Dallas Stars: The Power of a Newly Reconstructed Blueprint

There are many ways to structure a hockey team, but it is clear when certain strategies don’t work with certain teams. It takes an experienced coach to vision the quintessential blueprint for their team. Perhaps it’s time for the Dallas Stars to reconstruct their base.

The Dallas Stars are now at the mercy of Ken Hitchcock. There has been much speculation as to where he will spread his wisdom in Dallas, but the result will play out later in the year. It’s been repeated and reiterated how young the team is but it could be quite advantageous for next season.

For example, here’s a major throwback to 1991 Stanley Cup Finals. The North Stars, who were at the time in Minnesota, faced off against the Pittsburgh Penguins for Cup two years before moving to Dallas. Getting to the finals was a major deal for the North Stars, who may not have been predicted to make it far in the competition. Defeating the odds, sound a little familiar.

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So, what’s the story here? The North Stars ended up losing the Cup in game six but the lesson from their loss is more valuable than the bragging rights, in their case. Because the North Stars were not expected to advance far, people began delving into their success.

It was soon discovered that not too much was out of the ordinary. The team worked well together and mixed with a little luck, cashed in on a good season. What could be taken away from their season could be very useful for the Dallas Stars to make use of next year.

A few things to bring back from the past would be usage of a powerful goaltender, an impenetrable defensive line and an offense which takes shots in a timely manner. Hitchcock could very likely have a few plans to reconstruct the team, but here’s some food for thought.

Powerful Goalie

So, in recent seasons, a main source of blame has been put on the goaltenders. Currently, Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi hold positions, but perhaps things will change during the offseason. In a perfect world, the goaltender is able to stop shots with his eyes blindfolded.

Unfortunately in most cases, NHL goalies do not have this ability; however, this does not discount the talent that some goaltenders possess. For the Stars, they would benefit to create a goaltender who is a leader both vocally and physically. They require someone to take charge and direct their team from a unique angle. With a strong, talented and dependable goaltender between the pipes, the team is pretty much unstoppable.

Good Defense

Here are four key words to remember: head on a swivel. Because many of the Dallas Stars’ defensemen are younger, they are not completely used to the speed and compete of the NHL. They did receive a taste during 2016-17 but will need to continue to improve if they want to contribute to any kind of success.

Many times, the defenseman will have strict tunnel vision on the puck, forgetting about the open opponent behind him. Hitch would benefit to drill in the concept of full awareness in the defensive zone.

Timely Scoring

In order to win a game, the Stars need to score goals. It sounds simple enough but it’s been proven that time and time again, no quality plays yield quality shots. With a fast and organized offensive line, Dallas will be able to create scoring chances, and in turn, win games.

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Hitchcock’s experience will be greatly beneficial for the Stars. He’s stated that he has big ideas for the team next year, which brings a little light out of the current darkness. Reorganizing their structure could potentially be the missing piece for the team, but in reality, there are plenty of things to be skeptical about. A solid reconstruction could be just what the Stars need, but Stars fans will have to wait until October to find out.