In this edition of Dallas Stars News & Rumors: Joe Pavelski excels at All-Star weekend, the Texas Stars have a historic shootout, and Anton Khudobin is on the move again.
Captain America In Vegas
Joe Pavelski returned this week after serving as the Central Division captain in the 2022 NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas. Pavelski brought his two sons, who spent the weekend hanging and skating with the NHL’s best in what was surely an incredible experience for them.
While the weekend is all about having fun, Pavelski also put on quite the performance in both the skills competition and the game itself.
On Friday night [Feb. 4], he took part in a new challenge of the skills competition. The 21 in ‘22 challenge took players out of the rink and onto the Las Vegas strip. There, they played a gigantic game of blackjack, shooting pucks at large cards 30 yards away. Up against Auston Matthews, Nazem Kadri, Steven Stamkos, and Brady Tkachuk, Pavelski called out each shot and drilled every one of them to take home the crown.
In Saturday’s games, Pavelski led his Central Division team to the championship before ultimately losing to the Metropolitan Division. The victory was the third for the Metro since the 3-on-3 style began back in 2015.
In the two games, Pavelski tallied two goals and two assists. As the oldest player in the game (37 years), he showed the league that he is still among the elite.
Related: Stars Joe Pavelski Continues To Defy Age
“Awesome time this weekend,” Pavelski said. “Vegas crushed it.”
Texas Stars 12-Round Shootout
The Texas Stars lost 2-1 in a shootout to the Manitoba Moose on Feb. 6. However, it was what happened in the shootout that made this game special. After each team scored two goals in the first two rounds, the goaltenders stopped seven of the next nine shots and the stalemate continued into the 12th round. In the final round, Manitoba scored and Nick Caamano was unable to convert for Texas, who extended their point streak to six games.
Ty Dellandrea scored the lone Texas goal and added a shootout goal while Anthony Louis, Jordan Kawaguchi, and Rhett Gardner also scored in the shootout. Adam Scheel made 34 saves on 35 shots for the Stars and stopped seven of the 12 shootout attempts.
Stay tuned for a Dallas Stars prospect report coming soon
Anton Khudobin Sent Back To Minors
The road during the 2021-22 season has been a bumpy one for Anton Khudobin. After being bounced between the NHL, American Hockey League, ‘Taxi Squad’, and waivers, he has now found his place back with the Texas Stars in the AHL.
Related: What’s Next For Stars Goaltender Anton Khudobin?
Khudobin was called up to Dallas with the new rules allowing the infamous ‘Taxi Squad’ back into the picture. Due to injuries, he ended up playing in two games for Dallas but skated as an extra for most of his time. With the removal of the ‘Taxi Squad’ following the All-Star break, his status remained unchanged. Although Jake Oettinger and Braden Holtby have been inconsistent lately, he remains third on the depth chart.
Along with Khudobin, Dallas reassigned Rhett Gardner, Ty Dellandrea, and Thomas Harley from the Taxi Squad to the AHL.
The Stars take on the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night [Feb. 8] in their first game since the All-Star break. They are 5-5-0 in their last 10 and sit four points out of a playoff spot. Over the next 16 days, Dallas will play eight games, all against Central Division opponents.