Good start key with shortened schedule

The NHL lockout is officially over, and the NHL schedule has finally been released. The Stars open January 19 at American Airlines Center against the Phoenix Coyotes. Game two is the next night, Sunday January 20, in Minnesota. The Stars play seven games in the first 11 days.

Stars forward Jaromir Jagr has been through a schedule like this before during lockout-shortened 1994-95 season.

“Everybody knows the start is very important,” Jagr said. “I look at the schedule and we have seven games the first eleven nights. It’s going to be a tough schedule. A good start can guarantee you’ll make the playoffs. It isn’t going to be easy, especially for the guys who didn’t play any games this year. It’s a tough schedule.”

Stars forward Ray Whitney, who also played during the 1994-95 season, agreed that a strong start is key. So will avoiding any prolonged slumps.

“What I remember (from that season) is that the teams that did get into a little bit of a slump never recovered from it,” Whitney said. “If you go through a stretch were you go 0-5 during that shortened schedule, you are probably not going to be able to recover from that. … Not getting off to a bad start is going to be big for everybody. It’s a pure sprint right to the finish here.”

Overall, it’s 48 games in 99 days.  There are eight back-to-back sets.  And for the Stars to start well, they’ll have to have success on the road, where they play 10 of their first 15 games.

“I don’t mind going on the road. I am completely happy going on the road,” said Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. “These guys have sat at home for months, they are ready to go on the road. You can certainly build some chemistry. Sometimes it is a good thing to get those road trips early.”

Gully: Stars will ‘get right after it’ in camp

The Stars will open training camp Sunday. Physicals are scheduled for first thing in the morning, and then the team will hit the ice in the afternoon at the team’s practice facility in Frisco.

There’s a lot to do, and Gulutzan said the team won’t wade into things.  Here’s how Gulutzan envisioned camp Saturday afternoon.

“We’ve got to get right after it,” Gulutzan said. “It will be an afternoon start because we have to get physicals out of the way. So, we’ll probably go for about an hour of hard practice and then a 20-minute walk-through of a mock-type scrimmage thing to go over some details. Monday, probably a good skate for 45-50 minutes, a 15-minute break and then a 30-35 minute power play session. Tuesday, hopefully, we’ll have a scrimmage in the morning. And by the time you get to Wednesday, you have to be close to your number of who is going to be here (to start the season). Thursday and Friday would be regular practice days leading up to any other game day.”

Stars on national TV

The Stars have nine games scheduled to be shown on national TV in the United States.  They are scheduled to make three appearances on NBC Sports Network and will appear six times on the NHL Network.