The magic of the yellow laces seems to have finally run out on the Dallas Stars. Is it time to go back to normal, or should they keep them and try to reignite the spark?
The magic that the Dallas Stars stumbled upon obviously couldn’t last forever.
On Friday, November 24, the Stars retired the jersey of lifetime Star Jere Lehtinen. After playing 16 seasons in the NHL and spending each one in a Stars jersey, it was only right that Dallas retired no. 26. In addition to that, Lehtinen’s contributions to the organization were indescribably large.
As a tribute to his time with Dallas, the Stars wore yellow skate laces, a trademark part of Lehtinen’s outfit during his playing days. They wore them during warmups and proceeded to wear them throughout the game.
Though Dallas fell behind on three different occasions and gave up four goals, they rallied to claim a 6-4 win. The Dallas Stars fended off a scrappy and skilled Calgary Flames team to pick up their third win in four games.
Dallas Stars
Were the skate laces responsible for the impressive comeback victory? Or was it simply just another dominant home performance? Whatever the case was, the Stars kept the laces on board.
And that’s when the real magic happened. The Dallas Stars went on to win four more games to secure a five-game win streak. They beat some of the best teams in the West, spanning from Vegas, to twice against Chicago, and even the Colorado Avalanche who the Stars always seem to struggle with.
The win streak was a promising one and helped catapult the Stars into the playoff standings. Dallas now sits in the first wild card spot and is threatening to make a push into the top three. And all of this was because of the magic yellow skate laces, right?
Well, maybe not. On Tuesday night, the clock struck midnight on the Stars’ magical run. They came back to the AAC, where they were an impressive 10-2-0 on the year, to face off with the Nashville Predators. It was a big test for the Stars as Nashville had won 12 of their past 15 games.
The Stars did not end up answering the bell and endured a humbling 5-2 loss. Magical powers gone.
Dallas now must face a quick turnaround and be prepared to face a St. Louis Blues team that is just as good on the road tonight. The Stars have already lost to the Blues once this season and are in need of a win to keep their standing in the Central.
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So should the yellow laces stick around? The answer is a plain and simple yes.
Depending on whether you believe in any sort of superstition or not, the laces have still been around for a lot of good luck. For example, the Stars are 3-0-0 in their last three road games after starting the year at a 3-8-1 mark. The road game has been unkind to Dallas, but with the yellow skate laces, things seem to be evening out.
And it’s also just one loss. The Stars are still 5-1-0 in their last six games and 7-2-0 in their last nine. They are on one of the hottest streaks in the NHL. Tuesday night’s loss looks ugly, but it simply gives Dallas more motivation to work for a better result in the next game.
That next game is tonight, on the road, against a Central Division opponent. With the yellow skate laces intact, the Stars should be in for a fun ride.
As of practice on Wednesday afternoon, the Stars were still wearing the yellow laces. It’s unclear of whether they are wearing them tonight or not. But if the team can see the incredible amount of good that has come while wearing them, it should be enough to keep them going a little while longer.
After all, the Dallas Stars just need to start another streak tonight. As Michael Scott once said, “I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.”
Next: Final Thoughts On Stars' 5-2 Loss To Predators
Keep the laces around and see what comes from them tonight. If the past has any say, chances are the team will like the results.