Dallas Stars Creating Exciting Brand Of Hockey In Early Part Of Season

After three games of the 2017-18 regular season, it’s safe to say that the Dallas Stars are moving in the right direction. The brand of hockey they have adopted through the first three games could win this team a lot of hockey games.

The Dallas Stars are finally in the win column.

After waiting five days and dropping their first two games of the season, the Stars picked up their first win on Tuesday night. They defeated the Detroit Red Wings in an impressive fashion, winning the game 4-2.

It was almost the ideal hockey game for the Stars. Dallas did a lot of good things throughout the 60-minute frame and thrived in every area. They dominated early on in the game and though they slipped up a little bit in the third, they found a way to push through and secure the win.

Head coach Ken Hitchcock snagged his first win in his second tour with the Stars and Dallas locked up their first two points of the year.

Dallas Stars /

Dallas Stars

If you watched last night’s game, you probably have some difficulty believing that this Dallas Stars team is 1-2-0 this year. That’s because of the consistency in their play.

After the first two games, it was clear that the preseason expectations were a bit premature. The 2017 offseason gave the Dallas Stars a polished and new look, and that led to many believing the team was immediately destined for greatness. But success takes time.

Last night, Dallas was impressive in every area of play. Their offense caught fire early, putting up 27 shots in the first two periods of play. The top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov was fast, aggressive, and dominant in offensive possession. In addition, the other three lines provided quality depth and offensive pressure.

The defense played a strategic style, minimizing chances and staying in proper formation. John Klingberg continued his role as a points machine, tallying his second goal of the year and an assist. Stephen Johns and Marc Methot provided great physical play, Esa Lindell gave a terrific two-way effort, and Julius Honka and Jamie Oleksiak provided a diverse skill set as depth defenders.

And then there is the goaltending. Ben Bishop has stopped 42 of the 44 shots faced this season in about five periods of play (103:58). His play is poised, controlled, and he looks as though he’s been in the Dallas crease for years. His confidence is brimming and it shows through his play.

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The Dallas Stars looked like a complete team last night. They were aggressive, fast, and always seemed to be one step ahead. Their puck movement was crisp, their formation and positioning created plenty of scoring chances, and they played an impressive team defense. Both the power play (1/3) and penalty kill (4/5) played strong as well.

It’s an impressive first win of the season and is a testament to a new era of Dallas hockey. The Stars have played with this dominant style through all three games so far, and it’s nice to see their efforts finally paying off.

This new brand of 60-minute, in-your-face hockey is exciting to watch. These three games have proven a lot about the Dallas Stars, but the most influential point is their determination and lack of quitting. Whether it is during a game or after two straight losses, the team isn’t losing their focus or level of effort.

If the Stars can keep up this powerful yet balanced style of play, they could win a lot of hockey games this year. This new strategy and approach gives them something to look forward to as the season begins rolling.

Next: Ken Hitchcock's Unpredictability Will Give Stars New Edge

The offense, defense, goaltending, and special teams are all on the same page for the first time in what seems like forever. This Dallas Stars team could be in for an extremely positive year. One win was nice, but the three performances are even more encouraging.

All you can do is hope that they keep it up. 79 games to go.

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