Dallas Stars Open 2017-18 Regular Season Tonight: Get Pumped
By Josh Clark
Put away the clocks and calendars because the moment you have all been waiting for is finally here. The Dallas Stars kick off their 2017-18 regular season campaign tonight at home. Get hyped.
181 days. That’s how long Dallas Stars fans have been waiting for today to arrive. And now it’s finally here.
It’s back. In just a few hours, the Stars will commence their 2017-18 regular season slate against the Vegas Golden Knights. The game will take place under the lights of the American Airlines Center in front of a sea of Victory Green.
Isn’t that an overwhelmingly exciting thing to think about? The regular season is finally here, and the Stars can finally begin their hunt for postseason and even eternal glory.
For Dallas, they have been waiting for this opportunity since April 8. Last season began with hope and promise that was quickly converted to disaster and destruction. The 2016-17 Dallas Stars had high expectations going into the season, but those expectations quickly disappeared when the team fell to inconsistency.
The Stars ended last year as one of the worst teams in the league, going 34-37-11 with 79 points. This record helped push Dallas into an early offseason and gave them a lot to think about.
That was 181 days ago, and it’s crazy to think about all that has happened since. Dallas underwent one of the most significant offseason transformations and brought in an entirely new stock of talent. Names like Ben Bishop, Marc Methot, Alexander Radulov, and Martin Hanzal were all either acquired or signed by Dallas during the summer months.
As a result of these signings, the Dallas Stars look like an entirely different team. They look stronger on offense, well-balanced on defense, deeper and more talented at goaltender, and incredibly skilled on both special teams units.
And now we’ve finally arrived at gameday where the team will put it all on the line for the world to see. So wake up, get dressed, grab your coffee, and eat some breakfast because IT’S GAMEDAY.
The Stars will host the Vegas Golden Knights at the American Airlines Center tonight, and there’s certain to be some fireworks. For the Knights, this will be their first game in franchise history. That being said, they will obviously want to get off on the right foot.
The Knights spent this past offseason building their own team through the expansion draft, entry draft, and free agency market. They scraped together a decent looking squad and are ready to prove that they belong to the NHL. Dallas should by no means take this game lightly because it is bound to be a good one.
It’s a game of two teams with a lot to prove. Vegas needs to establish their footing while Dallas needs to prove that they are indeed ready to bounce back. It’s been a fun story to dream about all offseason, and now it’s finally here. No more dreaming after tonight.
So who comes out on top? Will the Stars use their new lineup to its fullest potential and earn themselves a commanding win? Or will they falter and leave open the door for questions regarding their future? It’s all up to the team at this point. GM Jim Nill has done just about all he can, and tonight we get to see if his work pays off.
This year will be my fourth full season covering Dallas Stars hockey with Blackout Dallas, and I could not be more excited. Like the team, there’s a certain positive buzz going around. The site has grown significantly over the past year, our following and outreach is way up, and there’s a lot to be excited about in the upcoming season. We have you, the fans, to thank for that.
We here at Blackout Dallas would like to thank each of y’all for sticking around with us for however long you have. It means more than you know, and we’re proud to be one of your prime stops for all things Dallas Stars.
Next: Blackout Dallas Predicts The Stars' 2017-18 Season
So the dress rehearsal is done with and the stage is set. All that’s left to do is have the audience pile in and start the show. Game 1/82 happens tonight, and it promises to be a good time.
Buckle up, Stars fans. Welcome to the 2017-18 season.