January 2018 presents yet another interesting test for the Dallas Stars. While the schedule may look relatively easy and filled with rest, it could quickly become a pitfall.
It’s not likely that the Dallas Stars could enter 2018 on a much higher note.
As 2017 approached a much-needed end through December, the Dallas Stars built themselves up with a new energy.
After starting the 2017-18 regular season on an average note, the Stars needed some sort of revelation or rebirth to spark them. They found it towards the end of November and into the start of December.
During that stretch, Dallas strung together an impressive five-game win streak against some of the best teams in the Western Conference. But then, like they had done a few times already in the season, they hit another bump. Three straight losses almost completely negated the Stars’ progress when it came to the standings and put them back in a hole.
Dallas Stars
The rest of December, however, saw a different tune. The Dallas Stars closed out 2017 on a 6-2-2 note, including winning four straight at home in the final ten days of the month. The Stars now sit at a record of 22-15-3 with 47 points. They have solidified themselves as the no. 1 wild card seed at the moment and have created a little bit of separation in the standings.
There is no time to rest on their success, though. The Stars are still very much in the thick of the Western Conference, and two or three wins or losses could shift them significantly in one direction or the other.
While they posted their best record of any month this season in December (8-5-2), there is still half of a season to be played. The New Year is never particularly forgiving to the Dallas Stars, so they will need to have their A-game on and ready.
As 2018 gets underway, college football is quickly on its way out and the NFL is starting its postseason slate. Before you know it, the NHL and NBA will be at the center of the sports world. That’s another opportunity for the Dallas Stars to make their case known.
They will start their 2018 campaign off tomorrow night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It is the third game of a six-game homestand for Dallas, where they have been dominant all year with a record of 14-4-1.
Let’s take a look at the Stars’ January opponents and matchups:
Columbus Blue Jackets (2 games: 1 home, 1 away), New Jersey Devils (1 game: home), Edmonton Oilers (1 game: home), Colorado Avalanche (1 game: home), Boston Bruins (1 game: away), Detroit Red Wings (1 game: away), Buffalo Sabres (1 game: away), Florida Panthers (1 game: home), Toronto Maple Leafs (1 game: home), Los Angeles Kings (1 game: home)
Now let’s break this schedule down.
The factor that stands out the most in this coming month is that the Stars only play 11 games. They played 12 in October, 13 in November, and 15 in December. This month will feature the least amount of Stars’ games than any other month this season.
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The eleven games are broken up into bunches for the Stars. They start out the month with four straight home games, then transition to a four-game road trip, and finish the month with three in a row at home. So seven home games and four away games in total in the month ahead.
This month’s schedule will give the Stars a good look at the Eastern Conference, pitting them against the East in eight of their eleven games.
The Stars will only play one Central Division opponent this month, being the Colorado Avalanche. It will be their final game against the Avs this season. After starting the year at an ugly 2-6-0 record in the division, the Stars are now 7-9-0 and have won three of their past four games against divisional opponents.
January could offer the Stars another chance to slowly chip away at the ground separating them from the top three in the division. And according to the makeup of their opponents, they should have a good chance at making it happen.
While Dallas is arguably one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now, their opponents in January aren’t having the same success for the most part. Of the ten opponents Dallas will face this month, only seven of them hold a record above .500. On top of that, only five of them currently sit in a playoff spot in their respective conferences.
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Perhaps the biggest factor in their schedule this month is the gap that the Stars have between games. While they only have one back-to-back (on January 15-16 against Boston and Detroit) scheduled, the Stars have an extensive amount of rest built into their slate.
Following the game against Edmonton this Saturday, the Stars will have a six-day break with no hockey scheduled. It’s a league-mandated break and every team has a one-week break built into their schedule at one point or another this year. In addition to that, the Stars have a four-day break towards the end of the month to accommodate the All-Star Game and weekend in Tampa Bay.
While that is nice for a team that has played a lot of hockey through three months, it can also be a downfall. The Stars must not let the extra rest get to them or wear down the momentum they have built up. It will also be a time for Dallas to sit and see how the rest of the league fluctuates and how the standings end up. They could very well find themselves near the outside of the playoff bubble by the end of it all (though they will have games in hand), so that could be another factor.
All in all, January presents an interesting challenge for the Dallas Stars. Their competition is a step down from what it has been in the first three months and they have a lot more rest time implemented in their schedule.
Next: It's Been A Long Year: Stars Had A Curious 2017
While it looks easy for a team that is currently rolling and putting together a run, looks can be deceiving. It will be up to the Stars to make the proper adjustments and take the schedule head on.