Dallas Stars Need Foolproof Game Plan Against Avalanche
The Dallas Stars are one of the league’s best teams this season, yet one opponent continues to trip them up no matter what they do. That opponent is the Colorado Avalanche.
It’s getting to be ridiculous at this point. The Dallas Stars cannot beat the Colorado Avalanche, plain and simple. It’s been over two years since their last victory, when they fended off the Avs 3-2 on December 17, 2013. That was the year the Stars qualified for the NHL postseason after a five-year drought. In other words, it was quite a while ago.
Since that game, the Stars are 0-6-2 against the Avalanche. There’s just no stopping the bleeding at this point. In this season alone, the Stars are already 0-2-0, with a goal differential of -5 and a shot advantage of 76-43. Dallas has yet to put out a well-rounded performance against the Avalanche this season, and it is showing in the record.
The Dallas Stars are in the toughest division in the NHL right now. The Central Division currently owns three of the top four spots in the league standings. The caliber of talent between the teams in the Central is unmatchable for any other division. The Stars are doing rather well so far in divisional play as well, posting a record of 9-4-1.
But they just cannot seem to solve the Avalanche. Whether Colorado is first place in the division standings or struggling to stay afloat towards the bottom, they always find a way to defeat the Stars with ease. It’s rather frustrating for Stars fans, going into every game against the Avsm expecting a loss.
Last season, the Stars came very close on multiple occasions. On January 10, the Stars had a 2-0 lead after one period that ended in a 4-3 loss. On February 3, Dallas had a 2-0 lead with less than 14 minutes to go in the game. But the Avs tied it up and took it to 11 shootout rounds before they finally came out on top.
Finally, on February 27, the Stars and Avs traded punches with goal scoring. Dallas took a 4-3 lead with less than seven minutes to go, but Colorado once again tied it up and claimed victory in the shootout.
The problem with the Avs is that the Stars literally cannot find an answer for them. It’s been more than two years now, and no solution has come up. Sometimes the Stars play lazy or lacking enthusiasm, but sometimes they are on top of their game and still fall short. The goaltending could be exquisite for Dallas and Colorado’s would be a step better. Or the Stars might score five goals. The Avs will find a way to get six.
It’s like a broken record that just won’t stop no matter what you hit it with. Frustration continues to build and the Stars are about out of options. Whenever they try a certain tactic, the Avalanche are always one step ahead of their strategy.
So honestly, there is no definite solution for the Dallas Stars. They will just have to get into tomorrow night’s game and assess it as thoroughly and quickly as possible. If they want to win and break this hideous skid, they will need to figure out a game plan in-game. If history proves anything, it’s that the game will not be easy.
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Semyon Varlamov made a complete mockery out of the Stars two weekends ago when he went 42-43 between the pipes and earned first star honors. His offense only took a total of 15 shots, but somehow won the game 3-1. This is the kind of insanity that is taking place, people. Something needs to be done.
On Tuesday night, the Stars offense showed off remnants of its former self in a 5-3 pummeling of the Winnipeg Jets. Tyler Seguin scored two goals and broke out of his scoring slump. He’ll need to be on his game again tomorrow night, as well as all of the other Stars.
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The scary part is that the Colorado Avalanche are a very possible first round opponent for the Dallas Stars when the playoffs roll around, and it looks as though the Avs would have no trouble handling one of the Western Conference’s best teams. Please fix this Stars. Tomorrow night is your next chance.