Avery’s Stars quickly becoming the joke of the NHL
Even Mike Modano thinks so.
According to Sports Illustrated, after Dallas racked up 68 penalty minutes and three misconducts against the Boston Bruins on November 1, “Boston center Marc Savard was settling in to face off against 38-year-old Mike Modano in the third period when he said, ‘Too bad you’ll be retiring after having to play with those clowns.’ Modano replied, ‘I know.’”
Maybe the Dallas Scars would be a more suitable name. I mean, they do have a couple wounds that won’t go away, namely Sean Avery and Steve Ott.
During that afore-mentioned game, those two combined for 39 PIMs and it was Ott who delivered a low hip-check on Boston’s Stephane Yelle to start off the goonery. And leave it up to Avery and his big mouth to banter the referees.
Savard was bang on with the term ‘clowns’.
Hey Brett Hull and Les Jackson, sounds like Matt Cooke would be a perfect addition to this undisciplined squad.
Prior to the season, many had the Stars ranked amongst the top three teams to come out of the West (TSC had them 5th), with some even saying that they can upsurge the Red Wings for top spot. As of today, this same Dallas team is sitting last in the Pacific Division and last in the Western Conference - with a 6-9-4 record totalling 16 points.
To put that into an even worse perspective, they are second last in the entire league, with the Florida Panthers being the only team to have less points.
Did anyone see this coming?
Actually, a better questions would be, why do the Stars suck?
Well, a big reason comes from the horrific performance by goaltender Marty Turco (3.49 GAA, .872 SV%). With Dallas allowing the second most goals - two less then the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have 72 against - then the problem seems to be in net, right?
The offseason loss of Niklas Hagman and Antti Miettinen seems to be taking a toll too, especially when it comes to production.
Plus the recent loss of last season’s leading goal scorer and captain Brenden Morrow for a year with a torn ACL does not help the Big D situation at all.
Now sure, Turco has been slumping and their top scorer is gone for the year, but when you produce a team full of disrespectful hockey punks - and by that I’m mostly referring to Avery and Ott - then maybe the winning formula just isn’t there.
Modano is a man of class but when such shame is shown in this game on his team, even his loyalty can take a hit against a franchise that he has been with his entire career. It’s time for stars like Modano - and recently Simon Gagne - to continue this message of a no-nonsense hockey league. More players have to speak out against these fools.
There is no room for head shots, there is no room for cheap shots, and there is no room for dirty disgraceful turtles that gives this league a bad name.
Here’s looking at you, the Sean Averys, the Matt Cookes, the Jarrko Ruutus, and the Ryan Hollwegs.
Maybe it’s a good thing that Avery’s so-called tactics are failing because the sooner he loses a job in this league, the better.
For now, no Stars are shining in the NHL. And no glory is bestowed upon the game either, especially not when there are ‘clowns’ running loose all over the ice.
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Well all I can say is it least guys like Avery and Ott bring some character to the game and give all of us something to talk about. It would be a much more boring league if there weren’t any villians like the guys mentioned.
yes, but when villians injure, or aim to injure, then that’s crossing the line. See, people saw Brett Hull and JR as villians cause they only talked smack, but they didn’t skate around being little clowns. Plus villians fight, they shouldn’t have an instigator rule to hide behind.
Well I am sure they would deny any intent to injure. I’m not sure that is the case. Avery is despised by most fans, Ott has been doing the same kind of job for years without any press because he rarely speaks out like Avery. I remember when Ott was on the Canadian Junior team and drafted in the first round, he was going to be a character guy, PKer and future leader.
I’m all for removing the instigator but in circumstances like these. But I am concerned that this season there has been this whole move to go after a guy when he delivers a clean hit. I know that used to be the case in glory days of Gretzky and the Oilers, I mean touching the Great One was punishable by facing Semenko or McSorley. My concern is that if you remove the instigator then guys will be facing fists even when they deliver a good hard clean shot. There will be no real penalty to go after him, sure he can turtle and the other guy will go to the box and a PP will result, but in the meantime the guy delivering the check gets his face rearranged for doing his job.
^I agree. That’s why I’m a supporter of Instigator-by-discretion. Refs know when a cheap shot is thrown, such as a dirty hit from behind, high elbow, or low hit, etc. When a case like that happens, no instigator rule should be called against those going after the guilty. I mean, if being start fights just to beat up on people, then the instigator should be enforced.
It’s time to take unneeded injuries out of this game, and to start that process, it’s time to take guys like Cooke, and Downie, etc out of the game (much like Chris Simon is now).
I, as a passionate fan, do not dislike Avery or Ott. When Avery got a penalty Saturday night the whole AAC crowd was booing that call. I would be willing to bet if someone took a run at Sean or Otter with the intention of hurting them, you would be the first one to stand up and celebrate. You can’t have it both ways.
I have pretty much lost respect for several members on the Stars for the loose lips they seem to have. Any negative comments about ANY team member should not be spoken in public but rather held for the room to the coach and captain and possibly to the players involved. But DEFINITELY NOT TO THE MEDIA. That is very childish and immature but then Mo has been known to let his wife in on some things in the past and she flashed her loose lips and Mike had some ’splaining to do. Runs in the family I guess. So, these guys need to make their comments in private to avoid the dust storm that you and the media stir up.
The one comment you have about Marty is the ONLY one I will agree with. Marty is one that likes to point fingers and place blame on others but he needs to look in the mirror and see that when he points one finger there are three pointing back at him. The only way I can describe Marty’s play is consistently inconsistent. He has a tremendous ego and has heard it said too many times that he is an “elite” goalie. He is far from that and this year he is not even an average goalie. He needs to be traded ASAP. He thinks he is more of a leader than he actually is.
Unfortunately, we have to play the cards that we were dealt and that includes being without some very key players this whole season and now the loss of Brenden. The guys know how this season is going and they don’t need to continually see columns like yours to remind them. Oh, and when Brenden went down the “C” was NOT given to Mike. There has to be a reason he lost it in the first place and now he is not getting it. A third “A” was given to Robi and he deserves it.
Haha, to talk about the Turco point first, at least he doesn’t have a temper like Belfour eh. See, I don’t truly know how Stars fans feel about Turco, and it’s refreshing to hear one say that he has to go. Because the performance he is putting up right now is embarassing, to say the least. But I guess that’ll be up to Hull and Jackson.
And as for Avery and Ott, well, I kind of understand how you feel because they are on your team. When Cooke and Ruutu were on the Canucks, it was easy to look away from their dirty acts. But after a while - and a lot of this applied to Cooke - fans got sick of his turtling. Plenty of diehards in Vancouver were calling for him to be traded, which he was. It’ll take a while but you’ll see that Avery won’t contribute much to the Stars if he continues playing like a clown.
As for speaking out to the public, I think Modano should talk to Avery and Ott both in person and in public. Why? Because this isn’t just a Dallas Stars situation, it’s the entire league’s problem. When there are guys running around just waiting for injuries to happen to opponents, it’s disgracing this game. I understand your point if Modano doesn’t go to Avery or Ott first, and instead calls them out in the media. But if he has talked to them before, and they continue to act like clowns, then there is nothing wrong with him taking it to the public. It’s obvious that their obnoxious tactics aren’t working.
Thanks for the comment btw.
Hosea C.
Thank you for your insights on my comments but I still believe that ANY player speaking about another player is wrong if he speaks in a public forum. I do not know if Mike or Turco had previously said anything to Otter and Avery but I still feel that it is the responsibility of the coach or captain to take action. I feel like Turco probably has not said anything to Sean because he and Morrow were the two that “introduced” Dallas to Sean and seemed to be buddy-buddy. We shall see how I think about Avery after this year but the thing is, he is ours and we will make the best of that situation. As for Otter, we now have another casualty as he broke his hand in the fight he had last Saturday night and he will be out about a month. What else can happen?
Well, I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on the public speaking issue because I think there should be some leeway for players to talk about other players in the media. Maybe it’s the bias in me speaking, since being in the media, we look for players to give us controversial stuff but I also think that the public deserves to know, since they provide a lot of the cash flow for the team. It can also be a good thing, as players in the past have rebounded after being called out by the coach or captain in public.
You might be right about Turco and Avery being buddy-buddy. I completely forgot about that part and how they introduced Sean to Dallas. Good point there. Maybe that’s why Turco is blowing in net, haha.
And yes, it does seem like a miserable year for Dallas. I see a coach firing soon, but I don’t think rebuilding or anything is needed.
Speaking to the media about teammates and naming them for underperforming, etc is the quickest way to find yourself being alienated and out of town. Now I doubt Hull and Jackson trade Modano, he’s in a very special position where he is and some commentary from him to the media will be allowed because of who he is. Turco on the other hand has not been performing at all this season and if he wants to drive a wedge into the team I could see him being offered around the league. The only trouble moving him is his salary and poor performance so far this season, that would make him tough to deal.
Craig L. - Yep, Turco is one of the wonderful packages that FORMER GM Armstrong left with us. He is the MOST consistently inconsistent goalie I have ever seen. Now, if all of a sudden he picks up like he did last year we will all hear how talented he is and that he is truly an “elite” goalie. To that I say HOGWASH!!!! We go through this same scenario every year but this time the curse isn’t going away.
As far as how Dallas fans feel about him it is either totally love him or totally want him out of here two months ago. Yes, there are mistakes being made by some of the team, mainly the young ones, but they do work hard and when we get ahead they can’t help but be deflated when Marty virtually sits there watching soft goals. “OOPS, that was the puck. I guess I should have stopped it.” I know the goalie gets a lot of blame for losses in these games but in this case it is warranted. Just remember the Kings Stars game last year. That game pretty much sums up what kind of goalie he is.
GO BRUINS!