Dallas Stars Catching Fire Thanks To Goaltending Of Ben Bishop
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars capped off their fourth straight win on Saturday night and are quickly picking up speed. A large factor in their success that cannot go overlooked is the outstanding play of Ben Bishop.
Superb. Two thumbs up. Stellar. Undeniably outstanding. Ridiculous. However you want to describe it, the goaltending of Ben Bishop so far this season for the Dallas Stars has been nothing short of impressive.
The Stars claimed a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes last night, capping off a significantly successful week for the team. Dallas has now won four games in a row and five of their last six. Their record now sits at 5-3-0 and they are quickly ascending in the standings.
Through the first eight games, the Dallas Stars have played a dominant and aggressive style of hockey. It’s been fast-paced, it’s been high-intensity, and it’s been a lot of fun to watch. While Dallas hasn’t been rewarded for their efforts on every occasion, it seems as though those efforts are finally beginning to pay off for the team.
One of the biggest causes of their newfound consistent success is the play of goaltender Ben Bishop. And if he can keep it up, it won’t be long before the Dallas Stars are the number one team in the league. Yes, you heard that right.
Dallas Stars
Some teams focus on offensive power and others focus on defensive dominance. But every team in the NHL knows that without competent goaltending, there will always be a ceiling that cannot be passed.
Dallas has learned that lesson all too well over the past few years. The Stars’ weakest position has been their crease since the 2010 season after Marty Turco left. Since then, Kari Lehtonen has been forced to carry the load as the no. 1 starter while Dallas cycled through a number of backups that proved to be incompetent.
The Stars burnt through an inordinate amount of “short-term fix” goalies that turned out to be long-term issues. And after the 2016-17 season, there was no denying that SOMETHING had to be done and soon.
Over the offseason, Dallas bought out the contract of veteran starter Antti Niemi after a two-year run that ended in a heavy skid during the 2016-17 season. In response, they traded for and signed Ben Bishop to a long-term deal.
Some fans were hesitant towards the signing at first. In a 2017 market filled with young and growing goaltending talent (like Scott Darling), Dallas went for one of the older options. Bishop, 30, had still proven himself to be a competent starting goalie in the 16-17 season, but locking him in for six years seemed a bit risky.
But Bishop’s heroics have been the dominant theme in the Stars’ first eight games. Big Ben is 5-1-0 in seven appearances this season, posting a .928 save percentage and 2.09 goals against average over the span. He has the eighth best save percentage among starting goalies and the fourth best GAA.
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To put things into perspective, Kari Lehtonen was 1-3-2 with a .886 save percentage and 2.67 GAA through the first six games of last year. It’s a sharp contrast, and it’s having plenty of positive effects on the team.
Bishop has been phenomenal between the pipes. When the team in front of him is controlling the pace, he provides a solid last line of defense. And when the Stars begin crumbling in front of him, Bishop is there to take control and provide poise and confidence.
His calmness in net seems to be his strongest asset. When the Stars’ defense goes quiet, Bishop is there to balance out the chaos. The Stars used to not have that, and it would come back to bite them on various occasions.
Even though it’s a small sampling size, it’s encouraging to see Bishop achieving maximal success. He’s quickly adapted to his new role and already become a veteran asset in the Dallas defensive zone.
There’s still a lot of season left and a lot of time for things to go one way or another. But for now, Dallas Stars fans can confidently rest in the play of Bishop. He’s jumped out of the gate and exceeded expectations so far, and the Stars are thriving as a result.
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Dallas now owns their first four-game win streak since the end of the 2015-16 season. They will look to keep the fire alive and continue rolling over the next week, but their schedule is anything but easy.
But if Bishop can keep his hot hand going, succeeding shouldn’t be a problem for this team.