Jamie Benn’s appendectomy came just at the wrong time for the young Canadian, as it lead to his first all-star appearance being in doubt. However, Jamie had a very speedy and successful recovery and is now in Ottawa ahead of the all-star weekend, with the draft just taking place. The skills competition takes place tomorrow and the game itself takes place on Sunday, with Jamie Benn of the Stars featuring in both
Jamie Benn is the only player to represent the Stars at the event in Ottawa having caught the eye of a lot of people over the course of the season. He currently has 42 points this season, second on the Stars roster behind Loui Eriksson who has racked up 44. The Stars had several other all-star candidates in my view, with Loui Eriksson, Kari Lehtonen and potentially Sheldon Souray all having a decent shot at a spot on the roster.
The all-star break comes at a perfect time for the Stars as it gives them time to rest both physically and mentally. Mike Ribeiro returned from a knee injury to help the Stars beat the Ducks 1-0 on Tuesday, and the few days off should help his knee heal fully. Brendan Morrow was recently assigned to IR with a neck injury, and the break will give him an opportunity to get healthy for the crucial games to come.
After the all-star break is when the regular season really starts to hot up and teams make their pushes for playoff spots. The Stars currently sit 10th in the Western Conference and 3 points away from a playoff berth. If the Stars can gain a full and refreshed roster after the all-star break, I feel they have a very good chance of going on a decent winning streak and gaining a spot in the 2012 post season.
The Stars are next in action on Wednesday when travel out West to play the Ducks in a crucial divisional match up. Dallas face a tough February schedule which could determine the outcome of their season.
