Dallas Stars Have Found Their Element, But Still Not Getting Results

For the past few weeks, the Dallas Stars have been playing some determined and energized hockey. But for some reason, they still cannot get the consistent results they are looking for.

It ain’t over until it’s over. Whether you heard that in your middle school basketball huddle or remember it from the movie Rocky Balboa, chances are the saying has applied to your life in one way or another.

For the Dallas Stars, this is the one motto they have left to cling onto as the final stretch of their season comes into view.

The Stars have officially met the 52-game mark and sit at a record of 21-21-10. That’s 52 points in 52 games, just enough for a .500 record. At this point one year ago, they hoisted a record of 32-14-5 with 69 points. Oh how the times have changed.

Dallas played game 52 on Thursday night when they welcomed the Winnipeg Jets to town for the fifth game of their six-game homestand. Both teams were tied at 52 points in the standings and desperately needed the win to advance in the playoff hunt.

Dallas Stars

Though the Stars played with a lot of energy and plenty of determination, they came up on the wrong end of a 4-3 decision. They made some mistakes and had plenty of chances to take control, but they just could not take advantage.

So another loss goes in the book, and the Stars are back at .500. They are 2-1-2 in this homestand and have one final game to go on Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks.

If you step back and look at it from a basic standpoint, you would probably applaud the Stars for their record. They have points in four of five games, including two overtime losses to the best two teams in the NHL and two wins against teams in tight playoff races. This record has quietly helped Dallas along in the Western Conference playoff race. What’s not to like about that?

The fact of the matter is that the Dallas Stars should probably be 5-0-0 this homestand, or at least 4-1-0. That’s two or four extra points, which would have Dallas either in a playoff spot right now or knocking on the door with one point separating them. Instead, they are three points out and sit at the bottom among the teams still competing for the final playoff spots. That’s a bad place to be at this point in the season.

While there still are 30 games to go and plenty of time to turn the season around, their inability to secure these points is beginning to add up. The disappointing part is that they are putting forth an effort that deserves two points in each game.

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This team has come a long way since January 19th, when they arguably played their driest game of the year in a 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders. Then the homestand started, and Dallas burst out of the gate.

They pounced on a surging Washington Capitals team who had won 10 of their last 12 at the time of the game. The Stars had a 3-1 lead entering the third period, but quickly gave it away with two power play goals against. They eventually lost the game in overtime, though they fought hard and put it all out on the line against a powerful team.

Then came the Minnesota Wild a few days later. After the Wild secured an early 2-0 lead, the Stars rallied back to tie the game at 2-2. Through an energized third period effort, the Stars eventually fell in the shootout to the best team in the Western Conference.

Dallas would turn the ship around with a brilliant comeback win over the Buffalo Sabres and a dominant victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Then came last night.

Though the Dallas Stars are finding their style of game and getting into playoff mode, it still isn’t foolproof. That is hurting them dearly in the standings right now. Last night’s game was an opportunity to get an upper hand on the Jets in the standings race, but Dallas could not get the job done, though they earned the win by emptying the tank and putting forth everything they had.

Their offense has been roaring, averaging 3.60 goals per game throughout this homestand. Their defense has been decent. Their goaltending, for the most part, has been sturdy. But it’s the little mistakes that are killing them.

So now Dallas will once again have to find a way to claw out of the pit, starting on Saturday against a dangerous and dominant Chicago Blackhawks team. Things just keep getting tougher and tougher as the season draws closer to an end.

The Stars have done a great job facing adversity head on, but they have yet to get past it. In other words, they have done a good job at winning the battles, but they continue to lose the war. It’s been a long time since they were last in a playoff spot, and these results aren’t getting them any closer to that dream. The level of play is encouraging, but it still isn’t getting them where they need to be.

Next: Hard Fight Still Not Enough As Stars Lose 4-3

So here we go again. It’s time for the Stars to lace up the skates and dig in for the fight. It’s not going to be easy. Will they find a way to turn the ship around? Or are they in for much of the same in February?

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