Had a chance to chat with Mikko Rantanen a few weeks ago about why he spends a few days every summer helping out a youth hockey camp in Finland--one that just so happens to bear his name. Story: www.starsthoughts.com/p/why-mikko-...

Esa Lindell's penalty-killing is unreal, man.

In their 7:25 of ice time last night, the Stars’ fourth line (Bäck-Hyry-Blackwell) had 94% of the expected goals.

Afterthoughts are up, even if I forgot to tweet about it www.starsthoughts.com/p/game-64-af...

Gulutzan on Benn: "Artie wins a draw out there late against a good draw man, and [Benn] comes to the bench and tells him 'Good draw.' All that adds to the younger guys who are feeling value. When it comes from your captain, it’s a lot better than when it comes from your coach.”

Oettinger: "We've had so many different guys contribute. Like Bass [Nathan Bastian] is not even in the lineup, and he's been doing so well for us. It just shows you how deep you are when you gotta take a guy out that's been playing as well as him."

Jake Oettinger: “I think a lot of what I did tonight is just playing patient, being back, trusting my reads, and trusting the guys around me. I feel like when I’m patient and reading the game well, then I’m a pretty good goalie."

Esa Lindell's penalty-killing is unreal, man.

Jamie Benn's first PPG of the year. 2-1, Dallas.

Bäck from Blackwell via Harley, 1-1. (risky stretch pass, though.)

Not a great goal. 1-0

Michael Bunting didn't get the call here.

Dallas lines in warmup: Robertson-Johnston-Bourque Steel-Duchene-Benn Bunting-Hryckowian-Erne Bäck-Hyry-Blackwell Lindell-Heiskanen Harley-Lundkvist Bichsel-Myers Oettinger

Instead, there should be a shocking amount of massive widescreen concept rock albums where the lead singer/songwriter takes us through his process of coming to terms with intergenerational trauma

Tuesday Roundup: Reilly Smith on his Dallas debut, Bruce Cassidy on Dallas's changes under Gulutzan, and some defensive activation video Story: www.starsthoughts.com/p/tuesday-da...

Oettinger starts. Hyry in, centering 4th line. Bastian out. Same defense.

Gulutzan update on Mikko Rantanen: “He skated yesterday for the first time, so we're hoping. It’s the 10th day, and somewhere in a 2 week range to 2 and a half week range, maybe we could have him back.”

Gulutzan update on Roope Hintz: “Nothing surgical, so that's a real big plus. Hopefully we stay on that week-to-week timeline, and hopefully he can play before the playoffs.”

Dallas lines at morning skate: Robertson-Johnston-Bourque Steel-Duchene-Benn Bunting-Hryckowian-Erne Bäck-Hyry-Blackwell (Bastian) Lindell-Heiskanen Harley-Lundkvist Bichsel-Myers (Lyubushkin, Petrovic, Capobianco) Oettinger DeSmith

Hryckowian and Lundkvist are on the ice for morning skate, in that order.

Monday Rundown: One stat or quote about all 28 players on the Dallas Stars' roster. Come for Cale Makar talking about Thomas Harley at the Olympics, and stay for Alex Petrovic's decade-old run-in with Jordie Benn It's free, every Monday: www.starsthoughts.com/p/monday-run...

New for D Magazine: The Stars’ reinforcements have arrived, and not a moment too soon www.dmagazine.com/sports/2026/...

Game 63 AfterThoughts: Why not? www.starsthoughts.com/p/game-63-af...

Miro. Win.

3-3. Overtime again.

Connor Bedard drew a penalty.

PPG. Hryckowian, I believe. 3-2

Mavrik Bourque, via Frank Nazar. 2-2

Myers exhibiting a bit of chaotic behavior here

Nate Bats-in. 1-0.

Sam Rinzel. 2-0.

Bertuzzi tip, 1-0.

Dallas lines in warmup: Robertson-Johnston-Bourque Steel-Duchene-Benn Bunting-Hryckowian-Erne Blackwell-Bäck-Bastian Lindell-Heiskanen Harley-Lundkvist Bichsel-Myers DeSmith

DeSmith in goal

Gulutzan on Hintz: “We're gonna be a few weeks here. I'm hoping that both with him, Rants, and Faks, that we can get ‘em before the playoffs. Just don't know when, but it'll be a couple weeks, two, three for sure.”

Tyler Myers (6’8”) will start on a defense pairing with Lian Bichsel (6’’7”). Not the smallest D pair I’ve ever seen.

Sunday Stars Roundup: Talking to Tyler Myers about what he saw on Friday, Michael Bunting about playing on his off-side, and reckoning with the loss of Roope Hintz, for a while www.starsthoughts.com/p/sunday-dal...

Hyry gives Dallas 13 forwards with Hintz out and Bunting in. No morning skate, so we’ll find out the lineup this afternoon.

Gulutzan says Dallas will integrate Bunting and Myers into the lineup tomorrow vs Chicago much the same way they do with players returning from injury. “We've still got something going on here. So we want to bring them in in small doses and get them acclimated to our team.”

Gulutzan on Roope Hintz: “ He’s gonna miss some time.” “He's got to go see another doctor, so we'll see how long that's gonna be.” Said they’re hopeful Hintz can return for start of playoffs, and maybe even before, but “it’s gonna be a couple weeks for sure.”

Hryckowian centering a third line with Erne and Michael Bunting today. D pair mixed today with half the blue line not at practice. Myers skated with Capobianco, but wouldn’t read into that too much.

Looks like some maintenance days for the top defensemen today at practice. Heiskanen, Harley, and Lindell not out there. No Hintz either, of course.

Rasmus Ristolainen is still a Flyer. Why wasn't he traded at the deadline? Everything I've heard, including: - Briere's price for Risto - Why BUF/DET fell through as options - Did DET offer a 1st? - How Jiricek fits in - Why Briere's price was so high allphly.com/ristolainen-...

Game 62 AfterThoughts: Heavyweight Tilt and Heavy Hearts www.starsthoughts.com/p/game-62-af...

Gulutzan: "I thought lots of our role players played very good games, too. Our D played solid. We didn’t give them much. Probably the lowest chance output they’ve gotten in a long time." Per Natural Stat Trick, Colorado had season lows in both scoring chances and HDCF at 5v5.

Gulutzan on the game: “I thought it was a heavyweight battle, to be honest with you.”

Stars players and Glen Gulutzan all said they haven’t seen a good replay of the injury to Hintz. Gulutzan: “I didn't really see the play. The update will be, we won't know for a day or two here. So we’ll get him looked at, and hopefully it's not too long.”

Oettinger on Toews in OT

Tripping was the call here.

Wedgewood got surprised here, I think