The Dallas Stars secured their first victory of the season last night against the Detroit Red Wings. For new head coach Ken Hitchcock, it means a lot more than just two points.
It’s always nice getting that first win of a regular season out of the way. Just ask the Dallas Stars.
Coming from a team that has preached fast starts yet remained inconsistent in delivering on that goal over the past few years, early season success is critical for the Stars.
That early season success did not show up to start the Stars’ 2017-18 season, though. Well, at least not at first.
While the Dallas Stars performed strongly in their first two games over the weekend, neither gave them the two points they were looking for. The Stars entered Tuesday with a record of 0-2-0, and the panic factor slowly began settling in. After an offseason filled with significant and positive change, was the team really destined for another heartbreak year?
Dallas Stars
But those worries were erased quickly on Tuesday night when the Stars defeated the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 4-2. It was a near perfect game for Dallas.
The Stars were overpowered on offense, well-rounded on defense, and almost lights out in net with the goaltending of Ben Bishop. The special teams worked well, the strategy was well-thought-out, and the Dallas Stars executed impressively.
It was a nice first win to stash away in the back pocket. The Stars are now 1-2-0 in the regular season and have three solid performances to build off of as the year rolls on.
But for Ken Hitchcock, last night’s game meant more than just getting the first two points of the year. With the win, Hitchcock tied Al Arbour for most wins by an NHL coach at 782. That ranks him as tied for third among all NHL coaches in history. That’s no small matter.
The only coaches ahead of Hitchcock are Joel Quenneville (the Chicago Blackhawks current head coach) and Scotty Bowman (who owns the record by a long shot).
Hitchcock has been coaching at the NHL level since the 1995-96 season when he was first hired by the Dallas Stars. Since then, he has spent time with the Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and St. Louis Blues.
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The 2017-18 regular season marks Hitch’s second stint with Dallas. In his first stint, he put up an impressive record of 277-154-60-12. During that time, he led the Stars to their most successful stretch in franchise history, including two Stanley Cup Final appearances and one championship.
Now he is back for a second run and looks poised to make it another exciting term. It’s been 22 years since Hitchcock first jumped in the head coach seat, and he has a lot of success trailing him. That is what makes him so special to the Stars’ organization. His history and results make him a one-of-a-kind coach.
If the Dallas Stars can defeat the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, Hitchcock will move into sole control of third place. Considering Arbour, who passed away in 2015, can no longer tack onto his record, Hitch has a real chance to solidify himself in the spot. To be third place in the all-time wins category is no small matter.
As a follow up to last night’s game, the Stars as a team gave Hitch a game puck for the accomplishment. Not a half bad way to start off your second stint in Dallas after just one win. Hopefully there will be plenty more to come.
Hitchcock seems to have this Dallas Stars team refocused and realigned after an offseason of change, and that should bode well for the future. If the Stars keep buying into his style, this team could end up going a long way.
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That long way starts tomorrow in Nashville as Dallas looks to jump back up to .500 and start a hot streak. Let’s see if they can make it happen.