DavidCastilloAC
@davidcastillo.bsky.social
A he/him fan of sports violence, science fiction, sanctuary pigs, Terry Eagleton's prose, and Andy Gibb's guitar.
https://linktr.ee/davidcastilloac
https://linktr.ee/davidcastilloac
Postgame recap of a totally ridiculous game. dcastillo.substack.com/p/stray-obse...
Stray Observations (Game 53): Dallas barely survives St. Louis and random bounces in 4-3 win
I don't know what that was either.
dcastillo.substack.com
January 28, 2026 at 4:35 AM
Postgame recap of a totally ridiculous game. dcastillo.substack.com/p/stray-obse...
St. Louis lucksacks into an opportunity, but they did not lucksack into that goal. Tough break for Dallas, but three unanswered goals is unacceptable.
January 28, 2026 at 3:31 AM
St. Louis lucksacks into an opportunity, but they did not lucksack into that goal. Tough break for Dallas, but three unanswered goals is unacceptable.
Surprised by that. The overhead view really made it seem offside. (Although these suck in general)
January 28, 2026 at 3:04 AM
Surprised by that. The overhead view really made it seem offside. (Although these suck in general)
Absolutely saucework on that pass by Mikko Rantanen.
January 28, 2026 at 2:08 AM
Absolutely saucework on that pass by Mikko Rantanen.
(Obviously) Too early to determine the chemistry with Justin Hyrckowian on the line with Johnston and Rantanen, but early returns look very not bad. Hyrckowian doesn't seem to be struggling with their routes.
January 28, 2026 at 1:23 AM
(Obviously) Too early to determine the chemistry with Justin Hyrckowian on the line with Johnston and Rantanen, but early returns look very not bad. Hyrckowian doesn't seem to be struggling with their routes.
I still don't understand the Tsyplakov move. I get it. You have an underperforming rookie who appears to have forgotten how to play. So instead you take on a contract for a veteran making twice as much who appears to have forgotten how to play?
January 28, 2026 at 1:09 AM
I still don't understand the Tsyplakov move. I get it. You have an underperforming rookie who appears to have forgotten how to play. So instead you take on a contract for a veteran making twice as much who appears to have forgotten how to play?
The Buffalo Sabres, and figuring out if they have the juice or not to make the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
sticksandsalvos.substack.com/p/regressing...
sticksandsalvos.substack.com/p/regressing...
Regressing To What Mean (?): Unpacking the Buffalo Sabres
Are they for real? Or is it just the PDO?
sticksandsalvos.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 5:18 PM
The Buffalo Sabres, and figuring out if they have the juice or not to make the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
sticksandsalvos.substack.com/p/regressing...
sticksandsalvos.substack.com/p/regressing...
My latest (Dallas Stars): A half-hearted defense of Sam Steel, because the current roster offers a lot less forward chemistry than it appears.
dcastillo.substack.com/p/watching-t...
dcastillo.substack.com/p/watching-t...
Watching The Spreadsheets: A modest defense of Sam Steel, and why Steel's placement is about more than Steel
He's not a top line forward. But Dallas may not have anyone else.
dcastillo.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 5:16 PM
My latest (Dallas Stars): A half-hearted defense of Sam Steel, because the current roster offers a lot less forward chemistry than it appears.
dcastillo.substack.com/p/watching-t...
dcastillo.substack.com/p/watching-t...
Today's edition of Stars Stuff: home ice, how much it matters if Dallas loses it, Jason Robertson still being an average shooter despite hitting 30 goals just 52 games into the season, programming notes, and more!
dcastillo.substack.com/p/stars-stuf...
dcastillo.substack.com/p/stars-stuf...
Stars Stuff: Home ice advantage under threat, Jason Robertson's modest heater (yes modest), and revisiting PDO
Stay warm!
dcastillo.substack.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Today's edition of Stars Stuff: home ice, how much it matters if Dallas loses it, Jason Robertson still being an average shooter despite hitting 30 goals just 52 games into the season, programming notes, and more!
dcastillo.substack.com/p/stars-stuf...
dcastillo.substack.com/p/stars-stuf...
Postgame recap of a Dallas Stars game in which Jason Robertson and Dallas' power play took center stage.
dcastillo.substack.com/p/stray-obse...
dcastillo.substack.com/p/stray-obse...
Stray Observations (Game 52): Jason Robertson keeps proving Bill Guerin wrong with Dallas 3-2 win over St. Louis
An early-season looking win.
dcastillo.substack.com
January 24, 2026 at 4:04 AM
Postgame recap of a Dallas Stars game in which Jason Robertson and Dallas' power play took center stage.
dcastillo.substack.com/p/stray-obse...
dcastillo.substack.com/p/stray-obse...
lol This whole shift has been an octagon.
January 24, 2026 at 2:24 AM
lol This whole shift has been an octagon.
Perfect timing with the Mitch Marner return.
January 24, 2026 at 12:24 AM
Perfect timing with the Mitch Marner return.
Postgame recap of a solid Dallas Stars performance against a (unfortunately) perfect goalie. Short recap because it's been easier to plug everything I've done the last few days.
dcastillo.substack.com/p/stray-obse...
dcastillo.substack.com/p/stray-obse...
Stray Observations (Game 51): Dallas gets shutout by Jet Greaves in 1-0 Columbus loss
Solid effort. Familiar result this month.
dcastillo.substack.com
January 23, 2026 at 2:50 AM
Postgame recap of a solid Dallas Stars performance against a (unfortunately) perfect goalie. Short recap because it's been easier to plug everything I've done the last few days.
dcastillo.substack.com/p/stray-obse...
dcastillo.substack.com/p/stray-obse...
Wyatt Johnston with the Datsyuk juice.
January 23, 2026 at 1:18 AM
Wyatt Johnston with the Datsyuk juice.
Still have zero idea why defenders do that. "If I shove the opponent hard into the goalie, perhaps it will break their fall." No. The fall is breaking the goalies!
January 23, 2026 at 1:13 AM
Still have zero idea why defenders do that. "If I shove the opponent hard into the goalie, perhaps it will break their fall." No. The fall is breaking the goalies!
Great shift by Wyatt Johnston putting on the Tanooki Suit alongside Matt Duchene. No goal out of it, but great work.
January 23, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Great shift by Wyatt Johnston putting on the Tanooki Suit alongside Matt Duchene. No goal out of it, but great work.
Robertson-Hintz-Bourque continue to be the lone candle in the dark in terms of consistency and possession. Probably not the long term solution, but that was a fantastic shift.
January 23, 2026 at 12:31 AM
Robertson-Hintz-Bourque continue to be the lone candle in the dark in terms of consistency and possession. Probably not the long term solution, but that was a fantastic shift.
Zach Werenski makes a meal out of Dallas' fourth line + Petrovic/Lundkvist pair and Columbus is up 1-0.
January 23, 2026 at 12:26 AM
Zach Werenski makes a meal out of Dallas' fourth line + Petrovic/Lundkvist pair and Columbus is up 1-0.
Reposted by DavidCastilloAC
New PDOcast with @davidcastillo.bsky.social:
•Deep diving the Dallas Stars
•Their spot in the Central + the best use of the rest of the regular season
•Glass half full vs. empty view of their underlying metrics offensively
•Finding Thomas Harley's partner
•Trade deadline scenarios
bit.ly/4jRF1x3
•Deep diving the Dallas Stars
•Their spot in the Central + the best use of the rest of the regular season
•Glass half full vs. empty view of their underlying metrics offensively
•Finding Thomas Harley's partner
•Trade deadline scenarios
bit.ly/4jRF1x3
Deep Diving the Dallas Stars | The Hockey PDOcast
Get more from The Hockey PDOcast on Patreon
bit.ly
January 22, 2026 at 7:58 PM
New PDOcast with @davidcastillo.bsky.social:
•Deep diving the Dallas Stars
•Their spot in the Central + the best use of the rest of the regular season
•Glass half full vs. empty view of their underlying metrics offensively
•Finding Thomas Harley's partner
•Trade deadline scenarios
bit.ly/4jRF1x3
•Deep diving the Dallas Stars
•Their spot in the Central + the best use of the rest of the regular season
•Glass half full vs. empty view of their underlying metrics offensively
•Finding Thomas Harley's partner
•Trade deadline scenarios
bit.ly/4jRF1x3
Always a ton of fun to do these with @dimfilipovic.bsky.social. Today we went down the proverbial rabbit hole trying to figure out exactly who the Dallas Stars are, and the difference between the glass being half-full versus half-empty.
www.patreon.com/posts/deep-d...
www.patreon.com/posts/deep-d...
Deep Diving the Dallas Stars | The Hockey PDOcast
Get more from The Hockey PDOcast on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Always a ton of fun to do these with @dimfilipovic.bsky.social. Today we went down the proverbial rabbit hole trying to figure out exactly who the Dallas Stars are, and the difference between the glass being half-full versus half-empty.
www.patreon.com/posts/deep-d...
www.patreon.com/posts/deep-d...
Reposted by DavidCastilloAC
My latest: Understanding the Dallas Stars forwards through Corey Sznajder's data, and why offense at even-strength is so hard to come by.
dcastillo.substack.com/p/into-the-w...
dcastillo.substack.com/p/into-the-w...
Into The Weeds: What Corey Sznajder's tracking data can tell us about the Dallas Stars' forwards, for better and for worse
It's time for some answers.
dcastillo.substack.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:49 PM
My latest: Understanding the Dallas Stars forwards through Corey Sznajder's data, and why offense at even-strength is so hard to come by.
dcastillo.substack.com/p/into-the-w...
dcastillo.substack.com/p/into-the-w...
Reposted by DavidCastilloAC
So, why *have* the Stars been so bad lately?
I dispatched the smartest analytical mind covering them, @davidcastillo.bsky.social, to rank every reason behind their slump. This is the piece to read to understand what's going wrong:
www.dmagazine.com/sports/2026/...
I dispatched the smartest analytical mind covering them, @davidcastillo.bsky.social, to rank every reason behind their slump. This is the piece to read to understand what's going wrong:
www.dmagazine.com/sports/2026/...
Why Have the Stars Been So Bad? Let’s Rank the Reasons
There's no one answer for why things have gone so wrong. But one factor does stand above the rest.
www.dmagazine.com
January 22, 2026 at 3:29 PM
So, why *have* the Stars been so bad lately?
I dispatched the smartest analytical mind covering them, @davidcastillo.bsky.social, to rank every reason behind their slump. This is the piece to read to understand what's going wrong:
www.dmagazine.com/sports/2026/...
I dispatched the smartest analytical mind covering them, @davidcastillo.bsky.social, to rank every reason behind their slump. This is the piece to read to understand what's going wrong:
www.dmagazine.com/sports/2026/...
My other latest! Looking at the 12-game bad patch for the Dallas Stars, and which of the reasons for their losses we can expect to see go away, and which might linger. www.dmagazine.com/sports/2026/...
Why Have the Stars Been So Bad Lately? Let’s Rank the Reasons
There's no one answer for why things have taken a turn for the worse. But one factor does stand above the rest.
www.dmagazine.com
January 22, 2026 at 3:34 PM
My other latest! Looking at the 12-game bad patch for the Dallas Stars, and which of the reasons for their losses we can expect to see go away, and which might linger. www.dmagazine.com/sports/2026/...