Stargazing: A Dallas Stars Puckcast | Defending Big D

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Stargazing: A Dallas Stars Puckcast | Defending Big D episodes

February 04, 2022The All-Star Breaks
How long can the Dallas Stars try to be who they say they are before they give up and become what their best players are capable of being? It’s an open question, and one Wes and Mark decided to explore during this week of contrasts.
We didn’t want this to be a miserycast. Fortunately, there was plenty to compare and contrast between Sunday’s big win and Tuesday’s insanely frustrating loss. In this episode:
What, specifically, did the Stars do right against the Boston Bruins?
Has Tyler Seguin returned to form? (And if he has, will that count as a trade deadline acquisition?)
Is Alexander Radulov finally recovering his scoring mojo?
Is Denis Gurianov on another upswing?
Is Radek Faksa hitting his aging curve early?
How exactly did the team fall apart in the late third period against the Calgary Flames?
How much of the Stars’ identity as a defense-first team is a straight-up lie? (Careful – Mark has receipts.)
How much of player usage (and misusage) should we blame on systems and how much on hockey culture writ large?
And if you can’t find a way to let a player do what he’s good at, should you even have him on the roster? (Asking for a friend?)
All this, plus a guest contribution by Wes’ dog...in this episode of Stargazing. Enjoy as Mark finally gets credit for predicting the Bruins blowout.
We love comments, even from the haters. Leave one at Defending Big D or seek us out @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be part of the next podcast.
And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. Tell us how we’re doing wherever you subscribe.
56 min
January 28, 2022Road Trip Redux
Believe it or not, the Dallas Stars...actually had a pretty good January. So does this mean we start planning the parade, or what, or...?
Wes and Mark sifted through the facts and found some Victory Green shoots, as well as the usual omens. In this episode:
Eight points in five games...are the Stars really and truly on the upswing?
Has Alexander Radulov shaken off the last of the post-surgery rust and activated? And if so, could this mean that a second (third?) scoring line has finally arrived?
Are the now-predictable Denis Gurianov benchings somewhat more tolerable now that there’s legitimate offensive competition in Riley Damiani?
Did John Klingberg’s injury (hear us out) actually come at an opportune time?
And now that the Pavelski & Sons line is scoring on the road, dare we hope for a Stanley Cup playoffs spot?
Who else is rooting for a second wildcard berth and a romp through the Pacific Division? Sit next to Mark. You’re at Stargazing.
Your comments keep us alive, so leave us one! Or seek us out @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be part of the next podcast.
And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. Tell us how we’re doing wherever you subscribe.
41 min
January 21, 2022Midlife Crisis
The Dallas Stars won a game! In Buffalo! Why does that somehow still feel dull and uncomfortable?
The thing with Dallas is, it’s never just one game. Wes, Taylor, Trent and Mark got together after the previous disaster at home to discuss the Stars’ organizational identity crisis. In this episode:
What’s the alternative to just giving up and wallowing in a bad stretch of hockey? Pulling out the popcorn and hoping for maximum chaos?
How far into the Stars organization has the malaise settled?
How long can the mismatch between system and personnel continue?
Does the postgame coach-speak make it worse?
Why does this team react to adversity by turtling, even when it’s counterproductive?
What are the moves the organization needs to make, rather than the one they’re talking themselves into making...?
And is there still time to turn it around? (No, really?)
Do you like where they’re at? Let us know. This is Stargazing.
We actually discuss a potential Joe Pavelski re-signing in this episode, so we do get inspiration from your comments. Leave us one, won’t you? Or seek us out @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You, too, could be part of the next podcast!
And we always love it when you rate, review and share. Tell us how we’re doing wherever you subscribe.
1 hr
January 14, 2022A B C D E F U
The Dallas Stars have a way of making you want to swear even after a victory. And when you think about the John Klingberg situation, it’s pretty easy to want to swear all day, every day. (What even...? What the hockey sticks...?)
Wes, David, Tyler and Mark have a salty word or two about the team, and this time, they feel like sharing. In this episode:
Can the Stars just play all their games at home from now on?
Alternatively, can they just clone Joe Pavelski and Sons?
Can they, once and for all, get a second line going again (maybe after Denis Gurianov returns from COVID jail)?
Why should coaching decisions that didn’t fly when Marc Crawford was bench boss get a second chance now?
Has the team moved back to the John Klingberg - Esa Lindell pair on the QT?
Can Dallas commit to a vision of success in which they recognize how much they need Klinger?
If not, then what the heck have they been trying to do in the draft for the past few years?
The system cannot fail. It can only be failed. This is Stargazing.
What’s on your mind? Let us know in the comments at Defending Big D, or seek us out @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be part of the next podcast.
And we love it when you rate, review and share. Tell us how we’re doing wherever you subscribe.
52 min
January 06, 2022New Year, Same Problems
It’s 2022, and the Dallas Stars are finally about to play another game! How much excitement can one fandom take? ...Right?
We’re about to find out, because Wes and Mark welcome a brand-new panelist to a new year at the best Stars podcast. Trent joins us for...well, another evening of the same old stuff we’ve been discussing for months, but now there’s a new body on the line, which makes it different. In this episode:
Realistically, what can a fully healthy Stars team do after a 17-day Christmas-and-COVID hiatus?
Is it better that the Stars went through this together and at the same time, rather than enduring the roster churn that has upended other teams’ results?
Can the Stars avoid giving the Florida Panthers too much zone time, or is the turtle too much with us?
Will they benefit from a little chaos, should any of it break out?
Are they any closer to having a top six...or even a top nine?
What will it take to activate Miro Heiskanen offensively?
Was it a good decision to start Jake Oettinger in the AHL this season?
Could the Central-heavy schedule in the last half of the season end up being a blessing?
What happens if the Stars actually have to outplay somebody?
And is Tyler Seguin allowed to go on a run ever again?
What would a hundred Hockey Men think? It’s a blur to us now. We’ll try to figure it out together, in Stargazing.
Have any new topics for us to wear out? Post them in the comments, or seek us out @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be part of the next podcast.
And just a reminder: We love it when you rate, review and share. Tell us how we’re doing wherever you subscribe.
52 min
December 30, 2021 Should Auld COVID Be Forgot
The @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be part of the next podcast.
And we love it when you rate, review and share. Tell us how we’re doing wherever you subscribe.
44 min
December 17, 2021When Are We?
You ask how we know about Dallas Stars hockey? Well, we spent a week there one day.
Wes, Taylor and Mark reflect on the month’s worth of news the Victory Green Gang made in the past 96 hours or so. In this must-listen edition:
Are the Stars the most dramatic team in the NHL, or is it just that the drama tends to be concentrated in big clumps?
Was it a good idea to give Ben Bishop one last shot at a return from injury?
Was Anton Khudobin’s contract extension absolutely necessary?
What can we expect now that the Jake Oettinger - Braden Holtby Era is officially upon us?
What’s happening to the league now that the Omicron variant has given COVID-19 its big comeback – and is a temporary shutdown inevitable?
What does that have to do with the unspecified non-COVID illness that’s lingering in the Stars’ dressing room and refusing to leave?
What do they need to do to play through misfortune and still keep their identity? (IMPORTANT: Not the identity where they can’t score. They can lose that one.)
And what about the Winter Olympics? (No, seriously, what about them?)
What are your favorite Bish memories? Share and enjoy in the comments. (Eat at Stargazing.)
Remember, we’re always on the lookout for burning questions. Post them in the comments at Defending Big D, or seek us out @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be part of the next podcast.
And as always, we love it when you rate, review and share. Tell us how we’re doing wherever you subscribe.
48 min
December 02, 2021A November To Remember
The Dallas Stars have been winning, a lot. And as is our way, we’ve found both good and bad news in that.
Wes and Mark take a moment to enjoy the Stars’ improved outlook, but they still find the same old issues persisting. Will the Victory Green Gang ever shake their habit of playing all their hockey in the first 40 minutes? Can they balance their offensive effort across all three periods without relying on a goalie having a .930 game? In this edition, we look at all of this and more:
Is there such a thing as putting too much hope in the Roope Hintz - Jason Robertson - Joe Pavelski superline?
What’s more amazing: that line’s ability to score in the first minute and a half of a game, or Braden Holtby’s Tex-Mex combo save from the Carolina Hurricanes game?
Is it even possible for Hintz’s change in puck luck to last – or is his re-found scoring touch more sustainable than that?
Can the Stars continue to get defense from offense, especially when they get aggressive on the penalty kill?
Are we officially in the Jake Oettinger Is The No. 1 Goalie era?
Do lines matter more than contracts?
Is Tyler Seguin struggling to be a volume shooter, or is he just changing his game to be more of a net-front presence?
On a similar note, why is Alexander Radulov under-shooting his career average so dramatically?
How do the Stars get more than one line going consistently?
Where does Jacob Peterson fit into the equation?
How soon can Riley Damiani get a call-up?
And what’s up with the turtling?
Does the Minnesota Wild game continue to exist if we can’t remember it? Enjoy our Columbus Blue Jackets predictions – and Mark’s four-point downer – as Stargazing returns.
Where are your burning questions? Post them in the comments or at Defending Big D, or seek us out @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts. You could be part of the next podcast.
And as always, we love it when you rate, review and share. Tell us how we’re doing wherever you subscribe.
55 min
November 18, 2021You Win Again (Taylor’s Version)
Can the Dallas Stars continue their nascent winning streak tonight against the Minnesota Wild? It may depend on whether they try to beat scoring with scoring.
Wes and Mark think the Victory Green Gang needs to expect to win. And they devoted our latest podcast to talking about how the Stars go about accruing points against the Central Division rivals who happen to be ahead of them. In this edition:
Can we chalk up the Stars’ latest victories to systematic improvements, or to catching tired (and possibly bad) teams on the second half of a back-to-back?
How much better is team defense with John Klingberg than without?
How hard is a hard turtle, and how do the Stars stop doing that?
Would you rather clear the zone or keep everything to the outside?
How are the Stars adjusting to being a three-line team after being a one-line team since the Victory Green heyday of Aleš Hemský and Patrick Sharp ended?
Is Riley Tufte playing enough minutes to make a trip to Big D worth it? Or is he likely to learn his best lessons off the ice while in Dallas?
When you have a Denis Gurianov, how much do you use a Denis Gurianov?
How is Ryan Suter doing next to Klinger?
Where are Jake Oettinger’s skills improving?
And how filthy will Roope Hintz get now that he’s riding the regression monster?
What’s your prediction for tonight’s game? Here’s to another W! (Full disclosure: Stargazing’s ratings go up after those, so it’s not as if we’re disinterested.)
As always, we invite burning questions from every end of the spectrum. Post them in the comments, or seek us out @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts.
48 min
November 12, 2021 In The Midnight Hour
What was that quote about best-laid plans? We’re not sure, but we think it means sometimes you have to cancel bedtime so you can figure out what the Texas Stars, other than that the organization sees him as Jake Oettinger’s future backup anyway?
Where would this team be if it didn’t have Miro Heiskanen scoring a point per game?
And what happens the next time this team takes the ice?
“A weaker man might be moved to re-examine his faith, if in nothing else at least in the law of probability.” Are you sick of hearing us talk about the exact same problems every single ding-dang week? Then ask us a question of your own. Leave it in the comments, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts.
And please remember to rate, review and share! Tell us how we’re doing at our Podbean site, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Amazon, or wherever you subscribe. (You do subscribe, right...?)
33 min