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If Stastny were to resign himself to being a third-line center and could be happy with that, then maybe there's still hope for him here. But he's too young and talented to accept that role. He shouldn't want to just be a third-line center.

The other part of the situation is that the Avs need help on defense, and Stastny would figure to be their best bargaining chip to get it. Some team almost certainly would give up a nice D-man or a top draft choice in a trade.

How well the Avs perform in the first two-thirds of the season is almost certain to determine what happens to Stastny. If the Avs are out of playoff contention, he becomes the perfect rental sell-off to a contender. If the Avs are in the playoff race, odds would be higher Stastny stays, but perhaps not too much. Maybe the Avs would feel an imported defenseman, maybe even a one-year rental, would be the missing piece to a possible strong playoff run and would use Stastny as the bargaining chip again.

The Avs got off to a great start Wednesday night against Anaheim, but for Stastny, the numbers were not great. He did not record a point in the 6-1 win and got only one shot on net. He also took two penalties, the second of which caused coach Patrick Roy to shake his head in disgust. Stastny wound up getting just 13:38 of playing time, below that of MacKinnon (15:31) and Duchene (17:50). MacKinnon wowed everyone with his talent.

The Avs probably worry just how well MacKinnon will fit into the league at such a young age. But the more he plays as he did in the season opener, the more the Avs won't feel the need to hedge their bets with a veteran such as Stastny ahead of him.

Stastny has been treated well by the Avs, and he has been a good soldier throughout lots of upheaval around him in recent years. His work ethic is beyond reproach. But business is business, and the Avs have to make a cost-benefit decision on his future.

The Avs don't have to worry about any of this right now. But the clock is ticking on a tough decision.

Denver Post: LOADED: 10.06.2013

719711 Colorado Avalanche

Avs' Nate MacKinnon looks like the real, super deal

By Mark Kiszla

The Denver Post

Posted: 10/06/2013 12:01:00 AM MDT

No hockey player makes the Hall of Fame in two NHL games.

But believe this: Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon has superstar written all over him.

Sure, MacKinnon is barely 18 years old. There will be bad nights, rough stretches and hard lessons.

MacKinnon, however, is a game changer.

He might not ever be as good as Joe Sakic or Peter Forsberg. But the long-suffering Avalanche should be in the race for a playoff berth all season long because the team was smart enough to select Mac Kinnon over Seth Jones, a defenseman with local ties, in the NHL draft.

"All I want from MacKinnon is so simple: Be himself," Avs coach Patrick Roy said. "There's going to be expectations. People will expect him to win the Calder Trophy. But that's the final product. The start is: Be who you are. Don't try to be the player anybody else expects. That's easy to say, but it's tough to do."

There are 10 technical aspects of MacKinnon's game that can cause you to shake your head in wonder. But what sold me is how a teenager responded to the attempt by Anaheim's Ben Lovejoy to intimidate MacKinnon during his first NHL game.

"I saw him drop the gloves first. So I dropped mine," MacKinnon told me. "I'm not going to run my mouth in this league. I'm not going to chirp. But, in this league, I think you earn your respect with your actions."

A superstar who takes care of himself on the ice?

Reminds you a little of Forsberg, doesn't it?

Peyton Manning owns Denver in 2013.

When Manning is ready to turn in the keys to the city in three years, we know where he can drop them:

In the hands of MacKinnon.

Denver Post: LOADED: 10.06.2013

719712 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche 2-0, but Patrick Roy not happy with power play (or play of Tyson Barrie)

By Adrian Dater

The Denver Post

The only thing coach Patrick Roy said was a negative in Friday’s 3-1 win over Nashville was his team’s power play. Roy said the players did not “battle” hard enough for the puck, that Nashville won too many physical battles for it and that it must improve, “no doubt about it.”

Roy also had some criticism for the play of young Avs D-man Tyson Barrie:

“Tonight, I was not 100 percent happy with Barrie. That’s why I put Parenteau (at the point) sometimes there. Tyson needs to keep his game more simple. When he’s losing the puck at the blue line or he’s making a bad decision at the blue line, this is not what we’re looking for. I think he could be a little bit better in that area.”

Right now, Andre Benoit is the quarterback of the power play on the first unit, and I like the fact that he puts a lot of pucks on net. His slap shot isn’t overpowering, but it gets to the net and he gets rid of the puck quickly. Barrie has tended to hold on to the puck a little too long, but the kid will learn.

Denver Post: LOADED: 10.06.2013

719713 Colorado Avalanche

Steve Downie will not be suspended for his hit on Roman Josi

By Adrian Dater

The Denver Post

NHL director of player safety Brendan Shanahan took to his Twitter feed this morning to explain why Avalanche winger Steve Downie will face no supplemental discipline for his hit on Nashville’s Roman Josi Friday night.

Despite Nashville’s Barry Trotz predicting the league would suspend Downie, it won’t happen and Shananan explained why:

@nhlshanahan

@nhlshanahan

He added a second tweet and explanation as well:

@nhlshanahan

@nhlshanahan

Josi was injured on the play, and no doubt the Predators are ticked at a non-suspension. Preds player Paul Gaustad told The Tennessean: “”I take issue with that. He’s one of those players who looks for the crowd to cheer him on or something like that, I don’t know… it was a dumb hit and we know who did it. We play these guys several times this year.”

Yup, the next meeting between the teams is Nov. 6 at the Pepsi Center.

Denver Post: LOADED: 10.06.2013

719714 Dallas Stars

New NHL rules limit fighting

MIKE HEIKA

Staff Writer

Published: 05 October 2013 11:33 PM

Updated: 05 October 2013 11:37 PM

The NHL has not decided to take fighting out of the game, but its rules will make it more difficult to fight this season.

The league has enacted rules that will penalize players two minutes each for removing their helmets before a fight. That's in addition to the five-minute penalty they get for fighting.

"It's certainly a message," Stars winger Lane MacDermid said. "You have to be careful how you do things. You were taught growing up that removing your helmet was the right thing to do. Now, it's not."

The rule is intended to protect players from a possible head-to-ice hit, but its effect goes beyond that. Last season, 73 percent of players wore visors. This season, players entering the league are required to wear a visor. Those already in the league can choose to play without one. There will be a time when every player has to have a visor, and if you can't take your helmet off in a fight, then fighters are hitting each other in the visor.

"It doesn't make sense to fight when you look at it that way," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "I mean, if you're just hitting each other in the helmet or the visor, it loses its impact."

Antoine Roussel wears a visor, and said he will work through the rule.

"I mean, it's still hockey and we'll still fight," he said. "It just happens."

Ruff said he still likes the impact a fight can have in changing momentum. But he said after Montreal's George Parros suffered a concussion opening night after hitting his chin on the ice that he understands the reason for the debate.

"I watched the Olympics, and it was great hockey, and there's no fighting there," he said. "I like a good fight, it's good entertainment. But the talent in the league is so good now that I can see why they might be leaning toward not needing it anymore."

The debate will continue, but it's clear that fights will be more difficult to come by.

"They change the rules for a reason," Ruff said.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.06.2013

719715 Dallas Stars

Rich Peverley makes Stars debut after missing preseason and opener

MIKE HEIKA

Staff Writer

Published: 05 October 2013 11:29 PM

Updated: 05 October 2013 11:43 PM

Rich Peverley missed all of the preseason with an irregular heartbeat discovered in his precamp physical. However, he was cleared to return Friday and made his Stars debut Saturday.

Peverley is off blood thinners, but said he will have to keep up with the heart issue.

"I've never had it before, so it's something new," he said. "I felt bad before the season, so I knew there was something wrong. I feel great now, so I'll just have to keep an eye on it, and I'll react as necessary."

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.06.2013

719716 Dallas Stars

Heika: Rookie Alex Chiasson powering Stars' offense, leads team to first win

Mike Heika

Staff Writer

mheika@dallasnews.com

Published: 05 October 2013 11:13 PM

Updated: 06 October 2013 12:17 AM

Alex Chiasson is a lot like the Stars right now. He has moments of brilliance and moments of “not so much.” But after the Stars’ 2-1 win over Washington on Saturday at American Airlines Center, the feeling is both Chiasson and his team have optimistic futures.

Chiasson scored his second goal in as many games this season and his eighth in nine NHL games, and the Stars rebounded from a disappointing season opener to even their record at 1-1-0.

“Huge,” Chiasson said when asked how important it was to get some confidence for the team and get back on the right track. “I thought the atmosphere in the locker room before the game was good. I thought we looked like a team tonight.”

Ironically, the Stars had a 2-1 lead in the season opener thanks to a goal from Chiasson and then buckled in the third period, allowing three goals on 15 shots en route to a 4-2 loss to Florida. The Stars allowed 39 shots for the game.

On Saturday, the Stars also got a 2-1 lead on a Chiasson goal, and then buckled down. A Washington team averaging 36.5 shots per game was held to 26 for the game and six in the third period. That was a statement that the team can address its issues.

“It was a real strong effort,” said veteran winger Erik Cole, who scored the Stars’ other goal. “We competed a lot harder than we did in the first game. That was one thing that was consistent with our games throughout the preseason — we brought the compete level and we brought the energy, and any time you outwork a team, chances are you will have success. Hopefully, we’ll continue to build on that.”

Dallas will have a five-day break without a game before heading out on a three-game trip. Stars coach Lindy Ruff said he liked the fact the team can now build on this performance.

“You go into a week like the one we have, and it makes for a real good atmosphere,” Ruff said. “I think when you start with how much work we put in, that’s really the place to begin.”

And that example was clear for Chiasson. The 22-year-old from Boston University hasn’t been a big goal scorer in college or the minors, but he caught fire last season in a seven-game call-up. He scored six goals in seven games while playing on a line with Ray Whitney.

This season, he’s back with Whitney and Cody Eakin, a Texas Stars teammate from last season, and he said he’s feeling the chemistry.

“For Ray, I feel he just knows where I am, and it seems I know where he is,” Chiasson said. “He’s been awesome for me.”

But not unlike the Stars, Chiasson also realizes he has work to do. While protecting a 2-1 lead late in the third period, Chiasson circled a puck back into his own end, and that resulted in a shift where the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin was able to fire a howitzer that just missed Kari Lehtonen’s head.

“Other than that shift in the third, I felt I played pretty good defensively tonight,” Chiasson said. “It all starts there, and good things happen the less time you spend in your zone. We played well tonight; we won a lot of battles.”

Chiasson said he will learn a lesson from his mistake Saturday, and his teammates also are hoping to build on the performance. Lehtonen said he enjoyed having a little less work in the third period.

“It was a good battle, especially in the third. We didn’t give them many chances,” Lehtonen said. “That’s always nice, especially when you’re up by one goal. That was huge. I was really fresh.”

And now the Stars will get the opportunity to freshen up for five days and see if they can continue to build.

“I’m still young and I’m trying to grow a game at a time,” Chiasson said, reflecting the opinion of the team. “I’m just trying to get better every day — that’s my mindset."

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.06.2013

719717 Dallas Stars

Stars take on Alexander Ovechkin, Capitals as they try to rebound from opening night loss

MIKE HEIKA

Staff Writer

Published: 05 October 2013 12:18 PM

Updated: 05 October 2013 07:30 PM

The new Stars' administration is one that is naturally calm.

Jim Nill has 20 years in administration and scouting.

Lindy Ruff has been coaching 20 years at the NHL level.

They both have been involved with Team Canada on the international level.

There's not a lot of panic there.

So it's not unexpected that the theme this morning was "stay the course."

Ruff didn't juggle his lines. He slipped in Rich Peverley (now healthy after missing the pre-season with an irregular heartbeat) and took out Chris Mueller. Otherwise, every player is in the same position he was in the season-opener, which did not go well for the Stars in a 4-2 loss where they were out-shot 39-27.

"That was disappointing," said defenseman Trevor Daley. "That wasn't us."

So, what do the Stars have to do about it?

"We just need to clean up a few things," Daley said. "A couple of bounces, change some momentum. We have to be better on our gap (between forwards and defensemen). We have to play better as a team. But, we put it behind us an move on to tonight."

Ruff has been big on gap control, and having his defensemen play an aggressive style that keeps the puck in the offensive end. To accomplish that, though, the defensemen have to have confidence that the forwards will track back and help out when the puck gets in the defensive zone. That was one of the reasons for the 39 shots against in the opener.

"Our support with our defense with the puck in our own end wasn't very good," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "We had a couple breakdowns obviously that cost us goals, breakdowns that we really hadn't seen. I think we got excited to get ahead of the play a few times. The biggest thing for me was our forwards were getting 50-60 feet ahead of our defensemen, and our attack wasn't coming together. If we come deep and we come together, we played really good hockey."

The Stars are going to have to be on their toes against Washington's high-end attack and a power play that has gone 5-for-9 in the first two games of the season.

"Part of that is we'd like to do a better job with the puck," Ruff said, explaining that if the Stars aren't chasing the opposition, they'll be less inclined to take penalties..

Calm, matter-of-fact, all part of the same solution.

Here are the expected lines for Dallas:

Jamie Benn-Tyler Seguin-Erik Cole

Ray Whitney-Cody Eakin-Alex Chiasson

Shawn Horcoff-Vern Fiddler-Valeri Nichushkin

Antoine Roussel-Rich Peverley-Ryan Garbutt

Alex Goligoski-Sergei Gonchar

Brenden Dillon-Stephane Robidas

Trevor Daley-Jordie Benn

Kari Lehtonen

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.06.2013

719718 Dallas Stars

Scouting the enemy: Alex Ovechkin is in beast mode early in the season

MIKE HEIKA

Staff Writer

Published: 05 October 2013 08:26 AM

Updated: 05 October 2013 11:32 AM

There is much speculation that Alex Ovechkin is a motivated man

The reigning Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP is supposed to be a little lighter this year. Some speculate that it's because the 2014 Winter Olympics will be in Sochi, Russia in February, and that Ovechkin very much would like Russia to take the gold medal. Either way, the benefits are being seen early for the Washington Capitals, who will visit American Airlines Center Saturday at 7 p.m.

Ovechkin has three goals and two assists for five points in two games. He has taken 20 shots on net in those two games.

He had 11 shots on net Thursday in a 5-4 win over Calgary.

Here is Ovechkin talking about carrying the Olympic torch.

Here is the history of Ovechkin's mother Tatyana, who has two Olympic gold medals and is one of the greatest basketball players in the history of Russia.

The Capitals (1-1-0) are expected to throw out these lines: Marcus Johansson-Nicklas Backstrom-Alex Ovechkin Brooks Laich-Mikhail Grabovski-Troy Brouwer Jason Chimera-Eric Fehr-Joel Ward Martin Erat-Jay Beagle-Tom Wilson

Karl Alzner-Mike Green John Erskine-John Carlson Jack Hillen-Connor Carrick

Braden Holtby

Holtby was pulled last game after allowing four goals, but he is expected to get the start again tonight. He is trying to make adjustments to his game.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.06.2013

719719 Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars coach Lindy Ruff: There's no excuse to give up 39 shots

MIKE HEIKA

Staff Writer

Published: 05 October 2013 12:13 AM

Updated: 05 October 2013 11:29 AM

One of the key stats for Dallas in recent seasons has been allowing too many shots on goal. So when the Stars allowed 39 in Game 1, tied for worst in the NHL, Ruff said he was concerned.

"I hate 39 shots," Ruff said. "For me, there's no excuse for that. Our puck management, some of the things we did with the puck, we didn't do even in camp. Some of the high-risk stuff, you're not going to win games playing like that. We know that. The good part is that the players know that. They're angry today, as well they should be."

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.06.2013

719720 Dallas Stars

There are no plans to shuffle line combinations, Dallas Stars coach Lindy Ruff says

MIKE HEIKA

Staff Writer

Published: 05 October 2013 12:11 AM

Updated: 05 October 2013 11:30 AM

Ruff said he does not plan to shuffle his line combinations after Thursday's 4-2 loss to Florida. Peverley will replace Chris Mueller, but the lines will otherwise stay the same.

Ruff said shuffling after the first game would be pretty early in the season, but he added that he's ready to change if Saturday's game doesn't go well.

"The patience is going to be at a minimum, I can tell you that," he said. "I expect more out of some of the players than the type of game they gave us [Thursday] night."

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.06.2013

719721 Dallas Stars

Stars defenseman Sergei Gonchar ranks all-time Russian team; Zubov makes cut

Rick Gosselin

Published: 04 October 2013 11:41 PM

Updated: 05 October 2013 01:01 AM

FRISCO — The eyes of Stars defenseman Sergei Gonchar provide a window to Russian hockey.

Gonchar grew up watching Vladislav Tretiak, Valeri Kharlamov and the KLM line win world championships and Olympic gold medals. Gonchar himself became a first-round NHL draft pick in the 1990s and went on to play against the next generation of Soviet greats: Pavel Bure, Sergei Zubov, Alexander Mogilny and the Russian Five in Detroit.

Gonchar, 39, has seen his countrymen enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He’s seen them capture league and playoff MVP honors. He’s seen them win NHL scoring titles and rookie of the year acclaim. Name a Russian great, and he’s in Gonchar’s mental Rolodex.

So I asked Gonchar the other day to pick his all-time Russian team. I gave him a list of a top five at each position and another list of the top 15 Russian scorers in the NHL.

“Wow,” Gonchar said, studying the lists. “Tough choices. They’re all great. You’d have to put together two units. How can you choose between … say a [Sergei] Fedorov and [Pavel] Datsyuk?

“And what about [Evgeni] Malkin? He’s just getting into his prime’ and he’s already a great player. How can you judge him now? Same with [Alexander] Ovechkin. It’s unfair to judge those guys because they are so young and haven’t achieved as much yet as, say, a Fedorov. They still have some great years ahead of them.”

But, when pressed, Gonchar did choose. He gave me his starting lineup, and he’ll be playing against one of them Saturday night — Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. Gonchar gave him the nod over Mogilny at right wing. Ovechkin was the NHL’s rookie of the year in 2006 and has won three league MVP awards and a scoring title.

“Great shot, great power,” Gonchar said. “He has an ability to go through a defense with his energy and power.”

Over at left wing, Gonchar chose Kharlamov over Ilya Kovalchuk, who ranks fifth all-time among Russian scorers with 417 goals and 816 points. Kharmalov never played in the NHL, but he is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was the best player on either side in the historic Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union in 1972.

“The guy could win games by himself,” Gonchar said. “He was doing things with the puck that no one else could do.”

Center was another tough call. Pittsburgh’s Malkin has been feted as the NHL’s rookie of the year, leading scorer, MVP and playoff MVP. And he didn’t even make Gonchar’s final two at the position.

Gonchar mulled a pair of legendary Red Wings, Fedorov and Datsyuk, because of both their offensive creativity and completeness of their games. Gonchar pondered this position the longest and then gave the nod to Fedorov, the NHL’s all-time leading Russian scorer and another former league MVP.

“He’s probably the best pure skater we’ve ever sent over here,” Gonchar said.

On defense, Gonchar talked himself through the merits of three players and wound up choosing Viacheslav Fetisov and former Star Sergei Zubov, leaving former Red Wing Vladimir Konstantinov behind. That was difficult because the “Vladinator” was the best defender of the group.

Fetisov also is in the Hockey Hall of Fame despite spending his prime in Russia. He didn’t arrive in the NHL until he was 31.

“Fetisov changed the game back home with the way he jumped in and created offense by joining the rush,” Gonchar said. “That was tough for him, because not every coach liked that style from a defenseman. He was doing something different that people weren’t used to. You have to respect him for that. He belongs at the top of this list.”

Zubov is the second-highest scoring Russian defenseman in NHL history. Only Gonchar is ahead of him.

“Zubov controlled the puck on the breakouts and power play,” Gonchar said. “He had the rare ability not only to see everything but to control the pace of the game. He could slow it down or speed it up. That’s not easy to do, especially at this level.”

There was only one choice in nets — Tretiak, another member of the Hockey Hall of Fame despite never having played in the NHL. The first Russian so honored, in fact.

“I’m told he was one of the game’s greatest workers and one of its greatest students — plus that natural talent,” Gonchar said. “Put those three things together, and you’ve got a great mix.”

Even though Gonchar is the only Russian defenseman to score 200 goals in the NHL, he declined to assign himself a place on this team.