I realize, too, that Turco has been a strong part of our winning…but he hasn’t been quite good enough to carry the team. It’s been the team, the team’s been the thing. I mean, it’s not like Turco is Thomas, Fernandez, or Mason.

Then again, the Stars’ defense has lagged lately. Too many chances, too many shots, too many soft players out there. Where is that team spirit that I was just applauding in these guys? We all know what it is–they’re getting tired. Winter drags on, the season drags on. Come on, peeps, we can’t give up and rest yet. We’re not yet in the playoffs.

Maybe they’ll take some inspiration from hungry youth.

“I know that’s why I am here-[Chris Connors'] wife having a baby –- and I just want to take full advantage of the opportunity and show them what I can do out there. I just hope I keep on playing this way, and stick around for a while,” says Sawada.

Do that, Ray. Show these jaded professionals how it’s done.

Conner, 25, has appeared in 19 games with the Stars this season and has posted a career-high seven points (one goal and six assists). The native of Westland, Mich., has played in 52 career NHL games with the Stars, notching five goals and 10 assists for 15 points with 18 penalty minutes. He has appeared in 30 games with Peoria this season, posting 16 goals and 12 assists for 28 points. Despite numerous games away from the Rivermen, he is ranked tied for second on the club in goals and fourth in points.

Krahn, 26, made his NHL debut on Feb. 14 at Chicago, relieving Marty Turco in the third period of Dallas’ 6-2 loss to the Blackhawks. The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, has appeared in eight games for the Chicago Wolves this season, posting a 4-3-0 record with a 2.28 goals-against-average, a .910 save percentage and a shutout. Prior to his first stint with the Wolves, Krahn played six games with the Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL) this season before being assigned to the Chicago Wolves on Dec. 12, 2008. Krahn signed as a free agent with the Dallas Stars on Sept. 24, 2008, and was originally drafted by Calgary in the first round (No. 9 overall) in the 2000 Entry Draft.

2.)  Mike Ribeiro recorded his 13 multiple-point game this season in Thursday’s game against Edmonton with two assists. He currently paces the Stars in points with 52, playing in all 57 of Dallas’ games so far this season. Ribeiro is ranked tied for 12th in the NHL in assists with 39. The Montreal native has points in nine of the last 13 games for the club (5-11-16) and leads all Stars forwards in average time on ice with 20:32.

3.)  Happy Birthday: Raymond Sawada had quite the 24th birthday on February 19, making his NHL debut vs. Edmonton and scoring his first NHL goal in the process. Two other active players have accomplished the same feat: Stephen Weiss with the Florida Panthers (19th birthday – vs. Pittsburgh on April 3, 2002), and Mike Rupp with the New Jersey Devils (2 goals on his 23rd birthday – vs. Florida on Jan. 13, 2003).

4.)  The Stars’ penalty kill has been solid as of late. Over the past six games, Dallas has allowed only one power-play goal. The Stars currently sit at 21st in the NHL at 79.4% in penalty killing but have improved drastically in the past couple weeks, as the club ranked as low as 26th on Jan. 29. Dallas will have to make adjustments without Brad Richards, who was a primary option on the penalty kill before his injury. The team responded well in its first game without the center Feb. 19, holding the Oilers to no power-play goals on seven opportunities.

5.)  One to watch for: Jonathon Toews, currently the youngest captain in the NHL, is in his second season for the Chicago Blackhawks after a stellar first year.  The 20-year-old entered 2008-09 with high expectations and his team has answered the call. Going into tonight’s game, Toews has his team in fourth place in the Western Conference, and the young center has scored 21 goals and 26 assists for 47 points. He struggled early in the 2008-09 campaign, posting no goals for the first 12 games, but turned his performance around quickly posting a +13 rating and scoring a team-leading six game-winning goals. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native has skated in six games against the Stars, recording two goals and five assists for seven points.

News From Dallas Stars

2.) While the Stars did not beat the Blackhawks on the scoreboard Saturday, Feb. 21, they did beat them physically. Dallas was credited with 51 hits in the club’s last game, 30 more than Chicago recorded. Leading the way for the Stars was defensemen Stephane Robidas who accrued seven hits on the night. Dallas made its presence felt on the ice and made the Blackhawks pay for the win.

3.) Steve Ott has become a scoring force for the Stars this season. After missing 11 games with a broken hand, Ott has scored 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in 27 games. He has already broken season highs in goals (12) and points (26) in only 41 games played this season. The 26-year-old has recently been named an alternate captain for the team with Brad Richards missing significant time with an injury.

4.) Trevor Daley has recorded assists in four-straight games going into tonight’s contest with San Jose. The defenseman has been able to contribute offensively and will see more time on the power play while Brad Richards is out with a broken wrist. Daley has recorded six goals and 17 assists for 23 points this season and is one point away from tying his season-high points total, set last season. He is one of five Dallas players to play in all 58 games so far this season.

5.) One to watch for: Patrick Marleau, the San Jose Sharks captain, has been a goal-scoring machine this season. Marleau has scored a team-leading 33 goals this season through 57 games. He also leads the team with nine game-winning goals, four short-handed goals, 194 shots and a +25 rating. The 2009 All-Star has elevated his game this season and has the Sharks in first in the Western Conference with 89 points. Marleau is currently on pace to break the 90 point mark this season and is putting together one of the best seasons of his young career. Against the Stars the center has recorded 16 goals and 21 assists for 27 points in 60 career games.

News From Dallas Stars

I know we’ve been surging of late, and we just pounded those yanks for double-digit goals in one game, but we’ve still got a losing record on the road. That ain’t good for playoff time. Turco’s GAA is nearly 3.00, which I think sucks. Our point leader only has 13 goals and is at a +/- of -4–helping make my point about shoddy defensive play. Yeah, yeah, I know a lot of you are saying Ribeiro is back and on fire, but let’s see him sustain this through the rest of the season and on into the playoffs.

Then there’s that Avery guy…well, at least they are getting rid of him, after they agreed to pay him over $15 million. I’m not really sold on the idea that the suspension was warranted, but then again the dude should have kept this mouth shut. We might have been doing better by now if we’d had his talent on the ice instead of on ice. He’s a great hitter and a potential 20-goal scorer.

Eriksson’s a good sniper over on the wing, but he’s pretty limited to that role; and Richards and Modano still look decent but nothing spectacular. Morrow’s out for the remainder of the season, of course. Can we sustain this recent surge in our balanced attack? I do expect us to win a seeding for the playoffs, but I would like it to be as high as or higher than it is now.