That game winning shot by Robo might be the best shot on goal that I have seen this season. If you haven’t seen the replay, check it out. You will be amazed at how he got that shot to the net in the tiniest of open spaces.
Let’s hope that Miro is okay. I really don’t know this team keeps winning with all the injuries to key players.
It happened too fast in the arena but watching the replay later it seems like he shot the puck through Michael McCarron’s legs and into the net. Gustavsson probably never saw the puck
Petro would have cooked in this game (still here pushing for Petro over Myers). Big, physical guy who is never intimidated vs big, lanky fellow who comes off awkward when the physicality dial gets turned up.
As for the game, this game exemplifies perfectly why I don't believe they can win a championship. Sure they might get out of the first round, but a horrendous PK (not Otter's fault), their inability to gap up in the neutral zone, and their slow breakouts are going to be their downfall. I mean, having 7 or 8 shots in the first period is utterly laughable for any NHL team, let alone a "contender" like the Stars claim to be.
Perhaps getting healthy helps, perhaps not. Imo, their flaws are a consequence of the roster and that's not changing until they move some players.
I’ve stopped looking at shots on goal this year. The way they have begun taking shots off the board with tracking technology really skews what we expect, I think. In underlying numbers, Stars were very even at 5v5. That’s especially impressive given all their injuries before and during the game, although it did take them a bit to sort out the Wild’s pressure early.
My sense in the moment was Johnston definitely interfered. Good call there.
Hughes got the benefit of the doubt with Erne, I think. Name bar helps, but Hughes also didn’t have to change his angle quite as severely as Johnston did.
Oh yeah, well that was the good old fashioned Prison Rules portion of the game. The refs tend to let a ton of stuff go in the final minute, even if it looked like pretty obvious interference. Perhaps Rantanen’s reputation hurt him there.
That's as good as sports gets folks. If you watched that and were not entertained just go ahead and lie down, you're already dead.
So many thoughts....on the not-so-good side of the ledger:
Boy the Stars make life difficult for themselves at times. So many times they passed up the easy play to try to difficult play and it bit them seemingly every time.
In the first half of the game they went long long stretches where they looked tired, short-handed and overmatched; the Wild looked faster and more talented.
I did not like the Tyler Myers trade when it was made and everything I've seen since confirms that reaction. Dude really struggles defending the rush; often lunging and putting himself badly out of position. Add his huge size gives slick opponents plenty of space to beat him in small spaces and he's got major issues. Now add suspect decision-making where he'll often just blindly fling the puck in situations where he has time and space. I do not see a player who's better than Lybushkin, Petrovic, Capobianco.
The Miro injury is a major bummer. This team has been snakebit with badly timed injuries going back to last spring. Then we saw not one, not two, but three major players get hurt in the Olympics. Sitting right now the Stars have 2 of their top 6 forwards, their primary checking center and FO guy, top defenseman and 3 other forwards missing. Yikes!
The PK was a disaster. Two goals in less than 15 seconds each? Two goals allowed in the final seconds of a period? They just got obliterated in special teams.
And yet.....winners!
That was a super impressive win under very trying circumstances, with everything seeming to go against them. Lotta great from a lot of players; everyone chipped in it seemed.
Rantanen looked more like himself after not looking quite right after returning from injury. Johnston is doing unreal things. His list of accomplishments at age 22 is HOF-worthy stuff. But I was most impressed that Jason Robertson made the decisive play of the game.
Midway through I was thinking "this is the kind of game Robertson has disappeared from" after realizing he'd been invisible through most of 2 periods. Then they announced he didn't have so much as a shot attempt, let alone a shot on net. Robertson's production in post-season hockey is a fraction of his regular season so seeing him disappear yet again was concerning.
And then he provides a heavy forecheck to win the puck, makes a slick pass to gain some time and space and then sizzles a perfectly timed lazer for the game winner. THAT is exactly what you want from your 100-point guy.
The Wild are freaking talented man. They had some good parts but adding a superstar like Hughes just lifts everyone else up a bit. They clearly hate the Stars and the NHL is lucky to have a first round matchup like this but should also be ashamed that a match up of this quality isn't going to get the attention it deserves.
I'm rambling bc that game last night is why we watch. It was as fun and exciting and dramatic and as entertaining as you could possibly hope.
Great…GREAT!…to see Cam Hughes notch his first NHL goal after so many years as a pro. And for it to happen in such an important game was all the more heart-warming. I always wanted longtime Texas Star Travis Morin to pot an NHL goal during his handful of NHL call-ups. Sadly, he never did. But it’s wonderful to know that Hughes’ dream came alive and he can now share the incredible moment - and the puck - with his dad. Cheers to the Stars’ front office and coaching staff for giving him the opportunity to experience a lifelong dream. So, so cool! 😊
What a tilt. Huzzah!
I'm still amped up and couldn't sleep. I was waiting for this article to drop and you didn't disappoint. Great coverage all season, Tiffin.
I'm not going to worry about Miro tonight.
Also, Marcus Foligno is garbage. Dude is a liability for them. He sucks.
Thanks for waiting up, bud. Late one tonight, and a lot of writing to do. Worth it.
Exciting game… and at what cost? 🥲
That game winning shot by Robo might be the best shot on goal that I have seen this season. If you haven’t seen the replay, check it out. You will be amazed at how he got that shot to the net in the tiniest of open spaces.
Let’s hope that Miro is okay. I really don’t know this team keeps winning with all the injuries to key players.
I rewatched that goal many times and I still can’t fathom how Robo got it through.
It happened too fast in the arena but watching the replay later it seems like he shot the puck through Michael McCarron’s legs and into the net. Gustavsson probably never saw the puck
That’s exactly what he did, and into a tiny spec of net. If that shot was off by even a few degrees, it hits someone in front or hits Gustavsson.
Lot of thugs on the Wild. What was Boldy thinking when he pummeled Harley?? Loved our response though. This team is definitely not last year's.
They do feel different.
Nice gutsy win by the Stars.
As I’ve said before, Myers is still a total liability - dude has been awful for the Stars.
Petro would have cooked in this game (still here pushing for Petro over Myers). Big, physical guy who is never intimidated vs big, lanky fellow who comes off awkward when the physicality dial gets turned up.
Myers is marginally better than Petro right now, but they're both just..bad. Yet another Nill masterpiece at right hand D
I don’t recall Petro being “just bad” this year. His dips or off nights haven’t been worse than anyone else’s.
Good for Hughes and getting a puck for his dad!
As for the game, this game exemplifies perfectly why I don't believe they can win a championship. Sure they might get out of the first round, but a horrendous PK (not Otter's fault), their inability to gap up in the neutral zone, and their slow breakouts are going to be their downfall. I mean, having 7 or 8 shots in the first period is utterly laughable for any NHL team, let alone a "contender" like the Stars claim to be.
Perhaps getting healthy helps, perhaps not. Imo, their flaws are a consequence of the roster and that's not changing until they move some players.
I’ve stopped looking at shots on goal this year. The way they have begun taking shots off the board with tracking technology really skews what we expect, I think. In underlying numbers, Stars were very even at 5v5. That’s especially impressive given all their injuries before and during the game, although it did take them a bit to sort out the Wild’s pressure early.
Awesome night for our Hughes
Curious how the refs called the Johnston interference but not the Hughes on rantanen.
It was definitely a special teams battle but it feels like the refs pitched the field in one direction over the other last night.
My sense in the moment was Johnston definitely interfered. Good call there.
Hughes got the benefit of the doubt with Erne, I think. Name bar helps, but Hughes also didn’t have to change his angle quite as severely as Johnston did.
No I meant with Rantanen- when Rantanen was trying to score the empty net goal and Hughes did exactly what Johnston had done earlierz
Oh yeah, well that was the good old fashioned Prison Rules portion of the game. The refs tend to let a ton of stuff go in the final minute, even if it looked like pretty obvious interference. Perhaps Rantanen’s reputation hurt him there.
As always tremendous work Robert!
That's as good as sports gets folks. If you watched that and were not entertained just go ahead and lie down, you're already dead.
So many thoughts....on the not-so-good side of the ledger:
Boy the Stars make life difficult for themselves at times. So many times they passed up the easy play to try to difficult play and it bit them seemingly every time.
In the first half of the game they went long long stretches where they looked tired, short-handed and overmatched; the Wild looked faster and more talented.
I did not like the Tyler Myers trade when it was made and everything I've seen since confirms that reaction. Dude really struggles defending the rush; often lunging and putting himself badly out of position. Add his huge size gives slick opponents plenty of space to beat him in small spaces and he's got major issues. Now add suspect decision-making where he'll often just blindly fling the puck in situations where he has time and space. I do not see a player who's better than Lybushkin, Petrovic, Capobianco.
The Miro injury is a major bummer. This team has been snakebit with badly timed injuries going back to last spring. Then we saw not one, not two, but three major players get hurt in the Olympics. Sitting right now the Stars have 2 of their top 6 forwards, their primary checking center and FO guy, top defenseman and 3 other forwards missing. Yikes!
The PK was a disaster. Two goals in less than 15 seconds each? Two goals allowed in the final seconds of a period? They just got obliterated in special teams.
And yet.....winners!
That was a super impressive win under very trying circumstances, with everything seeming to go against them. Lotta great from a lot of players; everyone chipped in it seemed.
Rantanen looked more like himself after not looking quite right after returning from injury. Johnston is doing unreal things. His list of accomplishments at age 22 is HOF-worthy stuff. But I was most impressed that Jason Robertson made the decisive play of the game.
Midway through I was thinking "this is the kind of game Robertson has disappeared from" after realizing he'd been invisible through most of 2 periods. Then they announced he didn't have so much as a shot attempt, let alone a shot on net. Robertson's production in post-season hockey is a fraction of his regular season so seeing him disappear yet again was concerning.
And then he provides a heavy forecheck to win the puck, makes a slick pass to gain some time and space and then sizzles a perfectly timed lazer for the game winner. THAT is exactly what you want from your 100-point guy.
The Wild are freaking talented man. They had some good parts but adding a superstar like Hughes just lifts everyone else up a bit. They clearly hate the Stars and the NHL is lucky to have a first round matchup like this but should also be ashamed that a match up of this quality isn't going to get the attention it deserves.
I'm rambling bc that game last night is why we watch. It was as fun and exciting and dramatic and as entertaining as you could possibly hope.
I can always do with more rambles like these, Michael.
Great…GREAT!…to see Cam Hughes notch his first NHL goal after so many years as a pro. And for it to happen in such an important game was all the more heart-warming. I always wanted longtime Texas Star Travis Morin to pot an NHL goal during his handful of NHL call-ups. Sadly, he never did. But it’s wonderful to know that Hughes’ dream came alive and he can now share the incredible moment - and the puck - with his dad. Cheers to the Stars’ front office and coaching staff for giving him the opportunity to experience a lifelong dream. So, so cool! 😊