Dallas Stars Shouldn’t Be Afraid To Get Scrappy
The Dallas Stars fared much better against Winnipeg than Columbus because they ditched their quest for perfection and realized that hard work starting up the ice is what makes for a good goal.
You’ve heard the old adage that there is no “I” in the word team, and there’s no “u” either. But I would like to submit to you that “scrappy,” somehow, plays a much more vital role in the outworking of that word.
The Stars have had their ups and downs focusing on production from individual team members. It’s carried them for a while, placing emphasis on the young new players or the seasoned veterans. With such a big chunk of the Stars’ offense out and hopefully on the mend, the idea that there is no “i” in team becomes even more prevalent.
The reason the Stars went on to earn the two points in Dallas on Tuesday was their recognition of the holistic efforts needed to produce a goal. If I’m throwing around maxims, here’s another one for you: no man is an island. The Stars have had nights where entire team couldn’t achieve island-status, either. So what changed to make their teamwork more successful in their last win?
Okay, one more wise saying and I’ll let it be: It’s not what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside that counts. Somewhere in Tuesday’s game, the Stars figured out that a goal is a goal is a goal, and that the prettiest goals are usually the ones that never come to be. They stopped waiting for the perfect look at the net to smack them in the face and they made their own opportunities.
How did they make these so-called opportunities, you ask? In their own zone with clear thinking, at the boards with physical aggression, and at their opponent’s net with tenacity. Let me break that down for you with a little object lesson example.
Let’s look at Brett Ritchie’s game opening goal against Winnipeg. In this goal, Antti Niemi’s saves were crucial in getting the puck back on the Stars’ sticks and creating that chance. Without his smart decisions in goal, the puck might have stayed in the Stars zone and first blood may have been drawn by the Jets instead.
Once Niemi had done his part, it was time for the rest of the team to contribute and they did so by getting scrappy and aggressive along the boards. You’ll notice that Devin Shore and Ritchie do some great footwork in retaining possession in some iffy situations along the boards. While the Stars can oftentimes lose the puck when the traffic gets thick in those situations, these guys remained confident and were not afraid to stake their claim on the puck and fend off any challengers. And the result was beautiful.
In Patrick Eaves’ 100th career goal (and the Stars’ second of the night), tenacity at the net absolutely made that goal. You’ll see that Klingberg and Dowling get to the net first. Several deflections don’t discourage them, though, and some scrappy fighting for possession close to the net ends in retaining puck possession and a beautiful goal from Eaves, made possible of course by that stunning leap from Klinger.
So, morally of the story here? The Stars have found the formula for scoring, but they can’t lose sight of how that plays out on the ice, in traffic and high-pressure situations. They need to stay clear-headed in their own zone with the big picture in mind, stay aggressive and fight for possession along the boards, and not be afraid to camp out in front of the opponent’s goal and stay there until the puck has found the back of the net.
Next: Dallas Stars Hit Stride in 3-2 Win Over Winnipeg
At the end of the day, it’s that staying power that will set the Dallas Stars apart from the teams they play. Good things come to those who do the dirty work. And while there’s definitely no “i” in team, if the Stars continue to play smart and scrappy, they’ll become a lot more familiar this season with an equally important “i” word: win.