Dallas Stars Rout Sabres, Start Homestand Off On Confident Note
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars have been hot and cold in their play this year, but last night they were all hot. They played their best game of the year and started the homestand off with confidence.
Sunday mornings are always good when the Dallas Stars win the night before. But when they absolutely crush their opposition, the following Sunday seems a little bit brighter.
That must be why today seems so extra special.
Last night, the Stars welcomed the Buffalo Sabres to Big D to kick off their three-game homestand. They sat on an average record of 7-6-0 after receiving a 5-2 pummeling from the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
Time was running out for Dallas to make a significant statement in the early portion of the season. They had been a hot and cold team all season, bouncing from dominant performances to weak performances. The inconsistency was tearing them down and worry was beginning to seep in.
Dallas Stars
That’s what made the three-game homestand so critical. After a 2-3-0 performance on a five-game road swing, the Stars needed a spark. With Buffalo, Winnipeg, and the New York Islanders on tap at the AAC over the second week of November, Dallas had a great chance to create that spark.
They definitely started it off on the right foot. Dallas took it to the Sabres early and handed them a decisive 5-1 beating.
It’s hard to argue that the Stars did anything wrong in their play. They dominated in every aspect of the game, capitalized on their chances, and took control of the game early.
Maybe you could argue that the team took their foot off the gas (specifically on offense) after building the early lead, but they backed it up with solid defensive play. All in all, it was arguably the Dallas Stars’ best performance of the season. They did everything they could and they did it right. When that happens, the wins come in chunks.
In Saturday night’s game, the Stars seemed to address each of their weak points so far this year. Dallas has struggled this season with finding depth scoring, confident goaltending, and a continuous 60-minute effort.
Last night, they saw four of their five goals come from players outside the top line. Remi Elie, Radek Faksa, Stephen Johns, and Antoine Roussel all put the puck in the back of the net for Dallas. Meanwhile, only Tyler Seguin scored from the top line, and it came on the power play. Depth scoring? Check.
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In the crease, Ben Bishop had the night off and Kari Lehtonen started his third game of the year. Besides one goal on a weird bounce, Lehtonen played lights out, stopping 27 of 28 shots for a .964 save percentage. After a shaky start to the season, Lehtonen is averaging a .966 save percentage over his last two starts. The Stars’ goaltending tandem is starting to catch fire, and that leaves a lot of hope for the future. Confident goaltending? Check.
Finally, the Stars have begun struggling with producing full and consistent efforts. At the beginning of the season, they had no problem. The offense, defense, and goaltending were all performing at a consistent and dominant rate. The wins took their time to start rolling in, but the effort was clearly there.
Over the past few games, that hasn’t been the case. Dallas has struggled with starting strong or keeping the momentum rolling. But last night, the Stars scored four goals in a 9:42 frame of the first period and throttled the Sabres early.
How did the continuous part go though? While the Stars maybe didn’t keep the pressure on offensively throughout the entire game (they were outshot 20-13 over the final two periods), they played it systematically, which is just as good. Dallas went lockdown on their defensive effort and gave up minimal chances to the Sabres as the game went on. Consistent effort? Check.
Overall, it was the Stars’ best game of the year so far. Now they sit at a record of 8-6-0 and know what it takes to get the win. If they can play with that caliber during the rest of the year, they will win a lot more than they lose. That much is true.
The Stars have two more home games in the coming week and could really use two more wins. Going 3-0-0 at home and increasing the home win streak to seven games would be incredibly helpful.
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One thing is for sure: if the Dallas Stars keep playing with confidence and use the style they displayed on Saturday night, the wins should start rolling in.
This is a talented team, after all. It’s time for them to keep proving it.