Dallas, TX
Game Day Guide: Stars vs Blackhawks | Dallas Stars
First Shift 🏒
The Christmas Break came at the right time for the Stars.
Dallas just completed a stretch in which it played 16 games in 29 days in 10 different cities. It was an incredible challenge, and yet the Lads in Victory Green went 12-2-2 and made a statement to the league and to themselves.
Sure, Colorado is having a historic season and leads the NHL in pretty much every category, but Dallas is second in record at 25-7-6 and also is among the leaders in a ton of team statistics. The Stars rank second in scoring at 3.50 goals per game, fourth in goals against at 2.61, second in power play success at 31.8 percent, and seventh in the penalty kill at 82.6 percent.
“Our record is where it is,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “Going into Christmas Break, I think we’ve done a pretty good job.”
Gulutzan is in his first season as the Stars’ new head coach. He returns to the team he coached more than a decade ago, but does so with years of experience following stops in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton over the last 12 years. The 54-year-old said he is a different coach.
“Scar tissue,” he said. “You build up a thicker skin and you learn from your experience, and I really do believe that helps.”
Intertwined in all of the stats are little stories that reveal some pretty cool truths about this group. Dallas has missed some key players for significant stretches, including Benn, Duchene, Seguin, Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist. Seguin is out for the regular season following knee surgery and might not be able to return for the playoffs. That’s one of the hard truths. But what’s interesting is the group has been able to navigate the injuries and still post an impressive record.
Sam Steel and Johnston have stepped up in the absence of Duchene and Seguin. Steel and Mavrik Bourque also helped replace Benn when he was out. On defense, Alexander Petrovic and Kyle Capobianco have logged bigger minutes in the absence of Harley, Lundkvist and Lian Bichsel.
Fact is, the best part of the team is the fact that it has been a really good team despite a number of challenges.
“We have a lot of good players and everybody finds a way to contribute,” said Benn. “It’s a great effort from everyone.”
One of the keys has been the goaltending duo of Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith. Oettinger is tied for the NHL lead in wins at 16-6-2, while DeSmith is 9-1-4, with his lone regulation loss coming in his first start of the season back on Oct. 16. The Stars as a team rank third in save percentage at .907.
“Our goaltenders give us a chance every game,” said forward Rantanen. “They’ve been our MVPs.”
Rantanen and the scorers also have played a big role. Acquired in trade last season and signed to an eight-year contract that averages $12 million per season, Rantanen has lived up to his billing. He ranks fifth in the league in scoring at 51 points (14 goals, 37 assists) and also is second in both assists and power play assists. Johnston leads the NHL in power play goals at 14 and ranks 16th overall in scoring with 42 points. Robertson is fifth in scoring at 45 points (22 goals, 23 assists) and also is a key reason why the Stars lead the NHL in power play goals at 37.
Can the team keep up that pace after the break? The Stars might actually get better. Heiskanen is averaging almost 26 minutes of ice time per game and is coming off a game in which he played 27:44, so he could use the rest. There are also some adjustments the team can make to spread the minutes more evenly.
Harley and Lundkvist are both still getting up and running, and that will be key in a month of January where the team plays 15 games, including 11 on the road.
Mix in the fact that anywhere from three to nine players will probably go to Italy for the Olympics in February, and this is going to be one of the toughest seasons ever. But when you consider that the first “half” of the season has been good, well that creates a lot of positive momentum for the team.
Gulutzan has a saying that each victory brings “24 hours of peace.” Twenty five of them just so happened to give the team three days of peace during the Christmas Break, and that was very hard-earned.
DALLAS – Slow-moving thunderstorms brought localized flash flooding to parts of North Texas on Tuesday evening, blocking highways near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and dropping several inches of rain in portions of Tarrant and Parker counties.
Flash Flood Warnings
Local perspective:
Flash flood warnings are in effect for Hopkins, Hunt, Rains and Van Zandt counties until 7:45 p.m.
Flooding was reported along Texas 183 near Valley View Lane south of DFW Airport, where stranded vehicles and water-covered roadways created hazardous travel conditions.
A flash flood warning remained in effect near the airport, although rainfall rates had begun to diminish as the storm weakened.
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings
The National Weather Service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northern Hood County, citing the potential for gusty winds and small hail. Forecasters reported hail ranging from pea-sized to marble-sized in parts of Hood, Parker and Denton counties.
Forecasters attributed the weakening storms in Denton County to an outflow boundary, a meteorological feature that can disrupt thunderstorm development.
The warning area was reduced as the storm weakened near sunset.
LIVE RADAR
What they’re saying:
FOX 4’s Kylie Capps said the storms moved unusually slowly from east to west, allowing heavy rain to accumulate over the same areas for several hours.
Rainfall estimates showed some locations in eastern Parker County and western Tarrant County received nearly 5 inches of rain during a six-hour period, while areas near DFW Airport recorded more than 2 inches.
Elsewhere in North Texas, northern Rains County received nearly 5 inches of rain.
7-Day Forecast
What’s next:
Forecasters expect a quieter overnight period, with only isolated showers lingering into the evening. Additional thunderstorms are possible Wednesday afternoon, though coverage and the threat of severe weather are expected to remain limited.
Temperatures are forecast to reach about 90 degrees Wednesday.
Rain chances are expected to continue through the remainder of the workweek and into the weekend as an upper-level low-pressure system sends multiple disturbances across North Texas.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4’s Weather Team
Monday was a wild day for the NFL with two blockbuster trades. First was Myles Garrett, who both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles were rumored to have interest in.
Cowboys fans never bought into these rumors, knowing that Jerry Jones was unlikely to make such an investment. The Eagles, however, have been known to get aggressive. Thankfully for Dallas fans, they didn’t make the move as the Cleveland Browns sent Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse and a package of picks.
Not long after that trade was finalized, the Eagles did wind up making a trade. After months of speculation surrounding A.J. Brown and the New England Patriots, the two sides made it official as Brown was reunited with Mike Vrabel in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
Dallas Cowboys could take the NFC East crown in 2026
The writing has been on the wall all offseason regarding Brown, who has been unhappy with the Eagles for a while. His departure seemed confirmed when they traded up with Dallas in the 2026 NFL draft for USC receiver Makai Lemon.
While Lemon has the tools to be a difference-maker, he won’t be able to perform at the same level as Brown during his rookie season. The Eagles do still have DeVonta Smith at receiver as well as running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
That said, there’s no denying that they’re weaker this season than they were with Brown. Just as important, however, is the fact that general manager Howie Roseman didn’t pull off a shocking move for Garrett, which would have made them the overwhelming favorites in the division.
Cowboys chances hinge on defensive changes
Another reason the Cowboys are confident they can hang with Philadelphia this season is the presence of Christian Parker, who they hired as their defensive coordinator after he spent the past two seasons as the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach with the Eagles.
Parker brings in a new scheme and plenty of confidence, but more importantly, he has several new weapons at his disposal. Dallas traded for veterans Rashan Gary and Dee Winters, signed Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant, and selected Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence in the draft.
Those are just some of the moves they made on defense, and they’re banking on that to be enough to help propel them past the team that has won the division the past two seasons.
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