchie continues to remind me of James Neal, which is both good and bad. In this game, Ritchie played with Scott Glennie as his center, finished with two shots on goal and I counted five total shot attempts. We'll get to Glennie shortly, but it's clear that Ritchie needs a center better capable of feeding him the puck to really get the space he needs, although he was much better in the OHL at creating his own space and offense than what I saw last night.

This could just be a matter of Ritchie adjusting to the AHL after a long season in the juniors and I'm really not that too concerned. The skill is obviously there; in the third period, Ritchie came close to putting the Stars ahead with a dastardly inside-out move that literally put a defenseman on the ice before unleashing a wicked backhand that missed the top shelf of the net by about two inches.

Scott Glennie

I was impressed by Glennie in this game, I'm not even going to lie. Glennie didn't have a shot on goal in the game, however, which is entirely indicative of the sort of role he's embraced now in the AHL. It's odd to say this, but the line of Glennie, Ritchie and Reilly Smith were much more of a "grinding" line than I imagined they would be, with Glennie making some exceptionally strong plays on the puck both in space and along the boards.

Glennie worked his butt off in this game and showed some decent playmaking ability as a center, and certainly was looking to feed Smith and Ritchie throughout the game -- they just never seemed able to really connect. What stood out to me was that Glennie's foot speed wasn't what I expected it to be and it showed -- while Smith and Ritchie could generate some good space, Glennie was never able to find the true separation he needed to cash in on the chances he was helping create.

The line was also used in a "checking" role, if you could call it that, although it's impossible for me to really determine how that line was deployed unless I was tracking zone starts through the game -- which I wasn't. Still, I was overall impressed with Glennie and just how strong he was on the puck.

Glennie was also a willing shot blocker and had the best defensive play of the game in the third period -- with the Barons cycling the puck, Nilstorp worked himself out of position and effectively scrambled his way completely out of the net. With Nilstorp on his stomach and almost fully out of the crease, Glennie went into a butterfly in net and made a brilliant stop on what would have been a wide-open goal for the Barons.

Is he ready for the NHL? Could he fill a third or fourth line role next season at center? It's certainly possible. I was encouraged.

Reilly Smith

Not much to say here that we didn't already know from his time in the NHL. Smith had three shots on goal and generated the most chances off the rush of any player on the team, but just couldn't seem to finish. He also nearly fed Ritchie a goal with a brilliant pass across the crease, yet Ritchie was unable to get his stick down for the tap in goal.

Smith has the puck skills and there were several times he took the pill through two or three defenders on his way to the net. Yet he still gets knocked off balance way, way too often and too often loses battles along the boards. If he can add some good core strength this summer, and continue adding muscle, he could really be poised to break out next season.

Jamie Oleksiak

Real quick note here on Oleksiak -- if he can play in the NHL like he does in the AHL, he's going to be one hell of a defenseman for the Dallas Stars. He's aggressive, he's physical, he can move the puck smartly and he has a rocket of a shot from the point. His defensive awareness, combined with his long reach, led to several outstanding plays in his own zone.

Cameron Gaunce and Kevin Connauton

Gaunce and Connauton were both acquired at the trade deadline and both arrived in Texas at just about the same time. They were paired together almost immediately and that continuity has allowed the two to become the top defensive pairing for the Stars fairly quickly, and for good reason.

Both compliment the other almost perfectly. Gaunce plays a very similar type of game to that of Brenden Dillon, albeit without the physical edge and size. He's positionally sound up and down the ice and I did not see one poor decision with the puck. He's capable of moving the puck effectively and never seems to hurry a decision in his own zone. He's not as aggressive a skater as Dillon or Trever Daley might be, but he certainly embodies the two-way play that both have become known for.

What really impressed about Gaunce was just how sound he was defensively, as both he and Connauton made several smart plays against the rush and never seemed to show much panic with the puck on his stick. Was Gaunce special in any way? Perhaps not, but he wasn't supposed to be. He was the backbone in this pairing, which is exactly what he needed to be.

Which brings me to Connauton. The defenseman, acquired from Vancouver in the Derek Roy trade, has quickly become somewhat of a mythical figure. He leads the Stars in scoring in the postseason and in 14 games since arriving in Austin, he has four goals and six assists with 26 shots on goal. He's always been known as an offensively-minded defenseman but the numbers never really seemed to live up to that (Gaunce has better stats in the AHL), so we have to wonder if this is a fluke.

Let it be known, Connauton was the best player on the ice last night for Texas. Perhaps the change of teams really helped him find his groove, perhaps being paired with Gaunce is the magic ingredient, but Connauton was incredibly impressive up and down the ice and showcased skills that the Stars desperately need in Dallas sooner than later.

Connauton is an exceptional puck-handler and several times effortlessly weaved his way up the ice through defenders and through defenders, and while he doesn't have the best size for a defenseman he's stronger on the puck than I expected. That booming shot was never fully uncorked on Thursday night, which was a shame, but you can see he has the accuracy and awareness of just how to get his shot from the point through traffic and to the net.

Here's where Connauton really stands out, however -- passing. His first pass out of the zone is crisp and accurate and nearly always the right decision. He makes that decision very quickly as well; there's no hesitation when he's in his own zone about where he's going with the puck. He was also never really outworked along the boards, from what I saw, which was apparently something he's struggled with at times.

He has an absolute laser of a pass and it's accurate. In the offensive zone, he's adept at quickly changing the point of attack and finding the open ice and showed the sort of passing from the blue line that the Dallas Stars were certainly missing this past season, aside from Goligoski's contributions.

I had heard from Texas fans that Connauton is sometimes an adventure in his own zone, with Gaunce his security blanket, so perhaps this was an outlier for him rather than the norm. I was looking for defensive breakdowns and never really saw those sort of issues; I paid attention as close as I could and did not see a single giveaway or turnover from Connauton in the game.

Now, there's a great big caveat with Gaunce and Connauton. Both are 23 years old and both are in their third season in the AHL. They should be expected to look the best out on the ice at this point, especially considering their pedigree as prospects, so it's not like we're talking about two young phenoms ready to take the NHL by storm.

Not once in this game did either really face what could be called a heavy forecheck, and I've yet to see them face one in the games I've caught online. Both did take some big, big hits in the game that left both shaken up a bit -- but each time the puck was still moved along effectively. Can Gaunce and Connauton be effective in the NHL in a more physical Western Conference? Tough to say at this point.

Both defensemen will have to pass through waivers next season if they are sent back to the AHL after training camp, if they both survive what could be a trade-heavy summer for the Stars. No matter what, Nieuwendyk certainly should be commended for acquiring what appears to be a vastly improved defensive core for the Dallas Stars organization.