Dallas Stars Fans: No Worries, January Is Over
By Josh Clark
It’s all over. Not only did the Dallas Stars win their final game of the month on Monday night, but they finally put an ugly January performance to rest. Here’s to a solid and more consistent February.
As the final seconds ticked down on December 31, 2015 and officially ended the 2015 year, can you recall what you were doing? Some of you may have been indulging in a party somewhere. Or maybe you were snagging a kiss just as the ball dropped and the clock struck midnight? Heck, you might have even been like me and were driving home from the Dallas Stars 5-1 win against the Nashville Predators at the AAC.
Amongst all those options, there is one thing that I doubt any of you were doing. That one thing is making resolutions. Not to say that each and every one of you is a terrible person who is satisfied with the way you are living and never want to see any improvement. But when that clock hits zero, most aren’t thinking about ways to better their life. They are simply living in the fun and in the moment.
Most resolutions are made before New Year’s Day comes along or the day or two after January 1st. But the Dallas Stars seem to have waited a month to pinpoint their flaws and plan out how to solve them.
The Stars kicked off the month of January with a road trip to the New York area for games with the Devils, Islanders, and Rangers. Sadly, none of these games turned out as victories, and three straight losses was met with confusion from a Stars fan base that had just witnessed their team win six of its previous nine games.
The skid halted for a moment as the Stars returned home and fended off the Winnipeg Jets for a 2-1 victory, but immediately started back up two days later when the Stars dropped a narrow 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild.
The losing streak raged on after a five-day break when the Dallas Stars went winless in a three-game visit to California.
After the roller coaster continued on and on, it finally came to a halt last night and ended on a peak instead of a valley. The Stars defeated the Calgary Flames by a score of, you guessed it, 2-1. All of the Stars wins in January were by a one-goal margin.
The victory capped the Stars January record off at 3-6-2, their worst monthly finish of the year. Their next closest record was in December at 9-3-3. So, it was not a good month.
But the bight side of all of this is that January is out the door for the Dallas Stars. As Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Lindy Ruff pack their bags and head for the NHL All-Star Game in Nashville, TN, the rest of the team earns a seven-day break. Their next game is on February 2nd in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The resolutions were rather stale for the Stars this January. Hopefully the rest of 2016 is more charitable.
More stars: Stars Struggles In January Could Be Crucial To Future Success
Overall, the month of January taught the Stars that they are not indestructible. At the end of December, the Stars were 28-8-3. They were first place in the Central Division, Western Conference, and NHL as a whole. They have fallen from all three of those positions in the past month. While they are close to scooping themselves back up into at least two of those, anything can happen.
The Stars took a severe reality check to the head this past month that reminded them that they are in the middle of a fight just like everyone else. This whole playoff berth thing is earned, not given. A strong start and weak finish to a season does not mean that the postseason is still attainable.
Next: Stars Burn Flames To The Ground 2-1
The Dallas Stars should take a sigh of relief that January is officially in the books. It was a tough month, and hopefully a learning experience for the players, coaches, and fans. Let’s just hope that the Stars have toughened up, because February is coming in hot and looks to be the Stars most difficult challenge yet.