Dallas Stars Prove That Future Is Bright With Win Over Coyotes
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars returned home in style last night with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Arizona Coyotes. The win would not have happened without some of the Stars’ impressive rookies leading the way.
Tuesday night’s game between the Dallas Stars and Arizona Coyotes was a near-perfect representation of the Stars’ season so far. The stands were nowhere near full, the Stars controlled play but still barely came away with the win, and the game left fans feeling doubtful and disheartened throughout.
And yet, somehow, it felt just like a game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Yes, a game between two of the bottom five teams in the NHL in the late part of the season felt like a postseason contest.
The Stars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, which helped amp up the crowd and get them into the game. But then things went downhill. Following the Stars’ two goals in the first 18 minutes of the first period, the Coyotes found a way to tack on two of their own and knot the game up before the end of regulation.
Through plenty of missed opportunities and some horrific calls from the referees, it had all the makings of a pathetic Stars’ loss. Not to mention that it was against one of the worst teams in the league. Everything seemed to be going against the Stars no matter how hard they tried to turn their fate.
Dallas Stars
When overtime began, it was hard not to imagine Dallas coming out of the game with only one point. With all that has happened this season, it didn’t seem like the hockey gods were in their favor.
But then it happened. Through a series of intense rushes, the Dallas Stars put themselves in prime position to win the game. And they did.
Julius Honka slapped home the game-winning goal, which also happened to be the first goal of his NHL career, and secured the 3-2 win for Dallas.
It was just the kind of character win that the Dallas Stars desperately needed. With only two games remaining in the season, the Stars need all the positivity they can find. That kind of win brings it all to the table.
And that win would not have been possible without the stellar play of some of the Stars’ most promising rookies.
Jason Dickinson, Remi Elie, Julius Honka, Justin Dowling, and Gemel Smith to be specific. These rookies helped prove not only that the Dallas Stars can still get the job done even in their current state, but also that the team’s future is still bright.
Each of these rookies have played a big role in the Stars’ recent play. Dickinson scored a goal last night and has created plenty of chances in his eight game slate so far. Elie has probably been the most impressive rookie over the past month, scoring a goal and tallying five assists along with a +4 rating. Dowling and Smith were called up on Saturday morning and have already injected new energy into the Stars’ lineup. Smith already has a goal and an assist.
And then we have Honka. With how he has been playing at the NHL level, it’s a shame that the Dallas Stars have missed his talents this year. In 14 games, Honka has one goal (the winner last night) and four assists. The small, offensive, puck-moving defenseman has made massive strides over the past year and is practically a shoo-in for a starting spot next year.
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These rookies are doing great things for the Stars and proving that they can help Dallas out in a big way down the road.
Playoffs may be a lost cause for Dallas, but that doesn’t mean that they cannot rebound next season. The present may be blurry, but one thing is for sure: the future is bright.