While the NHL club is looking for better results, the Dallas Stars minor-league affiliates are headed in the right direction early in their respective seasons.
The Texas Stars improved to 3-0 on Friday with a 3-1 win against the San Diego Gulls. Roope Hintz and Curtis McKenzie each scored for Texas, while Mike McKenna was superb in net with 27 saves.
Hintz centered a line between McKenzie and Brian Flynn and that line had an impact throughout the game. McKenzie in particular is a difference maker at the AHL level, while his speed kept him out of the NHL this season he is a dominant player in the AHL with his understanding of the game and even as a veteran player with the Texas Stars he’s one of the hardest working players on the ice.
The ECHL season starts a week after the NHL and the AHL, and the ECHL-affiliated Idaho Steelheads opened their season with a 4-2 win against the Norfolk Admirals.
Idaho had a 49-25 advantage in shots and Norfolk goalie Jake Patterson was largely responsible for it being a close game.
Stars goalie prospect Philippe Desrosiers played well in his season debut and made 23 saves, while defensive prospect Chris Martenet was in the opening night lineup.
Martenet missed both NHL and AHL training camp with mono and was expected to miss a couple months, so to see him playing on opening night was encouraging for the Stars. Steelheads coach Neil Graham said in a text last night that Martenet played well and didn’t look like a player that had been battling illness.
Avalanche rolling
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon left a 3-1 against the Anaheim Ducks with an eye injury last night after getting high-stick by Ducks center Derek Grant.
MacKinnon didn’t return to the game, but afterwords Colorado coach Jared Bednar told media members that “Things have settled down and it looks like he should be good to go for tomorrow.”
It’s another boost for an Avalanche team that has been rolling lately. Colorado has won three straight games and is 4-1 after five games.
The Avalanche have had a boost from former Stars defender Patrik Nemeth, who was claimed off waivers from Dallas before opening night and has settled into a top-four role with Colorado.
Catch-up links
The mailbag came out Friday. We covered a little bit of everything.
Podcast was also recorded yesterday. Owen Newkirk stepped up as a guest co-host
The Stars will be juggling defenders tonight against Colorado
Today’s Schedule
The Stars play the Avalanche at 7 p.m.
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