Stargazing: A Dallas Stars Puckcast | Defending Big D

Otter Space

The NHL’s Central Division is crammed with elite goaltenders, and the Dallas Stars arguably have the elitest. Is there a problem?

It’s a complicated question with a few simple (and potentially wrong) answers. Wes and Mark took a good look at Jake Oettinger and the team surrounding him, and they found plenty to talk about. In this edition of Stargazing:

• Otter’s workload, and what his #fancystats can tell us,
• Scott Wedgewood’s injury, and why he needs to come back strong,
• the Stars’ defense, and why it may be the biggest part of the problem,
• the Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment injuries, and how they’ve affected the team,
• and Wyatt Johnston, the monster no one hardly anyone saw coming.

So if the Western Conference is full of great teams who all have one fatal flaw...what are they, exactly? Let’s discuss it...with Stargazing. And it’s brought to you by our sponsor, Greening Law, P.C.

Have you had enough of ESPN yet? Tell us about it at Defending Big D, or DM us on the bird app @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be part of the next podcast.

And we always, always appreciate a rate, review or share, because our listeners are the best listeners in the world.

Party Over Here

Good news: The Dallas Stars can roll three lines now! Bad news: The injury bug is trying to ruin that, too.

As the Stars settle into their post-NHL trade deadline reality, change is in the air – for better and (occasionally) otherwise. Wes and Mark spent some time talking about it, and here’s what they’re asking:

• Are Evgenii Dadonov and Max Domi exactly what the team needed – or at least close enough to close the deal?
• Will the Stars’ newfound offensive flexibility allow them to protect their divisional lead?
• Has the return of high-event hockey made the team more fun again?
• Or does the chaos make you nervous this late in the season?
• Is Jake Oettinger OK?
• And what does all this mean for Miro Heiskanen?

It’s like everyone is the drummer for Spinal Tap. At Stargazing, we just throw that kind of reference around, because the right people will get it. And it’s brought to you by our sponsor, Greening Law, P.C.

Are you ready to embrace the Daddy Era? Talk to us about it at Defending Big D, or DM us on the bird app @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be part of the next podcast.

And please don’t forget to rate, review and share, wherever you listen. Thanks!

Flip The Script

Whether you believe the Dallas Stars can or can’t make a run to Stanley Cup glory in 2023...you’re probably right. Schrödinger’s Team has never really gone away, but the past week has brought it back into the limelight.

We’re at the point in the season when matchups matter – so it’s lucky we have Wes and Mark, along with Taylor 2.0, to turn the cards over and start reading. In this edition:

• Did the Stars lean into their strengths rather than address their weaknesses with their NHL trade deadline activities?
• Will it work? Or not?
• At this point, are Stars fans more worried about the team’s issues than the team itself?
• Or are stupid problems just easier to solve than others?
• And what do we even mean by that?

Would you rather lose a game at the beginning of the third period or in the last few seconds? Stargazing asks the questions that matter. And it’s brought to you by our sponsor, Greening Law, P.C.

What’s your stupid problem? Leave it at Defending Big D, or DM us on the bird app @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be part of the next podcast.

And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. Thanks for listening.

Up All Night

What will the Dallas Stars do before the trade deadline? What should they do? Indeed, what can they do? It’s not exactly the Riddle of the Sphinx, but it does keep us up at night sometimes.

Wes and Mark welcome Taylor Newby (who is not, to be sure, a podcasting newbie) to take a long look at the situation. In this episode:

• the skills they need,
• the specter of the salary cap,
• the ghost of the Stars’ puck control,
• the Chaos Line, and how to fix it,
• the save percentage in overtime,
• and whether the TDL is overblown.

Ready for a trip to the dark side? Welcome to Stargazing. Brought to you by our sponsor, Greening Law, P.C.

Comments? Questions? Leave them at Defending Big D, or DM us on Birdy Song @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be featured in our next episode.

And we love it when you rate, review and share. Please remember to give us a nod wherever you social.

State Of Play

We keep saying the Dallas Stars just need to take overtime to the shootout and win there, but we were kind of, sort of kidding. And yet that’s exactly what they did with their recent road victory over Western Conference chart-toppers the Vegas Golden Knights.

It’s all very nice, but if you actually believe the Victory Green Gang is a Stanley Cup competitor, you probably have questions. Taylor Baird joins Wes and Mark to anticipate some of them. In this edition:

• Who would you ice during 3-on-3 OT, other than having Miro Heiskanen take every other shift? (Because we’re already suggesting that.)
• If the Stars have truly staked out an advantage in overtime nihilism, then why not play like nothing matters once you have the loser point?
• Are most of the team’s issues just papering-over for other, bigger issues?
• Will the Denis Gurianov-Evgenii Dadanov trade help?
• Can a sacrifice from the organization’s stellar pipeline help secure the trade-deadline bag for a deep playoffs run?
• Or do they already have the one player who puts them into the Stanley Cup Finals conversation?

We’ve been instructed from on high that we’re supposed to be offensive. This episode of Stargazing represents an attempt that was made. And it’s brought to you by our sponsor, Greening Law, P.C.

Want to get your question or comment into our final 2023 NHL trade deadline cast, later this week? Leave it here, or DM us on the bird app @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. Because who doesn’t love a DBD shout?

And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. We’re all family here, so it’s the law, or something.

Worried Man Blues

Secondary scoring is hard to come by, the power play has dried up, but hey – the Dallas Stars can still lose by one point to any team in the league, no matter how good (or bad, for that matter).

We’ve all seen this team have these problems before, so Wes and Mark catalogued a few of the things they hope to see more (and less) of in the coming weeks. In this episode:

• Is this a slump, or is this just...hockey?
• Should the Stars try to shut down 3-on-3 overtime so they can win in the shootout?
• Or is the answer to sucking less in OT simply to finish the job in regulation more often?
• And is any change at all too much for a team whose system is, by and large, working?

How much do you fix with patience, and how much do you fix with change? Let’s talk about all of this, and more...in Stargazing. It’s brought to you by our sponsor, Greening Law, P.C.

Want to talk about the 2023 NHL trade deadline? Leave a question or comment at Defending Big D, or DM us on the bird app @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be featured in our next episode.

And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. We love it. Really we do.

Handle It

The Dallas Stars have come back from the All-Star break in pretty, pretty, pretty good fashion. With a crucial overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks and a feel-good beatdown of the Minnesota Wild, they’re cruising into a home matinee against the Tampa Bay Lightning with something like momentum.

Wes and Mark would love to get in line for their postseason tickets right now, but they’re Stars fans, and Stars fans are conditioned to brace for the collapse. What has the team done, and what should it do, to shore up its weaknesses and prepare for the playoffs? In this edition, they discuss:

• the long, wild ride that has been Jamie Benn’s career to date,
• the value and volatility of Good Denis Gurianov,
• which Texas Star should get the next big opportunity,
• at least one way the team can do better in overtime,
• how to grow a third line,
• those Patrick Kane rumors,
• Thomas Harley, yet again,
• Radek Faksa, Goal Scorer,
• and where to get one of those Otter plushies.

All this, plus a John Klingberg cameo you won’t expect...that’s it. That’s Stargazing. And it’s brought to you by our sponsor, Greening Law, P.C.

Comments? Questions? Leave them in the comments, or DM us on the bird app @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be featured in our next episode.

And please don’t forget to rate, review or share. Preferably all three. It keeps us going.

Texas Stars Update, Spring 2023

At this very moment, every team in the Dallas Stars organization is at the top of its division. Think about that over dinner. It’s fun.

100 Degree Hockey founder (and AHL color commentator) Stephen Meserve joins Mark for a spring update on how the Stars have aligned to give us world peace – or at least the prospect of three deep playoffs runs. In this edition, we explore:

• the role that roster depth has played in the season so far,
• the pros and cons of a stable lineup,
• the players earning T-Stars head coach Neil Graham’s trust,
• the hottest prospects to watch,
• who’s challenging for organizational supremacy,
• and who looks to have figured out how to make the big jump to Big D.

What kind of organization has to healthy-scratch Mavrik Bourque? This question and more like them are waiting for you in this special edition of Stargazing. Plus, you can find out what Stephen has in common with Jerad Rosburg, and who doesn’t want to know that? Brought to you by our sponsor, Greening Law, P.C.

Which prospects are you watching? Let us know in the comments, or DM us on the bird app @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be featured in our next episode.

And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. We live for it. (Pretty pathetic, we know.)

The All-Star Breaks, 2023 Edition

The Dallas Stars may be having trouble with those three-player assignments, but Defending Big D has it covered.

Taylor joins Wes and Mark for a wide-ranging discussion of the baggage the Victory Green Gang is carrying into the 2023 All-Star Weekend. In this episode, these burning questions:

• Will the Stars ever win in 3-on-3 overtime again?
• Should they even bother when there’s no 3x3 OT in the (*ahem*) Stanley Cup playoffs?
• Is Mason Marchment in a lull, or just finding his way via the Joe Pavelski path?
• Why does Pete DeBoer hate the plus-minus stat, and why do you hate it, too?
• Where can they find some secondary and tertiary scoring, and will they have to pay for it?
• What are the upsides (and downsides) of having every team in the Stars organization leading their respective divisions right now?
• And what are the actual chances that Jim Nill is in on the Bo Horvat derby?

The world is just full of niche problems that may not be worth the time to solve. Bring them to Stargazing. We’ll at least try to talk them to death. Brought to you by our sponsor, Greening Law, P.C.

How would you make the All-Star Game more watchable? Let us know at DBD, or DM us on the bird app @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be featured in our next episode.

And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. It really does make our day.

California Dreaming

Shut out two good teams and lose to a mediocre one – now those are the Dallas Stars we’ve come to know. And this month’s two West Coast road trips have brought them out in force.

But are these the Stars who can turn a Stanley Cup playoffs series on a dime? Wes and Mark have been thinking about this. A lot. And they examine the subject, and more, in this week’s Stargazing. In this edition:

• When was the last time Mason Marchment had a good game?
• When will Wyatt Johnston hit the rookie wall?
• What makes a good line combo work, and how can a little more mixing and matching help the Stars?
• Will Roope Hintz be back during the coming home stand – and if so, is it time for a reunion with Denis Gurianov?
• Can we expect more vintage Tyler Seguin, even if he isn’t on the top line?
• Is Scott Wedgewood the Anton Khudobin of Mike Smiths?
• And is it possible to overappreciate Joel Hanley? Asking for a friend.

Will Stars fans ever get sick of going after Ryan Suter? Let’s talk about it...on Stargazing, where we always mean “human wet blanket” as a compliment. Brought to you by our sponsor, Greening Law, P.C.

Got a question, observation, or complaint? Post them in the comments, or DM us on the bird app @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could get a shout-out in our next episode.

And we always appreciate it when you rate, review or share our stuff. Thanks in advance.

New Sponsor, Who Dis?

Considering that 200 Hockey Men™ predicted the Dallas Stars were en route to a rebuild back in September, you might think that worrying about whether the team can make a deep playoffs run this May is a nice problem to have.

But here at Stargazing, there’s no problem so big or small that it can’t be discussed to death. So this week, Wes and Mark take the pulse of the currently Hintz-less Stars and look for signs of trouble. In this episode:

• No, really, how much are they missing Roope Hintz right now?
• Is this what it looks like when they revert to being a two-line team – and is giving Wyatt Johnston a line of his own really the answer?
• Have the Stars given up on being a threat and are now working on just rolling three decent scoring lines?
• Is the real issue not in trying to fix the fourth line, but in trying to create the third?
• Or have deficiencies on defense become the issue in and of themselves?
• Will Thomas Harley’s time come ’round at last, finally?
• And is the entire house of cards built upon Jake Oettinger being Best Jake Oettinger for as many games as it takes?

On top of all this, we have an exciting announcement about our new sponsor: Welcome to the podcast, Greening Law, P.C.!

We’re not sure what the question is, but the answer is “ice time.” This is Stargazing, and that’s our conclusion. (And where else can you hear someone use the word “jeremiad” in a sentence?)

Give us your best words in the comments, or @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. We read them all, and sometimes we put them in the run of show. (We’ll even give you a shout-out. Tell your friends.)

Chaos may be impossible to control, but it’s entirely up to you whether you rate, review or share us. So that’s why we’re asking politely.

Leggo My Ego

As the first of three January road stretches concludes, we can see that the Dallas Stars are no longer the back-up goalie team. Fortunately, they’ve built a crash mat full of winners’ points to cushion the inevitable bumps and falls.

The question now is how long it can (or will need to) last. Wes and Mark took a look at the California blitz that began on New Year’s Eve, and here’s what they brought for this week’s podcast:

• How did the Victory Green Gang lose to the Anaheim Ducks?
• No, really, it wasn’t all John Gibson’s Veteran Moves™ (although it might as well have been)?
• Should we expect more from Joel Kiviranta at this point?
• Can we expect more if Fredrik Olofsson gets a good look on the second line?
• What could a conditioning stint in Cedar Park do for Denis Gurianov?
• What about that new Joe Pavelski contract?
• Who has to step up on the defense?
• And what does the team still have to do to access Super Saiyan mode?

Everybody looks good with Miro Heiskanen. It is known. This is Stargazing.

Want to go over 9,000 this year? Start by sharing your questions at Defending Big D or in our DMs @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. Be part of the next podcast!

And make it a New Year’s resolution to rate, review and share our little sound files. We appreciate it more than we can say.

New Year’s Eve Grab Bag

New Year’s Eve and the Dallas Stars go together like champagne and fireworks. (Or beer and pizza. We’re into that, too.) So it seems like an especially good time to take stock, and take a few names while we’re at it.

This week, Wes and Mark gaze up at the virtual Times Square crystal ball and discuss their Stars hopes, plus indulge in some annual traditions. In this edition:

• What does it mean when Jason Robertson is in a slump and still nets a point per game?
• Is Roope Hintz the best forward on the team anyway?
• Does even starting that conversation amount to arguing over whether steak or lobster is better?
• How much does line management factor into the success of the Stars’ supernovas?
• What has the system left hanging, on offense and defense – and why are these chores unlikely to be finished by whatever the team can accomplish at the trade deadline?
• When will the conga line of call-ups begin?
• And is Mason Marchment the tipping point for all of it?

Surf and turf and a bottle of finely aged Scotch – now this is how to kick off your year-end Stargazing. Find out who Mark will put on a heater this week!

What are your Festivus grievances? Air them at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. Start the new year as part of the next podcast!

And if you’ve already subscribed, please don’t forget to rate, review and share. You’re some of our favorite auld acquaintances.

 

Naughty And Nice

Holiday time is here again, and we have our Victory Green goggles on!

Wes and Mark survey the season so far, and they have lots of presents (with just a few lumps of coal) for the Dallas Stars organization. In this edition:

• Which parts of Pete DeBoer’s system have become gifts that keep on giving?
• Which parts have left us with an unfulfilled wish list?
• Which players have been the best gifters in Cedar Park and Boise, as the Texas Stars and Idaho Steelheads spread the excellence around?
• And what would you like to find under your Stars holiday tree?

Never rip a team down to the studs when you can just draft a bunch of ’em. We’re Stargazing, and we call this our slogan. (Well, our second slogan, after “We’ll fix it in post.”)

What do you want this year? Let us know at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be part of the next podcast.

And our favorite holiday gifts are rates, reviews and shares. Just putting that out there.

The Sutercast

Father Time is undefeated, but he may not be as quick as you think he is. This seems like a good place to start with a long look at one of the Dallas Stars’ most polarizing players.

Wes and Mark took last week’s challenge seriously, and therefore you should, too. In this edition, they take a deep dive into the riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma that is Ryan Suter:

• What do the Stars see in Suter?
• No, really – what do the stats show that the eye test may not?
• Is Suter’s real problem that he’s inherited the mantle of That Guy – the designated defender who takes a lot of fan heat for, well, no good reason?
• Or does his usage only work with certain other players (looking at you, Miro Heiskanen)?
• How does Veteran Skill™ actually factor in?
• How are the Stars evolving their system to face the future?
• And what does this road trip, so far, tell us about the entire team?

All this, plus a preview of which Texas Stars deserve some time with the big team (and a big dose of Random Robot Voice), are in this week’s Stargazing. We’ll find guys, unless we don’t.

You don’t want to let beef simmer. Throw us your questions at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be part of the next podcast.

And yes, Mark is getting a wired mic for Christmas. We guarantee it.