Reality (Cross) Check

Make no doubt about it, the Stars (@dallasstars) are taking way too many penalties.  In what turned out to be an amazing night for the team and new owner Tom Gaglardi, a very dis concerning habit is starting to arise.  When reviewing the players who are leading the team in minor penalties: Morrow, Souray (@SSouray) and Benn, along with someone you would think would be near the top of the penalty list, Steve Ott (@otter2nine) there are 59 penalties between the four.  Of the 59, I focused on what I consider "out of position" penalties (hooking, interference, holding and tripping).  The aforementioned players have taken a total of 26 "out of position" penalties.  That's 44.1% of the 59 total.  I'll give Sheldon Souray the benefit of the doubt being a defenseman...where it's more common to take those kinds of penalties, but out of his 16 counted penalties, seven of them were out of position, for a 45% clip.  Otter...the aggressor has a total of 9 penalties, of which TWO are out of position sins.  A minuscule 22.2% for Steve...now granted, he's got a fighting major and two misconducts...but it's Otter and that's why we love him.

The area that is most concerning is the captain and the one whom most would peg as his potential "C" replacement, Jamie Benn.  Brenden leads the team with 20 penalties, of which I counted nine "out of position," for a percentage of 43.8%.  THREE of them came during last night's victory against Edmonton and of the three, the second penalty, a hooking call, negated a Stars power play 10 seconds in.  The future leader of the team, Benn has committed eight "out of position" penalties out of his total of 14, accounting for 57.1%!!  Again, I am taking it easy on Benn because he's young, he's a fireball when he's on the ice which has a tendency to cause for a loss of emotions and position.  Morrow, however, I'm not so easy on.  Wearing the "C" is an incredible honor given to a singular person on the team...he's to set the tone...lead by example and be there to be the team's voice with the officials.  Well, if you're voicing your concern to the refs from the penalty box, it's considered bitching.  NHL (@NHL) referees don't like that.  At. All.  You can't lead by example when out of your 19-22 minutes of ice time, four to eight of those minutes are spent in solitary confinement.

I suppose one could make the case that with the new coach comes the new system to learn.  But, I can't say I buy into that.  Most of Morrow's "out of positions" have come since the five-game skid began against Pittsburgh.  Besides, we're twenty games into the season.  Almost 25% of the games have been played (sad way to think of it).  I've watched this team practice with a fire and determination that was sorely missing late in the season last year.  Gaglardi mentioned a plaque that hangs in his father's office that perhaps should make it's way to The Room: Excuses are for those who make them.  Great win last night, boys.  But we need to clean things up.