The Dallas Stars have had one of the NHL's lightest schedules thus far in December. The club has been home in Dallas since Dec. 5, with only three games on the docket. The team has only played once -- a seesaw 4-3 win over New Jersey on Saturday at American Airlines Center -- since last Tuesday and is idle again tonight.
The light schedule with no travel is about to change come tomorrow. The club embarks on a three-game western Canada road trip (in Vancouver on Wednesday, Calgary on Friday, and a twilight game in Edmonton on Sunday) before concluding the pre-Christmas break portion of the schedule with a home game against Toronto next Tuesday.
In the interim, the Stars have continued to work on tightening up their team defense. Despite the team's 4-3 win over the struggling Devils on Saturday -- a game that saw the Stars open a 2-0 lead, lose it in the second period, restore it at 4-2 by the second intermission and then hang on after the advantage was sliced back to one goal in the third period -- head coach Lindy Ruff and the team have made improved two-way play the top priority.
As of the completion of last night's NHL games, the Stars still have the worst goals against average per game (3.52) in the 30-team league. Even the woeful Edmonton Oilers -- who just fired coach Dallas Eakins and are 1-5-1 in December with four consecutive regulation losses heading into a road game against Arizona tonight -- have allowed an average 1/5th of a goal per game less than the Stars at 3.32 per game.
Dallas did get some positive news on the injury front. Rookie defenseman Patrik Nemeth (severe forearm laceration from a skate cut) is a little bit ahead of schedule in his recovery. He has begun to skate on his own and to some light stickhandling per Stars Inside Edge. Originally projected to be out for the entire season, he may be able to return in the latter portion of the 2014-15 campaign. Despite his inexperience at the NHL level, the Stars could use Nemeth's size and shot-blocking prowess down low in the defensive zone.
Additionally, after posting five very strong starts in the AHL with the Texas Stars (1.59 goals against average, .946 save percentage) after being waived and reassigned by Dallas, backup goaltender Anders Lindbà¤ck has recalled by the big club. Jussi Rynnà¤s, who started one game for Dallas and relieved Kari Lehtonen in another, has been returned to the farm team in Cedar Park.