Dallas Stars (18-17-6, 42 pts): After last season’s run to the Western Conference Finals, hopes were high for this season in Dallas. Those hopes have come crashing down, however, as the Stars have been one of the first half’s biggest disappointments. Despite having many of the same players that helped them go deep in the playoffs last season, the Stars have failed to perform well at any level.
One bright spot has been the surprise success of Loui Eriksson, who has exploded on to the scene, with 21 goals and 31 points so far. Mike Ribeiro, who, last season, looked as if he was ready to take this franchise on his shoulders and carry it to the promised land, has only 7 goals thus far, putting him on pace to finish with about half as many markers as he had last season. The Sean Avery experiment ended in disaster, and while Fabian Brunnstrom looked like he was the real deal at the start of the season, he has cooled off down the stretch and has not played much of a role recently.
Defensively, the Stars have relied too much on veteran keeper Marty Turco, and the results have been miserable. Turco, who usually shines during the regular season, currently holds a .883 save percentage and a 3.15 GAA, while posting only 17 wins in 38 starts. Despite his low save percentage, Turco ranks 8th among goaltenders in saves made, evidence that the Stars are not doing enough to help him out in their own end.
Current League Rankings:
Goals - 16th Goals Against - 27th Powerplay Goals - 26th Powerplay Percentage - 26th Shorthanded Goals - T-27th Penalty kill percentage - 27th
