Chickens on the Run: Game 25: Stars vs. Oilers

The Stars are starting to put something together. Am I buying into the hype that they are going to do well this season? No. Still, I am a bit surprised at who they have won against... and with that in mind, they then lose to teams that are lowly. Any given time, a team can win. Weird, yet true.

Stars to Watch:

Brad Richards: 21 points; 15 assists (0)
Mike Ribeiro: 20 points; 17 assists (-4)
Loui Eriksson: 20 points; 12 goals (7)
Mike Modano: 17 points (-1)
Marty Turco: 8-10-4 with a 3.48 GAA and a .874 SV%

With Eriksson having a +7 when he is on the ice, you want to keep him out there as long as possible... wouldn't it be nice to have him out there for 60 minutes? Yeah, it would be cool until he falls over from exhaustion. Here's a good note: Stars have won three of their last four.

Oilers to Watch:

Ales Hemsky: 24 points; 17 assists (0)
Sheldon Souray: 19 points; 11 assists (6)
Shawn Horcoff: 16 points; 10 assists (3)
Tom Gilbert: 12 points; 10 assists (2)
Dwayne Roloson: 4-4-2 with a 2.82 GAA and a .916 SV%

I'm not sure who will be the Oilers starting goalie. Roloson has started just under half the games... Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers has started 5 games and has done the best between the three goalie tandem.

Well, with sports statistical analysis, you are not supposed to let your personal feelings get in the way of who will win any given game. I tend to do that with the Rangers, actually, I do it a lot with the Texas Rangers... and right now, I am letting my frustration with the Stars cloud my thoughts of who will win. Forecast: I have posted for the last six Stars games, and I am beginning to feel like I am getting this hockey thing down. It doesn't mean I am an expert on hockey, to say the least, but I know enough now to know that I enjoy it. What I didn't say above is that the Oilers have lost three of their last four, with their last game against the Stars. The Stars are playing two days in a row, so they have a fatigue factor. Oilers win this one due to a higher energy level and better players. Score: 3-2.