First period reflections

Nice physicality, and the Stars are starting to get a few more chances up ice.

The Blackhawks still lead in shots on goal 13-9, and there are times when the Stars seem to just be trying to get the puck out of the defensive zone, but it looks better right now.

The thing is, this is not Stars hockey. Stars hockey is the Stars control the puck, push it up ice, get in a cycling game and win a bunch of puck battles.

I think that the defensemen are so afraid of being beat, that they hang back and the gap gets a little big between the defensemen and the forwards, and the Stars can't get in as hard on the forecheck as they would like.

We'll see if that's a problem in the second period.

They either control the puck, or they better be darned good on the counter-attack.

_Mike Heika