Stargazing: A Dallas Stars Puckcast | Defending Big D

The Dallas Stars gave up their traditional Game 1 loss. Does this mean the rest of their Western Conference Final is proceeding according to the script? It's impossible to discount the Edmonton Connors Leons Oilers at this stage, but the Victory Green Gang keeps doing what it does best – which is find ways to win. Wes and Mark are back from their long Memorial Day weekend, and they're here to catch you up on the Death Star vs. The Superstars: surviving the first period, responding to chaos, and never, ever starting to panic. What do Jason Robertson and Jason Voorhees have in common? Think about it. We have. It's Stargazing time! And, as always, it’s brought to you by our buddies at BetOnline. Now that we're near the halfway point, how are your predictions holding up? Let us know at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. (We’ll check in, but only for you. Don’t blow it.) And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. It makes us so sadly happy. Really it does.

It's turning into A Very Special Throwback Series for the Dallas Stars. They took Western Conference Finals-style revenge on the Vegas Golden Knights. They struck down a longtime foe and legendary rival in the Colorado Avalanche. And now that the Stars have gone through last year's Stanley Cup champions and their most lethal sibling in the #MurderDeathKill Division, they begin a battle for the West against the Edmonton Oilers. And if you're a Stars fan, you know that history even if you weren't around for it. For a preview worthy of this event, we invited Patrick Phillips, better known on YouTube as The Oilers Fanatic. He sat down with Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman to share memories of series past and to talk about what makes the present so unpredictable. They also got to the usual stuff, like McDavid & Draisaitl Vs. The World, the Jake Oettinger supremacy, how defense has shaped both squads, and how each of our favorite teams will win and lose. What was your first experience of being devastated by sports? Let’s talk about it. We're Stargazing in the morning! And, as always, it’s brought to you by our buddies at BetOnline. Will this Stars-Oilers series live up to the hype? Share your thoughts at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the Default Font From The ’90s app. (We’ll check in, but only for you. Don't blow it.) And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. That high will last us all weekend. Thanks in advance.

The Dallas Stars earned some much-needed rest this week – but here at Stargazing, we never sleep. It's time to assess what went right (and wrong) in Round 2, and get ready for a really big show in the Western Conference Finals. In this episode, Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman discuss how Chris Tanev countered Nathan MacKinnon, the art of overtime playoffs line-blending, the importance of the team game to the Stars' strategy, and what may be their biggest concern going forward. Plus there's so much more – including a look at what might have happened in a Dallas-Vancouver series that's been, ahhhh, overtaken by events. The Stars aren't facing the Minotaur. They are the Minotaur. Let's discuss it...while we're Stargazing After Dark. It’s brought to you by BetOnline. What are you looking for in the Stars' next series? Let’s talk about it at Defending Big D – or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. And hey, throw us a rate, review or share. We can prove it will bring good luck. Maybe. Someday. Not now, of course.

The Dallas Stars keep finding ways to win over the Colorado Avalanche. How long until the Avs find a countermove? We've all been thinking it, because we're Stars fans, and we can't have nice things. Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman actually sat down to talk about it. In this edition, they go in-depth into what the Stars are doing right, the likelihood that the Avalanche will figure them out, the possible impact of injuries, and how the Victory Green Gang can definitively make the story their own. If you've been keeping up with these guys, you may have noticed that their predictions tend to come true. Listen to Stargazing After Dark...and learn the future! It's all part of the service we provide...thanks to BetOnline. Will the Stars close the deal tonight? Let's talk about it at Defending Big D – or DM us your questions and concerns @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. And hey, throw us a rate, review or share and keep those prognostications coming. It won't work unless you do it!

The unstoppable road team met the immoveable home team, and we saw who blinked first. The Dallas Stars copped a big win off the Colorado Avalanche over the weekend, and now, it seems, we're getting somewhere. It's OK, Stars fans, you still have time to panic. But Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman took a long look at a game the Avs were supposed to win, on paper...and they liked what they saw. No, really. In this edition, they look at how the Victory Green Gang righted the ship at home and took away the game Colorado wanted to play in their own barn. And, as always, they have ideas about how to make it continue, because something something Big Hockey Brains. You already know a big Nate MacKinnon game is coming. The question is, how do you prepare for it? We have answers...because we're Stargazing After Dark. And now you can, too, thanks to BetOnline. What's surprised you most about this series so far? For better or otherwise? Tell us about at Defending Big D – or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. Casters are waiting for your call. (Heed the suggestive saxophone riff. Listen to it.) And please throw us a rate, review or share if you're so inclined. It truly, truly makes our day. Thanks in advance.

The one period of Game 1 in which the Dallas Stars should have expected more goals than the Colorado Avalanche was overtime – i.e., the period in which they ultimately lost the match. It's just one of the infuriating twists that the postseason will throw at you, if you get that far. Settle down – this isn't a doomcast. But Wes and Mark do have some thoughts about line matchups, the important role of chaos, and whether the Stars should try to make the Avs' top line play every third shift and clean up on all the others. Maybe it's time for Mason Marchment to come back. It's definitely time for Stargazing After Dark. And it’s brought to you by BetOnline. What has you most hyped about Round 2 – for better or otherwise? Let’s talk about it at Defending Big D – or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. Casters are waiting for your call. (We even have a suggestive saxophone riff, so you know we mean it.) And if you throw us a rate, review or share, we'll clap like Nugget the Circus Seal. Thanks in advance.

The Dallas Stars have won their way into Round 2 – and a throwback series with their #MurderDeathKill Division siblings the Colorado Avalanche. (Or, if you prefer, from the 2023 Stanley Cup winners to the 2022 Stanley Cup winners.) This time, we welcomed Evan Liu of our 4Fans sister site Puck Yeti. He sat down with Wes and Mark for the usual roundtable about roster strengths and weaknesses, the pros and cons of a seven-game series versus a week of rest, and how each of our favorite teams will win, and lose. So who you got? Let’s talk about it. It’s Stargazing time – and it's brought to you by our buddies at BetOnline. What's on your mind concerning the Stanley Cup Playoffs so far? Share it in the comments, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the Default Font From The ’90s app. (We’re there for you. Really!) And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. We thank you kindly.

The Dallas Stars have staged a pretty amazing Round 1 comeback – and they have not one, but two opportunities to finish the job in the next few days. It hasn't always been pretty, and pretty hasn't always meant victory...but is this team for real? Really, really real? Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman are Stars fans, so they're always looking over their shoulders. But even they see the green shoots here. In this cast, they discuss: the new team the Stars are becoming before our eyes, Wyatt Johnston as a period-full-stop member of Dallas' core, the one (1) time plus-minus is actually a useful stat, and whether Logan Stankoven is about 40 NHL games away from scoring every time he gets the puck on his stick. When was the last time you heard that Jason Robertson is playoff-soft? We can't remember, either. Join us for Stargazing...After Dark. It's brought to you by BetOnline. What's on your mind, Stars-wise? Let’s talk about at Defending Big D – or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. Casters are waiting for your call. And please throw us a rate, review or share. It's actually pretty sad how much we live for it. (By the way, we do experience the occasional time-shifting anomaly. Let it be known that we recorded before this news broke. Listen to Stargazing, learn the future!)

The Dallas Stars don't need to do something extra, they just need to be who they are. That's how Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman see the state of play after the Victory Green Gang – against all odds, as it were –evened up Round 1 in Vegas on Tuesday night. In this episode, DBD's cast-masters bring the discussion on everything that matters – including Jake Oettinger's return to the best version of himself, the forward lines that just keep coming, the momentum that runs shift to shift but not game to game, and Craig Smith as secret sauce. What is this series doing in Round 1? It's a mystery. And this is Stargazing – brought to you by BetOnline. Does Logan Stankoven need to stop deferring? Let's talk about it at Defending Big D – or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. We’re here for you. And let us know if you're stuck in traffic on the way to Game 5! It may be a good time to rate, review and share. (Not if you're driving, though. That would be wrong.)

The Dallas Stars are in the series against the Golden Knights now, in large part because Wyatt Johnston can put the team on his back now that he's (almost) old enough to partake of adult beverages. But what will they need to quiet the house in Vegas again? Well, for starters, Wes and Mark would like a sixth defenseman who can get more than eight minutes a game. But they have a wish list, and they'll gladly share it with you – at the low, low price of about 36 minutes of your time. You can't sacrifice Round 1 while you're planning for Round 2. Play the game in front of you. Let's go Stargazing – brought to you, as always, by BetOnline. Who will you look to for a big game tonight? Let us know at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. We’re there. And hey, let us know if you actually use this as pregame listening! Also, your rate, review and/or share helps keep us alive. (No pressure.)

The Vegas Golden Knights have the opportunity to close out Round 1 on their own ice. The only thing that can stop them is the best team in the Western Conference. And yes, that's still the Dallas Stars. But the Victory Green Gang still needs to find a way to bring its best against a team that has committed to doing what it does best. Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman puzzle out what that might mean – whether taking more high-danger shots or reshuffling the forward lines. As a matter of fact, we did record this in the wash room during our lunch break. That's our story. And this...is Stargazing. Who's due to break through? Let us know at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on that one app that used to be the other app. We're here for you. And please, if you're inclined, honor our stupid commitment to this bit with a rate, review or share. Let's get through this together.

Whether you think the Dallas Stars have already lost this series, or already won it...you're right. Last night's narrow Game 1 defeat can support almost any preconceived narrative of your choice. So why even bother to watch the rest of them? ...Well, let's not go that far. Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman have had a few hours to assimilate everything, and they have thoughts. And takes. Takes, especially – on everything from officiating to special teams and from board battles to point shots (or lack thereof). Does Jake Oettinger need to do a miracle, or just the expected? It's time for Stargazing After Dark, and it's brought to you by BetOnline. Need to vent? Let us know at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on that one app that used to be the other app. Impress your friends and get a shout in our next cast! And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. You make us feel brand-new.

The Dallas Stars' Stanley Cup quest begins tonight. And Stars fans everywhere are both ecstatic and apprehensive that their team's first meeting is against last year's nemesis, the Vegas Golden Knights. How should one feel about that? ...No, really? For this assignment, Stargazing wanted to go straight to the source – so we sought out 4Fans' resident opposition expert. Tom Urtz Jr. is having a busy postseason, as both interim site manager of Knights On Ice and deputy managing editor of the New York Rangers site Blueshirt Banter. He sat down with Wes and Mark to talk rosters, storylines, and possible surprises for the first round. So who you got? Let's talk about it. It's Stargazing time! What are your hopes and fears for the first round? Share them in the comments, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the Default Font From The ’90s app. (We’re still there, but only for you.) And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. Hey, it's the playoffs. And we love you all more than ever.

The 2023-24 Dallas Stars really are that good. Is it OK to just enjoy it for a few days, for cryin' out loud? Here at Stargazing, we say...prrrrrrobably? Wes and Mark sat down on Eclipse Day 2024 to bask in the totality of the past week, good and bad. And as always, they have plenty to say about our Stars and what they have revealed to us. In this episode: How are the Stars preparing for the playoffs? <li>What can we say about Mavrik Bourque's debut?</li> <li>How will Pete DeBoer handle load management for Tyler Seguin?</li> <li>What happens when Daddy and Hak come back?</li> <li>And ever so much more.</li> So is it better to take on the Vegas Golden Knights earlier or later in the Stanley Cup playoffs? You know you've asked yourself the same question. Let's go Stargazing...for answers! We all have postseason thoughts. Share yours in the comments, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the Default Font From The ’90s app. (We’re still there! Well, for you we will be.) And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. We love you all, and we’ll love you even better during the playoffs.

The 2023-24 Dallas Stars are sitting on top of the world – or at least the Western Conference. Although you might be forgiven for not knowing it, because it seems hardly anybody wants to talk about a team with three (or four) scoring lines. That leaves a select few, including Wes and Mark, to find the discussion points in this particularly well-balanced version of the Victory Green Gang. And this week, they get a timely assist from Taylor Baird, NHL.com contributor and our own longtime editor-in-chief. In this episode: a big win in British Columbia – and a taste of the Stanley Cup fight on the horizon, the return of Playoffs Jake Oettinger, the long tail of the Bennaissance, and so very much more. The President's Trophy: a gift or a curse? (Bearing in mind that the last time the Stars won it, they also won the Cup.) Tell us in the comments, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts over on the Default Font From The ’90s app. (We’re still there, usually.) And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. We love you all, and we’ll love you even better during the playoffs.

The Dallas Stars are out for the last long road trip of the season. It's time to start talking about the Stanley Cup playoffs battles that are, at this point, certain to come. Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman are back from spring break, and they have plenty to discuss, mainly about the Stars' state of readiness for the fight ahead. What's going right? Where are the exploitable weaknesses? And how did GM Jim Nill do in preparing his squad for this moment? And finally, what's the secret sauce in the Seguin-Duchene-Marchment line, and why does it go away when any one of them does? We just might have figured it out. Don't tell us you don't want to know. Join us for some Stargazing. What do you want to see as the Stars take on one more West Coast swing? Tell us at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on that one app that used to be the other app. (Sure we're still there!) And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. We love you all, and we'll love you even better during the playoffs.

The Dallas Stars have pulled the trigger on a major trade-deadline move, and soon (no, really, soon) top-four blueliner Chris Tanev will wear Victory Green. So...anything else happen since last week? Oh, mercy. Wes and Mark have watched all of it, and they have...thoughts. And a few scorching-hot takes. Join us for a little Stargazing as they discuss the games just played, the schedule ahead, the incoming Logan Stankoven supremacy, and so very much more. Want to get in your final stretch-run predictions while they haven't been overtaken by events? Tell us here – or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on that one app that used to be the other app. Trust us, we've thought up worse. And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. You keep us alive.

The Dallas Stars have gotten used to scoring their way out of their troubles. So what do they do when the goals get fewer? Wes and Mark took a look at a long, long road week and found a few spots that the line blender might solve – and a few that the NHL trade deadline might help. Join us for a little pre-game Stargazing, won't you? Which forward lines would you like to roll? Tell us at Defending Big D – or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the birdy app. And don’t forget to rate, review and share. Thanks for the support.

The 2023-24 Dallas Stars are a team with expectations. But as a Dallas Stars fan, you still have to be this sad to ride – and the prospect of entering the Stanley Cup playoffs with holes in the defense may be the big comedown you've been waiting for. The NHL trade deadline is days away, and clearly, this is the point at which you need more players on the ice. So Wes and Mark took their own advice and called D Magazine contributor and Friend o' DBD Robert Tiffin, whose latest piece for StrongSide is the jumping-off point for their musings. In this episode: Do the Stars have to trade their future to close their Cup window? Is there any real downside to trading a first-round pick? Is Chris Tanev or Noah Hanifin really the answer? And which will kill the team first: cap or term? Hey, every time the Stars have gotten Jamie Oleksiak back, he's been a better player. We're just saying. And that's why we're Stargazing. Who's on your wish list for the Stars' next big swing? Tell us at Defending Big D – or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the birdy app. And don’t forget to rate, review and share. Thanks for the support.

The entire month of February is shaping up to be a Valentine to Dallas Stars fans. Just look at the past week, and the two weeks coming up. What can you say? Well, as it turns out, Wes and Mark have plenty to say. And in this episode of Stargazing, they cut loose on questions like this: Has Jim Nill underserved one of his own golden rules? And what will it do to the Stars' Stanley Cup hopes? When does Wyatt Johnston graduate from "good prospect" to "good NHL player"? Is Playoffs Jake Oettinger back in action? What can the Stars do – really do – if one of their defenders gets taken out by injury? For any length of time? What's the underreported cap issue that could shape the roster well into next season? And much, much more. Who's your dark-horse candidate for the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame? Let's talk about all of them at Defending Big D – or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the birdy app. And don't forget to rate, review and share. We love you best.