Dallas Stars: Final Thoughts On Tuesday's Loss To Nashville Predators

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DALLAS, TX – DECEMBER 5: Things get heated between Jamie Benn /

Well that was not ideal. The Dallas Stars dropped a disappointing 5-2 loss to the Nashville Predators at home on Tuesday night. With their hot streak now extinguished, let’s take a look at just where Dallas went wrong.

The Dallas Stars didn’t look like themselves on Tuesday night. Or maybe they did, and the team we’ve seen playing in Victory Green for the past ten days was the impostor.

Either way, the Stars looked incredibly different last night.

Dallas welcomed the Nashville Predators to the American Airlines Center on Tuesday in hopes of writing another epic chapter in their exciting 2017-18 book. The Stars had won seven of their last eight games, including the most recent five in a row, and done some wondrous things against Central Division teams while ON THE ROAD.

They looked like a complete hockey team. Their offense and defense were structured and using depth to their advantage, and Ben Bishop and Kari Lehtonen were providing a solid duo in the crease. The Stars looked altogether indestructible.

Maybe The Hottest, But Still Not The Best Team In The NHL

Let me start this one by saying that I believe the Dallas Stars are a good hockey team right now. They are finding confidence and figuring out how to use that inner motivation. It is beginning to pay off in dividends for the club and giving a bright outlook on the future.

But they still are not a great hockey team (not yet, at least). The Nashville Predators started the year out on an average note, but have found that great spark. Right now, the Preds are playing like a great hockey team and they proved that to the Stars last night in a 5-2 skunking.

Dallas Stars

Dallas lacked the necessary effort, determination, and overall willpower that Nashville brought to the game. And in case you didn’t know, last night’s game was the second of a back-to-back for Nashville. So a tired bunch beat a team that had won their last five. Makes perfect sense, right?

On the stat sheet, it looks as though the Stars were clearly the better team. Dallas outshot Nashville 45-32 but only put two past Juuse Saros, the Preds backup that brought an ugly .870 save percentage into the game. The Stars outdid Nashville in the face-off dot as well. But it was still the Predators who carried the day by a significant margin.

That’s because the Predators capitalized on their chances. You could have a million chances, but they don’t mean a thing unless you capitalize on them.

There is also something to be said about the Dallas Stars’ level of grit and compete. It simply wasn’t there. The level of energy that the Stars had shown over their five-game win streak was practically non-existent last night.

The Predators were simply the more focused and determined club. They capitalized on the Stars’ slow start, made an early impact, and jumped out to a big lead. Meanwhile, Dallas struggled to find a way to at least stall Nashville’s energy.

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Last night’s game was another reminder that the Dallas Stars are still in the growing process. They are still finding their chemistry and learning to work as a complete unit. It’s not like last night’s game was a backbreaker by any means, though some are making it out to be. It was simply an ugly loss that halted some impressive progress. Therefore, it makes everything look pretty bad.

But in reality, the Stars are still working their way up the ladder. Things are not bad or even subpar. The Stars are still 16-11-1 and sit five games above .500. Their progress is encouraging for the future.

The loss to the Predators was simply a wake-up call reminding the Stars that they still have a ways to go. They could not hang with one of the best teams in the league, and it extinguished their hot streak. But now it’s up to the Stars to relight the fire and start up a new run.

It’s tough going against the league’s best teams. In order to compete with one of the best, you have to be one of the best. The Dallas Stars are getting there, but they are not there just yet.

DALLAS, TX – DECEMBER 5: Mattias Ekholm /

It Had To Happen At Some Point

Let’s just start this section off by saying that no NHL team has ever gone 82-0-0. It may be possible to post an undefeated record in college or professional football, but it doesn’t happen in hockey. It never has and likely never will.

It’s also unlikely that a team would ever win 70 games in a season. The most wins ever by an NHL team is 60, and that was done over 40 years ago by the Montreal Canadiens.

So don’t fret about the Stars’ win streak ending. All good things must come to an end in due time. Dallas put on five great performances in a row and successfully vaulted themselves back into the playoff picture.

These Two Teams Really Do Not Like Each Other

It’s easy to assume that two divisional opponents don’t like each other. But for the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators, it’s not really a matter of “don’t like.” It’s more a matter of “hate” than anything.

Ever since the NHL realigned before the 2013-14 season, the Stars have been in search of a new rival. For the longest time, the Stars were at odds with the Detroit Red Wings. The two teams always seemed to meet up on a big stage and really went after each other in every matchup. Some other options were the Ducks, Sharks, Kings, and Coyotes, who were all in the Pacific with Dallas.

Nashville Predators

But with Detroit moving to the Eastern Conference and the Stars moving out of the Pacific Division, there was a need for a new team to strongly dislike.

Through the first few years, it looked as though the Chicago Blackhawks were the frontrunner to be the newest rival. The Hawks were largely hated by the majority of NHL fans that didn’t own a Chicago jersey, and the Stars had some spirited bouts with Chicago in the early going of the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.

The Stars and Hawks also have some bad blood in recent memory, with the two teams always jockeying for position in the standings and cutting offseason deals with each other.

Over the past few seasons, however, a new team seems to be coming into play. That team is the Nashville Predators.

At the time of realignment, the Dallas Stars were a developing team. They had just witnessed an offseason of change and did not know what to expect in 2013-14. The Predators, on the other hand, were a struggling team trying to be a consistent presence in the postseason.

As of last night, these two teams are fighting for the top spots in the Central. What a difference a few years makes.

But on the road to this position has come a lot of scuffling. If you watched last night’s game, you know what I’m talking about. Fighting, goaltender interference, and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were just a few of the fouls handed out in last night’s game alone. Both Curtis McKenzie and Jamie Oleksiak got into fights.

This isn’t the first time these two teams have fought, though. In three of the past four games between the two teams, there has been at least one fight. In one game last season, there were three fights in the first period alone. That game ended up being what many believe to be the game that all but extinguished the Stars’ playoff hopes.

And in each of the past seven games between the teams, there has been some sort of physical penalty called (roughing, cross checking, boarding, game misconduct).

These two teams really dig deep when facing each other. Maybe it’s because of their similar playing styles. Or maybe it’s the battle for which team is the real “non-traditional” hockey market. Either way, there is plenty of bad blood that starts brewing when these two teams meet up.

Last night’s game was another example of that fact. And if the past gives any reference to the future, this is likely going to continue as these two teams continue to battle for Central Division supremacy.

DALLAS, TX – DECEMBER 05: Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros (74) blocks a shot from Dallas Stars right wing Alexander Radulov (47) with help from defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) and left wing Viktor Arvidsson (33) during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Nashville Predators on Tuesday 05, 2017 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Nashville beats Dallas 5-2. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

…And That Could Lead To An Interesting Postseason

If the Dallas Stars can translate their recent success into long-term success, there is a good chance they will make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A five-game win streak pushed them up five spots in the standings, so continuing that trend should keep them on a good path.

The Stars currently sit in the first wild card spot in the Western Conference. And though there are still more than 50 games to be played in the season, let’s play a little hypothetical game. What if the regular season ended today? Who would the Dallas Stars play in the first round? Can you guess?

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If it isn’t already obvious from the heading, Dallas would take on Nashville in round one. Can you imagine the repercussions of a seven-game series between these two Central Division heavyweights?

As mentioned in the last slide, these two teams have plenty of hate harbored up against each other. If that were to play out across potentially seven games in a row, there would be no possible words to describe it.

The physicality, opportunities, grit, and overall fast pace of each game would be unparalleled. Last night’s game may have looked like a blowout, but the Stars put in a lot of effort. In the end, it was a mixture of the Stars’ simple mistakes and Nashville’s ability to capitalize on them that did Dallas in.

Still, this would likely be the most entertaining first round matchup of the eight come April.

And even if the Stars and Predators don’t meet up in the first round, both teams have shown that they have the depth and ability to make a playoff run. A second round matchup could be just as likely.

More From Blackout Dallas: Examining The Stars’ Path Through The Central Division

All in all, both teams are playing good hockey as of late and, barring any implosions, have a decent shot at making the postseason. If they find a way to get tangled up in the run to the Cup, there will likely be plenty of fireworks (and punches thrown) along the way. You can count on that.

Next: What We Learned About The Stars In November 2017

These are just a few of the things that stuck out last night in the Stars’ “biggest test of the year.” Though they flopped, there is plenty to be learned. The loss also didn’t hurt Dallas in any critical way. But it will be up to the Stars to rally back and prepare for a good St. Louis team tomorrow night on the road. Will they be ready to answer the bell?

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