With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN. Zach Hyman Jersey .ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up are the Dallas Stars, who are locked and loaded for the new season with former Ottawa Senators Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky. Catch up on their summer moves and the issues they face this season, as well as Craig Buttons analysis of their top prospect and an analytical breakdown by TSNs Scott Cullen. Division: Central GM: Jim Nill Head Coach: Lindy Ruff 2013-14: 40-31-11 (5th in Central) Playoffs: Lost in First Round Goals For: 231 (10th) Goals Against: 223 (17th) PP: 15.9% (23rd) PK: 81.4% (21st) That Was Then: The Stars flourished under new bench boss Lindy Ruff last season, while netminder Kari Lehtonen stood tall and stayed healthy and Tyler Seguin delivered on the promise that prompted the Stars to pay a big price to acquire him out of Boston. Lehtonen played more games than he had since 2010-11 and posted his second-best single-season marks for both goals-against average (2.41) and save percentage (.919). Add in the bronze medal he won with Finland at the Sochi Olympics and it was a pretty great year for the 30-year-old. Seguin made a huge leap. Providing the perfect complement for Stars captain Jamie Benn, Seguin established himself as a top player and set career-highs in goals (37) and assists (47), finishing in the NHLs top five in goals and points. All that said, it took until February for the Stars to get hold of a wild card spot and that came on the heels of a Vancouver Canucks free-fall. The team spent most of March fighting off the Coyotes for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They played near-.500 hockey down the stretch but held onto the second wild card thanks to a seven-game losing streak the Coyotes put up in April. The Stars put up a fight, pushing the Anaheim Ducks to six games in the opening round, but had their hearts broken on home ice with Nick Boninos overtime winner to seal the series. Scott Cullens Analytics Ducks 2013-14 Stats by Quarter Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS% 1-20 2.70 2.45 9.3% .925 50.1% .600 21-41 3.00 3.05 8.2% .909 51.8% .548 42-62 2.38 2.43 6.3% .920 53.8% .500 63-82 3.10 2.55 9.5% .927 49.2% .575 NHL AVG 2.67 2.67 7.8 .922 50.0% .562 Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score), PTS%= percentage of available points. Analysis: Games 1-20: Season started with middling possession numbers, but above average percentages led to a favourable record. Games 21-41: Possession numbers improved, scoring increased, but goaltending slumped. Games 42-62: Best possession segment stymied by poor shooting. Games 63-82: Even as possession dipped, the seasons best percentages kept the Stars in a playoff position. Key 2014 Additions: RW Patrick Eaves, RW Ales Hemsky, G Anders Lindback, C Jason Spezza Key 2014 Subtractions: RW Alex Chiasson, C Dustin Jeffrey, C Chris Mueller This Is Now: With Seguin centering the first line, hell get plenty of support from Jason Spezza on the second. Acquired from Ottawa over the summer, Spezza brings leadership and a heap of offensive vision to the Stars second line. He could play alongside fellow Ottawa-to-Dallas-defector Ales Hemsky or between younger talents like Valeri Nichushkin and Brett Ritchie. Were last years early-season struggles an acclimation period under Ruff? If they were, the addition of Spezza could thrust the Stars into contention in a tough Central Division. DEPTH CHART Forwards Left Wing Centre Right Wing Jamie Benn Tyler Seguin Ales Hemsky Erik Cole Jason Spezza Valeri Nichushkin Antoine Roussel Cody Eakin Ryan Garbutt Vernon Fiddler Shawn Horcoff Colton Sceviour Curtis McKenzie Rich Peverley Patrick Eaves Brendan Ranford Radek Faksa Brett Ritchie Defence Left Right Alex Goligoski Trevor Daley Brenden Dillon Jordie Benn Kevin Connauton Sergei Gonchar Jamie Oleksiak Patrik Nemeth Cameron Gaunce John Klingberg Goaltenders Kari Lehtonen Anders Lindback Jack Campbell Craigs List TSN Director of Scouting Craig Buttons Top Prospect: Brett Ritchie Two elements that teams will always covet in players are size and scoring. Brett Ritchie possesses both as a strong winger who can wear down opponents with a heavy frame and make them pay with quick scoring hands. He will be a formidable player for the Stars. He is unique in that he can carve out his own space and then take full advantage with his skill and smarts. These are the types of players that help a team win in the playoffs and the Stars are looking to do more of that. Fantasy - Cullens Player to Watch - Ales Hemsky In his later years with the Edmonton Oilers, Hemsky was getting buried on the depth chart and last had a 50-point season in 2008-2009. However, after a trade to the Ottawa Senators last year, Hemsky finished the season with 17 points in 20 games. Moving to Dallas, Hemsky could have an opportunity to play setup man to snipers Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin on the Stars top line, the kind of situation that should boost Hemskys productivity. If not, continuing on the wing with Spezza is a pretty strong secondary option. Tim Horton Jersey .J. Hardy to avoid a three-game sweep after blowing a big early lead. Odour had a leadoff single in the seventh and scored the tiebreaking run with the help of two errors by Hardy as the Rangers went on to beat the Orioles 8-6 on Thursday night. Grant Fuhr Jersey . Alvarez hit his first career home run, pitched six innings and hurt his right hamstring while running the bases in the Miami Marlins 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. http://www.shopmapleleafsonline.com/Maple-Leafs-Johnny-Bower-Adidas-Jersey/ .S. routed Sweden 7-0 Sunday to win its fourth straight title and seventh overall under-18 world championship. Olson earned his third shutout of the tournament and the Americans allowed only four goals in six games to set an International Ice Hockey Federation under-18 record.TORONTO -- Cory Rasmus needed time to appreciate the significance of his first appearance at Rogers Centre. A rookie reliever with the Atlanta Braves last May, Rasmus left the mound angry after giving up a home run to Edwin Encarnacion and a double to his older brother, Blue Jays centre fielder Colby Rasmus, in an eventual 9-3 interleague loss for Atlanta. Now with the Los Angeles Angels, Cory is back in Toronto for a four-game set against Colbys Blue Jays. And one year later, the younger Rasmus (by 15 months) feels a lot different about his last outing at Rogers Centre. "To be honest with you, I didnt really get to enjoy the moment like I wish I would have, but to have an opportunity to come up here and maybe face him again is awesome," Cory Rasmus said hours before first pitch Friday. "Hopefully I can embrace it a little more and I wont be so uptight about everything, because looking back on it, it was awesome. Brothers dont get to face each other too often in the big leagues." Rasmus made his major league debut a week before the Toronto outing last year, and was traded to the Angels the following month. He finished the 2013 season with a 5.40 ERA through 21 2/3 innings. Since being called up by the Angels a week ago, the 26-year-old, whos endured three shoulder surgeries over the last seven years, has pitched two scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out one. With Colby Rasmus on a hott streak as well -- batting . Kris Versteeg Jersey. 391 with a .417 on-base percentage and .913 slugging percentage over the last seven days -- both brothers say theyre looking forward a possible rematch of last years at-bat. The two had breakfast together Friday morning, and younger brother Cyle, whos just finished his college career at Columbus State University, will be in the Rogers Centre stands taking in the action this weekend. Colby Rasmus says the playing field between him and Cory is a bit more even these days. "I didnt really like (facing him) a whole lot last year." he said. "Ive had the good fortune of hanging around the big leagues a bit longer and he was having struggles with his shoulder. Hed just been in the minor leagues, it wasnt really a fun time." Cory and Colby were always teammates throughout their childhood, playing together in the Little League World Series in 1999, and winning a State Championship with Russell County High School in Seale, Ala., in 2005. With that kind of history, Colby Rasmus admits its strange having Cory on the other side of the diamond. But hes glad to see his younger brother getting his shot in the big leagues. "Id love nothing more than to have him do well," he said. "Through everything weve been through, all the work we put in when we were younger ... for us to both be on the same big league field and have a chance to do this, its very special." White NFL Jerseys Cheap Youth NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Stitched NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Discount Jerseys ' ' '
