Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News answered some questions for the fans...

Mike, explain to me what happened. The Stars hired Jim Nill who favored the puck possession style that made the Red Wings so successful. They were one of the most entertaining teams in the league even when they lost. I remember the then coach of the Blues saying this is the future of the NHL.

Two glaring weaknesses needed to be addressed: goaltending and a defensive defenseman. These problems were addressed with the Ben Bishop and Marc Methot signings.

The Stars then hired the dump and chase, goals don't matter, boring style coach.

Was this decision made by Tom Gaglardi?

Heika: I think the owner had a hand in the decision, but the GM had to approve. Ken Hitchcock defends his style as a lot like what Pittsburgh runs or Tampa Bay or Nashville. He said he wants an aggressive offensive plan of attack that pushes the puck into the offensive zone and relies heavily on forwards winning puck battles to keep the puck in the offensive zone.

It's not that different from Detroit in theory. The Red Wings controlled the puck with skill, the Stars want to control the puck with work. They both want to spend a lot of time in the offensive end. Hitch does not like to hear that he coaches boring hockey.

The key to what he does is it requires a lot of work and talent in the forward group, and he might not have that just yet. There is a real chance that if he stays and has better talent in the forward group, his team will look a lot less boring.

Of course, that's all in theory.

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