Tonight, the Dallas Stars close out a road trip in Calgary. Here are some ways that they could finish it up with an impressive win.
The Dallas Stars have been on a road trip for the last couple of games and the games have not ended in their favor for the most part. It started with a disappointing 5-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks followed by a horrendous 7-1 defeat in Edmonton against the Oilers.
Last night the Stars managed a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, but it did not come without its issues. Today they will travel to Calgary and take on the Flames in hopes of earning two points and boosting team morale. That, however, can only happen if they do a few things.
Play Stars Hockey
Dallas’ identity crisis has been a season-long struggle. Their inability to score consistently led them to no longer have certainty of what team they are supposed to be. Their lack of identity was also a component of a few other issues, but it all comes back to not knowing what game they are trying to play.
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Stars hockey is aggressive offensively with defensive accountability. The defenders are supposed to join the rush when it is appropriate and there is the expectation that forwards back check to help out in the defensive zone.
Ideally Stars hockey also includes quality goaltending and limited penalties, but unfortunately that has not been the case of late.
Dallas needs to return to something that vaguely resembles the Stars hockey that earned them the top spot in the Western Conference last regular season. They need something to click so they feel confident in their abilities and are not left skating away with their heads down.
Have Short Memories
The Stars have too often been caught up in the plays that have gone wrong this year. They have not proven to be able to forget the mishaps to move forward and it has severely cost them.
This road trip has not been kind to the Stars. They suffered back-to-back losses by large margins and their offensive confidence seemingly reached a low. Last night Dallas was able to score more than they had in their previous two combined and defeated the Canucks 4-2.
The win, however, came at a cost. John Klingberg and Jamie Benn both were reported to have sustained injuries. Klingberg returned to the game and contributed two points in the effort with 22:56 time on the ice. Benn was limited to 10:17 of playing time and it seems unlikely that he will be in tonight’s match-up.
Tonight Dallas needs to put their best foot forward, but also not get discouraged if things do not go their way. Nothing good comes from self pity, especially not in professional hockey. The Stars should have too much pride in themselves and their capabilities to simply let bad plays get to their heads.
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Realistic Expectations
Dallas has just traveled after playing last night, so the match-up in Calgary tonight will be physically that much more demanding. The Stars, however, have to power through the fatigue and play like the NHL team they have lost sight of this season.
Realistically, their recent struggles on the road will be in the back of their minds. That, however, will have to serve as motivation as opposed to frustration if they hope to come out on top.