As crazy as it may seem, these next few weeks are “do or die” time for the Dallas Stars. It’s their best chance to make a solid impression, build their image, and continue moving in the right direction. If they don’t, there could be drastic consequences.
The Dallas Stars have a lot to prove over the next week. Yes, that’s right. They have a lot to prove in the first week of November.
That’s because this Stars team is going toe-to-toe with a lot of adversity this coming week. It’s a common thread that teams that have something to prove typically go through some sort of trial or obstacle on their way to glory.
For the Stars, they are facing those obstacles head-on in the early part of the season.
At the moment, Dallas sits at an average record of 7-6-0 with 14 points. This is a far cry from where they were expected to be at this point before the season began. After a large number of quality offseason additions, the Stars looked poised for a major bounce back after a treacherous 2016-17 campaign.
Dallas Stars
But that “blast off” moment has yet to occur. Instead, the Dallas Stars are eagerly awaiting their next opponent and a chance to get back into the win column. It’s no fun when you leave the win column, after all.
Last night, the Stars were shellshocked by the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets tallied three early goals in a five-minute span and claimed a dominant 5-2 victory by the end of it.
And now Dallas is staring down the barrel of potential desertion. The NHL is a fast-moving league and does not care about teams that cannot keep up with the pace. If the Stars cannot keep their footing and continue to struggle, they could quickly find themselves at the bottom of the pack.
It’s a lot of adversity for a new team that is still trying to obtain and grow chemistry. But that’s what has to be done, and that’s what the Stars need to figure their way around.
Facing adversity can tell a lot about a team. It’s not easy when your back is against the wall so early in the year, but it makes it all the more important to become a dominant unit.
Over the next week or two, the Dallas Stars play a multitude of Eastern Conference opponents. The Sabres, Islanders, Hurricanes, Panthers, and Lightning all make an appearance. In addition to those, the Stars will also get a second shot ash the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers in the West. Each team brings a different strength to the table, and it will be up to Dallas to counteract them.
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The Stars are still “in it” and there is a lot of season left to be played. Dallas is showing a lot of good things in their play when they want to and have shown flashes of being a strong playoff team. But the inconsistent play cannot last forever, especially not if Dallas wants to be playing come late April.
These next few games will help paint a picture of where the Dallas Stars are headed. They are in for quite the unique challenge, and that leaves Dallas a chance to get ahead or fall even further behind.
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But one thing is for sure: this “win-loss-win-loss” pattern isn’t going to fly for much longer.
It’s fun to face adversity as long as you know how to take it on. The Stars have the tools to go toe-to-toe with it and even knock it out. But will they do it? We’ll see what kind of team takes the ice over the next few weeks.