Dallas Stars Hopeful to End 2016-17 Season on a High Note Against Avalanche
The Dallas Stars have finally made it to game 82. Now all that is left to do is end the season on a high note.
The Dallas Stars’ tumultuous 2016-17 season will come to an end tonight at the American Airlines Center as they host the Colorado Avalanche. Through all of the highs and mostly lows this year, they have learned a lot.
Even though this game in particular will not matter in the grand scheme of things, there are a few reasons why the Stars will be hopeful to end it with a win on home ice.
For the Fans
As difficult as a year as it has been for the players, the fans have suffered too. The excitement heading into this season was higher this year than it had been in many, meaning the expectations were exceptionally high as well.
The season did not get off to the great start Dallas or their fans would have hoped, though. Preseason was a jumbled mess of confusion that saw many notable players, namely Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Ales Hemsky and Mattias Janmark, sidelined. The regular season also fell short of expectations, with injuries continuing to plague the team, which eventually turned into the disappointing year in its entirety.
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Tonight’s game is for the fans because despite the turmoil Dallas faced this season, they have been there to support them. Although not all fans have remained positive throughout the process, most have been right there at games or watching them on television or following them on social media.
They have dedicated the time, energy and money into this team. They are the reason the Stars are able to do what they do, so tonight’s effort will be dedicated to them.
For the Future
This season has come and gone. There is no turning back in that regard because there is no changing the past. Dallas needs to end the season with a victory to remind themselves going into the long offseason that they can in fact win.
In a year when staying above .500 was a significant issue for the majority of the season, winning is few and far between. The Stars have a lot of thinking to do this upcoming summer in order to prepare fully for next year, but they would be a little more able to do so if they can end it on a high note.
The pending Expansion Draft and free agency are two events that will impact this team in the next few months. That much is undeniable, but Dallas’ players are not in control of what happens. They control what occurs on the ice and a victory tonight would remind them of just that.
Next: Dallas Stars' Failures Will Be Beneficial in the Future
Final Note
Whether or not the Stars pull out win tonight, there is no quit in this team. Through all of the injuries, trades, confusion with the system and other obstacles they faced, Dallas was persistent.
They put in the work, but did not get the results. Unfortunately for them, the NHL is a results-based league and not winning is not fulfilling job expectations.
This offseason will prove to be tough for the players and the Stars in general. Anything could happen with the Entry Draft, Expansion Draft and free agency. As scary as that is, neither the players nor the fans can control it. All that can happen is to look forward and excitedly ask #isitOctoberyet?