Now that the NHL All-Star Weekend is over, the NHL’s regularly scheduled programming is back! What better way is there to celebrate than with ten of the Dallas Stars’ most amazing goals of the 2014-15 season?
Just past the season’s mid-point, the Stars haven’t found themselves in playoff position, but that hasn’t kept them from scoring some weird and amazing goals. Check out these rarities that make the Dallas Stars so much fun to watch.
10. Trevor Daley’s Diving Save Leads to Power Play Goal
While this looks like a classic Tyler Seguin power play goal, the play leading to his success is the highlight. This play is the perfect example of how special teams win games. As the second power play goal in the Stars’ win over the Canadiens, it’s also the game winner.
Just before the puck escapes the offensive zone, Daley throws himself down at the line to keep it in. Once he regains control, Daley feed a pass to Jamie Benn, who passes to Seguin before he nets his 20th goal of the 2014-15 season.
9. Brett Ritchie Snaps One from the Goal Line
Unless you watch very closely, it’s impossible to see Brett Ritchie put this goal away. When Travis Moen feeds the puck to the goal line, Ritchie takes a chance and snaps the seventh goal of the game over Niklas Backstrom’s right shoulder.
8. Trevor Daley’s Body-to-Stick Goal
As he tries to get the puck under control, Daley bounces it off his body and to his stick blade. From here, he rips the puck out of mid-air to score a goal on his 31st birthday.
7. Ales Hemsky Scores Behind the Goal Line
When Hemsky tries to center the puck in front of Henrik Lunqvist, he scores a surprise goal instead. From behind the goal-line, Hemsky shoots the puck off Lunqvist’s skate and into the net. While this goal was a fluke, that didn’t stop Hemsky from testing Lundqvist’s soft-spot from that angle again later in the game.
6. Tyler Seguin’s Late-Period Game Winner
Just when this early season game against the Penguins looks hopeless, Jamie Benn ties it up. Sidney Crosby is then called for tripping with only 10 seconds left in the third period. Shortly after facing off for their notoriously weak power play, Jason Spezza feeds Seguin the cross-ice pass that helps him sneak in a short-side goal on Marc-Andre Fleury. With only three seconds left in regulation, Dallas wins this sleeper game.
5. Kari Lehtonen Assists Seguin’s Breakaway
Kari Lehtonen makes a seamless connection with a breaking Tyler Seguin to score this stunner on home ice. Just as Seguin hops off the bench, Lehtonen takes the opportunity to feed the puck straight up ice and through two Kings defensemen, earning the goaltender an assist.
4. Travis Moen’s Insane Angle on an Open Net
Travis Moen takes advantage of a puck that floats to the goal line off Jake Allen’s bad clearing attempt. There’s no time for Allen to block the shot as Moen shoots the puck in at a crazy angle, just ahead of the goal line.
3. Trevor Daley Goes Coast to Coast
Needless to say, no one earned the assist on Daley’s individual effort to open up scoring against the division-leading Predators. Three Predators players ganged up on Daley to push him to the perimeter before he shoots past all of them and scores on Pekka Rinne.
2. John Klingberg’s Center Ice Knucklepuck
As a rookie defenseman, no one expected Klingberg to go on a scoring streak. The 22 year-old blueliner made a name for himself with a few beautiful goals, including this insane knucklepuck attempt that beats Viktor Fasth from center ice. No one is sure if this is the result of skill or fluke, but the goal is something in between.
1. Cody Eakin’s Shorty
In the Stars’ recent 6-3 vengeance win over the Blackhawks, Jamie Benn and Cody Eakin appear to have all the time in the world to score this short-handed goal on Corey Crawford. Eakin’s neutral zone give and go from the boards sets off a 2-on-1 with Duncan Keith, who fails to take away the passing opportunity. Benn’s soft hands earn the assist on this one, as Eakin makes the goal look effortless.
Amazing Goals Can’t Save a Weak Defense
On the first night back in action following the NHL All-Star Break, the Stars are only four points out of a playoff spot. As the team returns with a healthier roster, the Stars need to come out swinging like they did after the Olympic break in 2014.
The Stars’ playoff prospects are growing dim, but with improved defensive cohesion and special teams, they can still fight their way into a wild card spot. The team is an offensive leader in the league, the fifth overall in goals scored, but suffers due to their inexperienced defense. For now, just appreciate that the Stars are still fun to watch, even during a rebuild.
