👋 Good morning! - The NFL has spent years finding new “fun” and “creative” ways to strip the Pro Bowl of what made it special. I miss when it meant something, after the Super Bowl, in Hawaii, with the best players actually showing up and playing a real game. - Ali Jawad

Matt Duchene finally looked like the “feelin’ good” version again, and for two periods, the Stars looked like they were about to cruise.

Dallas’ power play hit like a sledgehammer, Mikko Rantanen was in his bag setting up chances, and Roope Hintz cashed in as the Stars sprinted to a 3-0 lead in St. Louis with all the momentum (and maybe, finally, a little puck luck) swinging their way.

Then the third period happened… and it got ugly fast. The Blues ripped the game right back open with a flurry, Dallas got sloppy in its own end, and a 3-0 cushion evaporated into a 3-3 tie that felt like a full-on horror movie for a team still searching for consistency.

One misread here, one turnover there, and suddenly it was chaos, panic clears, and St. Louis smelling blood.

But just when it looked like the Stars were about to let another one slip, they pulled the same “are you kidding me?” script again.

After a Blues icing, Dallas wins a clean draw, and Thomas Harley rips a late point shot that finds its way home for the dagger in a 4-3 win, the puck luck pendulum swinging back in the most poetic way possible.

Blown lead, messy finish, clutch heroics… and yep: these two teams absolutely need to see each other in the playoffs

The Cowboys’ defensive rebuild officially got rolling on Monday as new DC Christian Parker began putting his stamp on the staff, and Dallas didn’t waste any time.

It was TOTE THAT THANG Tuesday, and Ali Jawad was boots-on-the-ground at the East-West Shrine Game with intel and prospect buzz.

With the NBA trade deadline just over a week away, the Mavericks found themselves at a crossroads, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving were sidelined indefinitely, leaving Dallas short on star power for a real playoff push.

But with Cooper Flagg, Max Christie, Klay Thompson, and Naji Marshall keeping the play-in dream alive, the DLLS Mavs crew broke down Dallas’ deadline mindset, plus Marc Stein dropped in with the latest trade buzz.

The Rangers entered this time of year with the same reality as everyone else: big questions, bigger stakes, and a roster that looked nothing like the one that finished last season.

From a reshaped rotation and bullpen to an evolving lineup and young players forcing the issue, Texas had plenty of unknowns that could define the season, and the only answers were coming on the field.

For real.

Be sure to subscribe to our shows wherever you listen to your podcasts. Traffic can be the worst, and one of the best ways I get through it is by listening to the audio versions of our DLLS shows. You should, too!

Ali Jawad
Dallas Cowboys ​Content Creator/Newsletter Writer
[email protected]