Dallas Stars’ Dreary Season Makes You Miss Last Year’s Triumph
With 109 points and 50 wins, the Dallas Stars had one of the franchise’s greatest seasons just a long, 82-game campaign ago. However, today’s team has failed to equal that success.
Take yourself back to 2015-16 for second. It’s pretty nice over there in Dallas Stars land.
The Dallas Stars were tightening their belts for a stretch run that, in the midst of one of their best years in team history, looked surprising and endlessly exciting for supporters of the Victory Green. While it never came to fruition due to a miserable trade deadline acquisition, everything was fun and happy as a Stars fan.
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Now… well, no, this is bad, this is really bad. Amid perhaps the most disappointing season in the 24-year existence of the Dallas Stars, all looks awry. The Dallas penalty kill is the worst in the NHL (73.0%), the Stars are 3-10 in games that are played after 60 minutes, and literally no one (aside from Jamie Benn, who is flawless inside and out and has at least one point in his last 12 home games) is consistently putting forth an offensive output worthy of Cup contention.
It truly does make you long for last year, in which the Stars were arguably the NHL’s top team in the regular season (Washington won the President’s Trophy as the team with the highest point total, but was 0-2 against Dallas). Whilst rival teams like Minnesota and Chicago tear through the Central Division, Dallas trails by a country mile.
It makes you miss the chemistry of peak superstars like Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, who scored 41 and 33 goals respectively, both finishing in the League’s top 10 in such a category. You’re probably missing Jason Spezza’s succulent stick-handling and mesmerizing wrist shot, which led to 30 goals (Dallas was one of just two teams with three 30-goal scorers).
This season reminds you of John Klingberg being the real John Klingberg; the nifty skater with a heads-up offensive touch and unparalleled power play capabilities. It makes you recall his steady, consistent defensive partner who was a master himself as developing offense and driving possession, Alex Goligoski, for whom the Coyotes sent a fifth-round 2016 Draft pick (G, Colton Point) to Dallas in June.
You’re most likely thinking of depth brilliance of players that have since departed like Jason Demers, Vernon Fiddler, Colton Sceviour, and most recently, Patrick Eaves or Jordie Benn.
Last season, the Dallas Stars had that “it” factor that set them apart from the rest. It was, you could say, a controlled crazy that lit a fire under them. They were the most exciting team to watch in the league.
This year’s team features many of the same pieces, some of them having even better campaigns from an individual extent, but is merely a farcry from last year’s bundle of incomparable amusement and entertainment.
Next: Jordie Benn's Best Moments as a Dallas Star
Maybe Dallas still has teams like this in its future, given the development of prospects such as Devin Shore, Jason Dickinson, Julius Honka, and Denis Gurianov. But, with the purposeful disassembling of last year’s historically grand club, sadness in Dallas ensues.