I haven’t ever done a mailbag before, mostly because of my own sense of inadequacy. Imposter syndrome is real, and every day that I cover the Rangers, I’m acutely aware that I’m the guy in the (clubhouse, manager’s office, Winter Meetings) who knows the least about baseball. Spending a decade as a musician before you […]
The Upset
Gemel Smith refusing to take anything for granted, still fighting for NHL spot
FARMERS BRANCH, Texas — Gemel Smith is the Energizer Bunny of the Dallas Stars roster. Like the iconic battery mascot, he just keeps going and going whenever given the opportunity. “He doesn’t stop,” Jason Spezza said. “Even when he was up a bit last season, he never stops moving, never stops working.” It’s something that […]
Cutting Down on the Cutter: Matt Moore Talks 2018 Adjustment
One thing is quite clear when listening to Matt Moore: he is very self-aware … now. Like most of us, however, that wasn’t necessarily always the case. When he spoke to the Rangers media for the first time since being traded from San Francisco on Friday, the obvious question came up pretty quickly: how about that […]
Stars need more from their top players, and Hitch isn’t afraid to call them out
Eight months ago I met up with former Dallas Stars defenseman and color analyst Craig Ludwig for beers and an interview. After discussing Stars history and reliving some of the glory days for my book project, Ludwig started talking about Stars coach Ken Hitchcock, who had recently been re-hired by the organization. “Hitch is tough […]
Stars Lose in Overtime to Flyers 2-1
The Dallas Stars couldn’t make the Tri-State road trip one to remember and they had to settle for five points out of a potential eight in the standings. They lost on the second night of a back-to-back against the Flyers 2-1. In the first period, Gemel Smith got the Stars on the board early when […]
Dave, from Dad, 1987
Thirty years ago – December 25, 1987 – I got a Christmas gift that wasn’t on my list. No biggie. I knew how handle it. Simple rules of engagement, per the social contract we all agreed to as kids: 1) We got to ask for anything. We could make a long list of those things, […]