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4 takeaways from the Chicago Blackhawks’ 8-1 loss to the Dallas Stars: ‘We have to get stronger mentally’

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4 takeaways from the Chicago Blackhawks’ 8-1 loss to the Dallas Stars: ‘We have to get stronger mentally’


DALLAS — The Chicago Blackhawks ushered in the new year by getting ushered out of Dallas via a two-game weekend sweep.

Whereas Friday’s loss to the Stars was a roller-coaster ride that was settled with 8 seconds left in overtime, Sunday’s 8-1 loss at American Airlines Center was all but a foregone conclusion after a three-goal first period and two-goal second.

The Hawks entered the rematch knowing what to look for: odd-man rushes.

The problem was, the Stars hardly left the offensive zone, so they did most of their damage from below the blue line.

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Craig Smith deflected in Sam Steel’s snipe for the game’s opening goal.

Ryan Suter and Tyler Seguin scored two minutes apart.

The Hawks had a few of their best chances during a second-period push.

Ryan Donato backhanded a backdoor pass to Jason Dickinson but Dickinson couldn’t capitalize. Isaak Phillips had a short-range wrister.

A blast from Lukas Reichel couldn’t find its mark, and Nick Foligno tried a wraparound.

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Nada.

Then the Stars collected themselves and continued the onslaught.

Sam Steel blew through the Hawks defense to score on a roofer, and Mason Marchment scored on the power play to pad the lead to 5-0.

The Hawks must’ve had a heart-to-heart or drew up a play in chalk or something during the second intermission.

Philipp Kurashev scored a power-play goal on a tick-tack-toe from Connor Bedard and Cole Guttman 39 seconds into the final frame.

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But that glimmer of hope faded quickly when Roope Hintz batted in a rebound goal out of midair.

Petr Mrázek got the hook and Arvid Söderblom got the nod.

He didn’t emerge unscathed either. Marchment bagged his second and third goals of the night in the final 5 1/2 minutes.

The Hawks played a dismal first period, allowed 35 shots, committed three penalties and generally looked worse after getting a second crack at the same team.

And they gave up a hat trick to Marchment, just like they gave Roope Hintz a hat trick on Friday.

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So what did they learn?

“We have to get stronger mentally and learn to play a little simpler, to the game plan, and getting pucks behind the team, forecheck them well, and then we have to be on top of our checks everywhere,” coach Luke Richardson said.

“We can’t hang behind them,” he said. “We don’t have the wheels for it, the strength for it yet, as individuals or as a team, to play loose run-and-gun hockey.

“We just got to be stronger to sit with our game plan for 60 minutes, not 15 or 45, which has happened lately.”

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Tyler Johnson left in the second with an apparent leg injury.

“He’ll probably be out for a little time,” Richardson said.

Here are four takeaways.

Foligno often gives animated postgame gut-check whenever the team has a bad performance, but he was practically apoplectic after an 8-1 beating.

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“That is really, really disappointing,” he said. He expected the same “compete” the Hawks showed Friday and didn’t get it.

“My only hope for a game like today is we just finally hammer it through our thick heads how we’re going to need to play, and that is not it. That is just not who we are, not who we can be. That’s not what we expect in the room, that’s not what our fans should expect.

“That’s what pisses me off. That’s not a winning team, that’s just a team hoping. Hoping, ‘Ah, maybe it’s an easy night. Maybe the other team doesn’t have it.’ Are you kidding me? That team’s record, and we’re going to play like that? I’m sorry, just that one is really, really frustrating with the strides we think we’ve been making.”

Foligno mentioned “easy” again: “Tonight it was just like we were hoping to have an easy game. Who are we to have an easy game right now?”

So what does he mean by “easy”?

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“Just the compete,” Foligno said. “You watch our puck battles, our battles in front, our changes, the way we change.

“Things that sometimes you can get away with here and there, but when a team like that is playing against you that’s structured, that’s older, that has had winning habits and understands the game, you’re going to get picked apart, and that’s what it was tonight.”

Kevin Korchinski broke the puck out, drop-passed to Bedard in the neutral zone and made two Stars defenders bump into each other as Bedard passed to Kurashev.

Kurashev hit Cole Guttman and drifted backward, Guttman passed to Bedard, and Bedard threaded a backdoor pass to Kurashev for the goal.

Richardson said the execution on the power play hadn’t been great to that point, “so Derek Plante talked to them and kind of fine-tuned it a little bit.

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“But that was more their individual skill, making that line rush on that goal and it was a nice goal,” he said. “But a little bit too late for us to play with that kind of fire.”

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Söderblom and defenseman Isaak Phillips defend as Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz shoots in the third period on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Dallas.

Tinordi was benched Friday after a terrible night culminated in him getting turnstiled on a third-period goal.

It was worse for Phillips.

He was on the ice for six of the Stars’ eight goals.

He got caught flat-footed by Steel before Steel backhanded a roof shot past Mrázek. Mason Marchment whipped in a power-play goal from the low slot while Phillips wasn’t scrambling to find the puck between his legs.

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Richardson said he told Phillips that he had a strong game on Friday.

“And then tonight, just on the wrong side of guys and not aware,” Richardson said. “I think when things start to go bad, kind of like what we talked about with Tinordi last game, it seemed to go like that with Philly.

“I think he started to guess a little bit instead of just playing and doing his job and trusting everybody else, and when teams and individuals start doing that, it breaks down.”

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic shoots against the Seattle Kraken during the second period on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, in Seattle.

It’s the much-maligned plus-minus rating.

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Sure, there’s some fluke factor baked into the stat. But that can’t totally explain away Vlasic’s team-leading plus-10 rating entering Sunday’s game, especially because he’s not exactly a big contributor on offense.

“I was not aware of it,” Vlasic said about the stat. “You know, there’s going to be times where you get lucky and you’re on the ice when your team scores. And then there’s going to be times when you get unlucky and you’re on the ice and the other team scores.

“It’s not necessarily anyone’s fault or whatever, so it’s not always an accurate representation of how people are playing. But I like to take pride in just shutting down things defensively and then trying to contribute a little bit offensively.”



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Cowboys Team Doctor Played Role in Maxx Crosby-Ravens Trade Debacle

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Cowboys Team Doctor Played Role in Maxx Crosby-Ravens Trade Debacle


The Dallas Cowboys were initially in the mix for Las Vegas Raiders superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby ahead of NFL free agency, and were believed to be one of the finalists in trade talks. However, he was ultimately traded to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks.

Now, the NFL world has been turned on its head with the Ravens deciding to pull out of the trade agreement with Las Vegas.

On Tuesday night, NFL insider Adam Schefter was among the experts discussing what went wrong between the Raiders and Ravens, revealing that Cowboys team physician Dr. Daniel Cooper, one of the premier knee specialists, played a role in the Ravens’ evaluation of Crosby.

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Schefter discussed how Dr. Cooper was among the doctors who reviewed scans on Crosby’s knee, which ultimately spooked the Ravens and triggered the end of the deal.

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Dallas Cowboys team physician Dr. Daniel Cooper on the sidelines before a game against the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium. | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

“The Baltimore Ravens essentially failed him on their physical, and my understanding is there were multiple doctors that reviewed his MRI scans,” Schefter said. “There were doctors that examined him, including Dr. Daniel Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys doctor that performed surgery on Patrick Mahomes and Malik Nabers.

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“Many teams and players rely on Dr. Cooper’s expertise, and Dr. Cooper was one of the doctors who reviewed the images where the Ravens then felt compelled to back out of this trade.”

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It’s hard not to connect the dots that Dr. Cooper’s involvement in the medical review of Crosby led to the team deciding against re-engaging in trade discussions. Though that could change, currently, the Cowboys are expected to move forward with Pro Bowl EDGE Rashan Gary, who the team agreed to acquire from the Green Bay Packers for a 2027 fourth-round pick on the first day of legal tampering.

It will be interesting to continue monitoring the situation and its fallout, which has left the Raiders in a terrible position.

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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby on the field before a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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But, with the Raiders now forced to re-examine the money they committed to free agents on Wednesday evening, they may have to pull out of one of their own agreements, which could open the door for the Cowboys to reopen their pursuit of a linebacker like Nakobe Dean or Quay Walker.

The 2026 NFL calendar year officially begins on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m. ET, so get your popcorn ready, because it’s going to be a wild ride.

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Maxx Crosby-Ravens Trade Dead, Opening Perfect Cowboys Opportunity

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Maxx Crosby-Ravens Trade Dead, Opening Perfect Cowboys Opportunity


Dallas Cowboys Nation’s hopes of landing superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby were dashed last weekend when it was announced that he was being traded to the Baltimore Ravens. However, less than 24 hours before the new year, the trade has fallen apart.

On Tuesday night, the Las Vegas Raiders announced that the Ravens have backed out of the trade.

“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby,” the statement read. “We will have no further comment at this time.”

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The news sends a major ripple for the league, with the Crosby sweepstakes once again open. Before his trade to the Ravens, the Cowboys were considered one of the teams closely monitoring the situation and a team that made a legitimate offer for Crosby.

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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby leaves the field following a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

At this time, there is no word on why the trade between Las Vegas and Baltimore fell through. When the trade was first reported, the Raiders were set to receive a 2026 and 2027 first-round pick from the Ravens.

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Now, his future is in limbo. Before he was traded to the Ravens, it was believed that the Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Los Angeles Rams were the top candidates to land him. In fact, the Cowboys were “considered runner-ups” in the sweepstakes.

Dallas’ Original Trade Offer

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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby reacts during the second half at SoFi Stadium. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys initially offered the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-round pick, and an unnamed veteran player.

“Dallas kept a hard line throughout. The franchise wasn’t willing to part with two first-round picks, hoping its 12th pick in April’s draft, plus a future second-rounder, would be enough to entice Las Vegas. Dallas was also willing to package a veteran player to sweeten the deal, but Vegas wasn’t interested in that. The Raiders prioritized picks,” Fowler wrote.

Last season, Crosby recorded 73 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, 20 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.

We’ll have to see if Dallas ends up being his new home, now that the team has a second chance to make something special happen, but there will be some serious competition. The 2026 NFL calendar year officially begins on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m. ET.

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Dallas weather: Severe storms bring hail and tornado threats | See timing

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Dallas weather: Severe storms bring hail and tornado threats | See timing


Severe thunderstorms are forecast to return to North Texas late Tuesday, bringing threats of damaging hail, high winds and localized flooding. While the primary concerns are wind and hail, a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out.

Tuesday Forecast

Scattered showers and storms are expected to develop as a dryline to the west moves into the region. Storm conditions are expected to intensify as the day progresses.

The greatest concerns remain damaging winds and large hail. The leading edge of the storm front will likely be the most intense, with the potential for straight-line winds and brief spin-up tornadoes.

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LIVE Radar: Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas Storms: Timing and Impact

The highest potential for severe weather in the Metroplex is from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., though lingering activity could continue until 2 a.m. Wednesday. Residents are advised to seek shelter immediately if a warning is issued for their area.

7-Day Forecast

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A final round of storms is expected Wednesday, primarily between noon and 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. These storms carry a threat of half-dollar-sized hail and damaging winds. 

Behind this system, North Texas will dry out and briefly cool off. Sunny skies return Thursday with a high in the mid-60s. Temperatures will then warm into the upper 70s on Friday before a sunny weekend with highs in the low 80s.

The Source: Information in this article comes from the National Weather Service and FOX 4 forecasters.

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