October is over for the Dallas Stars. They're sitting comfortably near the Central Division's top spot. They have an appointment on the world stage with the 2024 Stanley Cup champions. And this may not even be as good as it gets this season. So...what's wrong with this picture? As we wait with bated breath for the NHL Global Series, Wes and Mark to…

The Dallas Stars begin their regular season today! It's the perfect time to talk about (almost) everything that could go wrong. Wes and Mark have something of a feel for adversity, and in Stargazing's annual Doomcast, they let most of their darkest thoughts roam free in the pre-Halloween hellscape. We do have rules, sort of. We'll never include inj…

As of this posting, the Dallas Stars are 3-0 in the 2024-25 preseason. And here we were thinking Victory+ might be the best thing to come out of September. It's a great environment for Stargazing's annual Brightside Cast, and Wes and Mark are definitely feeling it this year. In this edition, they talk about: the Stars' preseason style and what it m…

It's September, and the Dallas Stars are back on the ice. You can almost smell the "Mr. Brightside" in the air, can't you? Wes and Mark are firing up the Victory+ and getting ready to watch some hockey. And on the eve of the Stars' preseason opener, they have so, so, so much to share with you. In this episode, they discuss: how the new contracts fo…

We made it! September is here, and as if by magic, the wait for more Dallas Stars hockey has grown ever so much shorter. It's time to start making appointments. Or setting alarms. Your choice. Wes and Mark check the milestones up ahead and point out the landmarks you don't want to miss: the Traverse City NHL Prospect Tournament training camp, and t…

Summer means fun, and fun starts with the youngsters. And as Dallas Stars fans, we're all about the kids in the team's development system. Who's ready for the big league? Who's still cooking? Derek Neumeier, assistant director of scouting with McKeen's Hockey and longtime Friend of DBD, is back on the mic with Wes and Mark. With th 2024 NHL Draft o…

The 2024 NHL Draft is over, free agency is in full swing, and the Dallas Stars are right in the thick of it. But are they making the moves that will matter next season? NHL.com contributor and DBD editor-in-chief Taylor Baird joined Wes and Mark on the first day of silly season to sort through the Stars action. On this week's episode of Stargazing,…

The Dallas Stars had a good postseason showing. They took down the past two Stanley Cup champions before injuries, exhaustion, and the risks of playing five defensemen caught up to them. Now it's time to think about what the summer will hold. In our final 2024 episode of Stargazing After Dark, Wes and Mark discuss the issues that may be keeping you…

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 l…

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 #MurderD…

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 p…

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 likeliho…

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 wi…

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…

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 roundt…

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 th…

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 – includi…

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 mi…

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 a…

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 everythin…

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' reside…

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 …

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-bal…

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 righ…

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 discu…

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 l…

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 …

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…

The Dallas Stars have had an interesting February so far, and they haven't even hit the most interesting part of their schedule. We're probably not the first people to point out how much of a test this month will be – but we can belabor the point with the best of them. That's one reason why Wes and Tyler settled in to talk about how it started, how…

It's All-Star Week – or is it more of an All-Star Long Weekend? – in the AHL. And the Texas Stars sent a four-member contingent to join the festivities, including their head coach, the league's two biggest scorers, and the presumptive Rookie of the Year, who's also a likely league MVP. It's a lot to take in, especially for a team that started the s…

you do with your January? Wes and Mark decided to do some cookin'...and now they're ready to talk recipes. Stargazing is back with a vengeance, and in this episode, we discuss: Jake Oettinger, All-Star, and whether he's set to play like one, how to make sure Miro Heiskanen is ready to be a tank in the playoffs the defensive developments that could …

Barely beat a bad team. Blow the doors off a bad team. Barely lose to a bad team. Then blow a lead and lose to a really good team in overtime. The Dallas Stars have had a pretty remarkable New Year's week. Wes and Mark are ready to start 2024 with a bang, so they're unloading some of their best analysis and barely-digestible hot takes in this week'…

Happy New Year...'s Eve weekend! Our Dallas Stars will end 2023 with a home-and-home against the Chicago Blackhawks, and the holiday mood is pervasive. (All that red and green! Festive, right?) Wes and Mark feel like celebrating, but they always have an eye out for anything that could spoil the party. In this episode, they discuss: what these Stars…

The Dallas Stars pulled off a Festivus miracle last night, so of course Stargazing needs to complain about something. Of course. Kidding, sort of – but Wes and Mark always have an eye on where the puck will be next, and they've already moved on to the next worry. In this episode, they discuss: the netminding situation, and why Jim Nill should leave…

The Dallas Stars have a few December problems. Do they need to figure them out before March? For a team with the Victory Green Gang's ambitions – and limitations – it's a pretty important question. Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman got together this morning to talk about everything from the state of the Central Division to the fun going on out West, …

It's been an interesting December so far for the Dallas Stars. They've blown out, and they've been blown out. They've won and lost in close games. The schedule has given us mirror images of the same team. How do they find their way back to consistency? Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman sat down to talk about the current state of play, and we have a h…

The past month has been a wild ride against some strong teams, and the real questions keep getting...realer. What's a Dallas Stars fan to focus on? Wes and Mark are listening, and they're talking, too. They'll help you catch up – or at least give you something to argue with. What are you thinking these days? Let us know here – or DM us @WesALawrenc…

It's a good thing the Dallas Stars keep winning games, or you might be worried about them. Here at Stargazing, we're happy to do the worrying for you, which is where Wes and Mark come in. Our MP3 heroes met up before a game in Vancouver that could be the scoring bonanza of the season to date. Get their all their hot takes, considered observations, …

The 2023-23 Texas Stars may boast more genuine blue-chip prospects than they've ever had. They also have a diminished veteran presence and may struggle to reach the AHL playoffs. What shall we make of this conundrum? No reporter knows the Cedar Park system better than 100 Degree Hockey founder Stephen Meserve. And in this sit-down with Mark, he onc…

The Dallas Stars endured their first regulation loss of the season last week. So yeah, it feels like a lot right now, because they're supposed to win all the time. You might like to think that the guys who gleefully post a regular Doomcast would be ready to pounce. But Wes and Mark have taken a much more measured approach – and we think you will, t…

The Dallas Stars haven't lost a single game in regulation in the 2023-24 season to date. They've gotten seven of eight available points. But don't worry – there's still plenty to keep a True Fan awake at night. Wes and Mark hear your cries, and that's only one reason why they're introducing a new gimmick feature for our humble puckcast. In this edi…

Some of us just like to enjoy a beverage and watch a Dallas Stars game – and that's just fine. But others want to understand how players affect the game and the team around them...and that's where math comes in. For this edition of Stargazing, D Magazine's David Castillo – who's also a longtime DBD contributor – sat down with Wes Lawrence to take t…

The 2023-24 NHL season is officially underway, and the Dallas Stars have emerged as heavy betting favorites for a strong run in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Therefore, every Stars fan should reflexively flinch and prepare for incoming fire. Here at Stargazing, we believe in embracing the fear as a way to reduce its demonic power over us. That’s why We…

It's that time of year when every team is undefeated and everything still seems possible. And here at Stargazing, we like where we're at. That's why Wes and Mark sat down late last week for their annual Mssrs. Brightside buddy act. And they found a lot to be positive about. In this episode, they discuss: the reasons why the defense may be better th…

Victory Green is back on the ice, and the Dallas Stars prospects are already putting up W's. Surely, this means this team is a juggernaut that's going straight to the Stanley Cup Final. Unless it doesn't. Wes and Mark are trying to find that balance between unreasonable optimism and ice-cold reality. You decide if it's working. In this episode: How…

Hockey season is days away, and we really mean it this time. As we count the hours toward the 2023 Traverse City Prospects Tournament – the officially unofficial kickoff to the Dallas Stars' season – which dates should we watch? And what are we missing? Never fear – Wes Lawrence and Tyler Mair have devoted an entire podcast to these burning questio…

The days grow short when you reach September, as the poet wrote. And as hockey season bears down on us like an out-of-control semi, life is going to come at you pretty fast, as another poet suggested. With that in mind, Wes and Mark are wasting no time in testing out their takes for the coming Dallas Stars season. In this episode: Is this the deepe…

The Dallas Stars have made some notable moves on this summer’s free-agent market, but so far the biggest headlines have surrounded GM Jim Nill. With a brand-new Jack Adams Award under his belt and two more years helming the ship in his future, that seems appropriate. Wes and Mark certainly thought so, and now they want to talk about why. In this ed…

When you don't have a first-round draft pick, you have to get creative. Arguably, getting creative is what the Dallas Stars have done best for the past several years. Where has that left the team's player pipeline? Friend of DBD Derek Neumeier, assistant director of scouting with McKeen's Hockey, sat down with Taylor Baird and Mark Zimmerman to dis…

The Dallas Stars' season has ended, as all seasons do, and now it's time to start looking to what comes next. Tyler Mair, who's been assessing individual performances in his DBD Player Grades series, joined Mark Zimmerman to examine the Stars' present (and future?) roster. In this episode: How will the team bolster the forward corps? What are the m…