Breaking the Streak

Thanks, Devils, for breaking my Stars' 6-game win streak. They could have tied a franchise record if you didn't have to be greedy with the points yesterday.

All joking aside, I'm not terribly upset about the Stars losing. Sure, in the beginning of the season they sucked pretty hard, and I'm still reeling from the 5-0 loss to Phoenix on November 2nd, but man. Once that front office shake-up happened, where the owner fired the GM and the president stepped down, the team has been performing SO well. It's like they actually want to play hockey. You know, the thing they're paid thousands (or millions, depending on who you are) of dollars to do?

Since November 16, the team had not lost a single game. Came close a couple of times, sure, but not a single game was lost, not even facing the Rangers and their 41 shots on goal. Only two of those shots went in. Jussi Jokinen scored 4 goals in a single game, a feat that hasn't been done since the great Brett Hull in 2001. Mike Smith got his fourth career shutout against the Los Angeles Kings, some great revenge for the meltdown at Staples Center on the 10th.

And then the Devils came along, and beat the team 4-2.

Like I said, I'm not terribly upset. I suspect most Stars fans aren't. There are those Dorito-chomping Chicken Littles out there who are saying "OMGZ WE GUNNA LOOSE EVERY GAME DIS SEESON", but I highly doubt that, with the way this team has been playing. I don't doubt there will be a trade before the deadline hits in February, probably for this "high-speed scoring winger" that we've been hearing about (hi, let's give Chris Conner a chance to prove that he can do that). Will that make the team better? Who knows. The problem with trades like that is that you only get one chance. If the player you get doesn't fit in, it can mess with your lines horribly, and leave you struggling to find a line he can play on where things work. No matter what, someone will always be scratched to make room for this superstar winger, and on a team chock full of veterans, that doesn't leave the rookies and young guys with a chance to step up their game.

To round this out, I'm going to brag a little bit, because it makes me feel better. The Stars remain at the top of the Pacific division with 30 points, 4 points ahead 2nd place Anaheim. They're second in the conference (of course the Red Wings are first), and fourth in the league, barely beaten out by the Philadelphia Flyers (who, incidentally, the team will face on Saturday night, one night after getting to see Sidney Crosby). I'm pleased, especially after the beginning of the season.