Dallas Stars January Skid May Be Key To Success

The Dallas Stars have endured a rather uneventful beginning to January 2016. But there could be something positive coming from this. The Stars recent history has proven that a January skid could be beneficial to the rest of their season.

The Dallas Stars conclude their three-game California road trip tomorrow night in a date with the Los Angeles Kings. This is the first time the Stars will take on the Kings this year, with two more meetings coming later in the season.

While the Kings are looking for another two points to widen their lead in the Pacific Division, the Stars are simply looking for their second win of 2016.

After a 2015 calendar year that was much too generous to a dedicated and threatening Dallas Stars club, 2016 just is not going their way so far. The Stars are currently 1-4-2 since January 1st and have squandered their position in multiple standings.

On January 1st, the Stars sat first place in the entire NHL. Even with a strong December push from the Washington Capitals, Dallas found a way to hold their ground and remain atop the league. As the January games began to pass by, it was clear that something was wrong with the Stars.

The Dallas Stars kicked off 2016 with three straight losses in their road trip to the New York area. This was the first time the Stars had experienced a losing streak all season. During the span, they were outscored 15-9.

Dallas was able to salvage a win upon returning home for the first time in 2016 when they held off the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. Though the win looked as though it may be a turning point, the Stars jumped back into the loss column and have dropped their last three.

As a result, the Stars have not only given away their lead in the NHL, but also their lead in the Western Conference and Central Division. The Stars now sit third place in the league and second in their conference and division.

It’s clearly a hostile time in Dallas and something needs to be changed before it’s too late. The rest of the league seems to be getting along fine, leaving the Stars minimal room for error. But a skid to kick off the New Year could be just what the Dallas Stars need.

As crazy as it may sound, the Stars could be benefitting from this slump.

In 2014-2015, there were a lot of months that were ungracious to the Stars, including a seven game losing streak from late October to early November, a four game losing streak in January, and a six game losing streak in late February. When all of these losing streaks are mixed together, it makes it near impossible for a team to come back and qualify for the postseason, which the Dallas Stars did not.

But rewind one more year to 2013-2014, the most recent year that the Stars made the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With a new colors, new jerseys, and a new team built primarily with youth, the Stars looked like they may be in rebuild mode. After five straight years of narrowly missing the postseason, some things had to change.

The only thing is the Stars did not go for rebuild. Instead, they shocked the NHL with their talent and clenched the final wild card spot for a berth in the NHL playoffs.

Surprisingly enough, those Dallas Stars also went through a treacherous January slate. Only theirs was much worse. The Stars started the year 2014 with a repulsive record of 1-8-1. It became almost unbearable to tune in for what almost seemed like an assured loss every night throughout the first three weeks of January. Yet the Stars still found a way to qualify for the postseason push.

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The playoff hunt came down to the wire between the Stars and Coyotes, but Dallas ultimately prevailed with 91 points. This was a team that is in no comparison to the caliber that the Stars currently run on offense, defense, and in the net.

So far in 2016, the Dallas Stars have yet to completely look like their old selves. But their fast start is helping counter the slump, and that’s something that they can rest their faith in, though not for too long.

The truth is, every team hits a slump throughout the course of a season. It’s inevitable. The Montreal Canadiens, who began the season with a dominant lead on the entire NHL, have now fallen to 13th place in the league. The Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the Eastern Conference last season, were out of a playoff spot just two weeks back. They now sit in third place in their division and are five points from first.

Every team has a down period, and the Dallas Stars are currently navigating through what will hopefully be their only one of the season. It will take time for them to build it back up, but with the firepower they possess, it should not be an unbearable task.

Next: Stars Dangerously Close To Continuing Descent Down Standings

This slump could mean that the Stars will not end up winning their Division or snagging the President’s Trophy. But in the end, those trophies are not crucial. All that matters is that the Stars qualify for the postseason. At this point in the year, that looks almost guaranteed. Stay tuned.