Dallas Stars’ October Stretch: Keys to Success
The Dallas Stars are all but ready for the regular season to get underway. Here are some keys to help them have a successful first month of the regular season.
Getting the regular season off on the right foot is vital to having a successful season, just ask the 2015-16 Anaheim Ducks. A bad start makes the rest of the year infinitely more difficult than it needs to be and the timing couldn’t be worse as teams are more and more desperate as time passes.
The Dallas Stars have to make sure they’re in the group of successful starters if they wish to repeat their Central Division Title victory this season. A few things will get them there.
All Points Matter
The Stars, as well of the rest of the NHL, tend to have the misconception that the final stretch of the season is the most important time of the year. While heading into the postseason on the right foot is important, a good start to the season is arguably more vital.
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Winning those close, one-goal games early in the year may not seem like a big deal, but can be the difference-maker come season’s end. Being able to end a game with an empty net goal or take the extra point in overtime can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back between having home ice or traveling in the playoffs.
Those things matter because they contribute to possible Stanley Cup victories. That’s where this Dallas Stars team is at and that’s why they need to remember that all points matter.
Play Your System
Teams in the NHL who have the lead have an obvious advantage throughout the remainder of the game. Dallas is the same way. They’re a better team when they are sticking to their system and playing Lindy Ruff’s game as opposed to trying to counteract their opponent’s.
That means focusing on being offensive and utilizing their speed and skill up front, while also contributing defensively. That means depending on the man in net to make the first save, but helping him out to make the second.
Those kinds of things can change the make-up of the game and it’s something Dallas need not forget.
Know Your Opponent
While playing your team’s system is a vital component to success, it’s always a good idea to scope out your opposition beforehand.
Dallas plays only one Eastern Conference club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in the month of October. That means the seven other games they have in the opening weeks of the season are against more familiar teams of the Western Conference.
Although the politics of the East versus the West isn’t something to harp on too much, there is a different attitude between the two conferences. Again, Dallas shouldn’t tailor their game to the opposition, but it helps to know what style of play they’re up against before heading into it.
That means being aware of tendencies and studying the goaltenders for weaknesses. With all of the resources available in today’s NHL, the Stars should be focused on knowing everything they can to best defeat their competition.
Final Thoughts
The Dallas Stars are a talented team that should make the playoffs this year. However, just because something should happen doesn’t mean it will.
They still have to put in the blood, sweat and tears to surpass expectations and turn their regular season into a deep playoff run. That all starts with a solid performance in the opening month of October.