Dallas Stars Could be Thrown Off By NHL All-Star Break

The NHL’s best and brightest are in Tampa Bay, Fl. this weekend for the 2018 All Star Weekend. While it’s a great event, it could disrupt the Dallas Stars play once they return to action.

The Dallas Stars have had an incredible run in January. Thus far, 2018 has treated them well and the last thing they want is to interrupt their relatively unbeatable month.

A Sour Taste

In their final game before heading in to the current break, the Stars fell 4-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was a game that seemingly everything went wrong for Dallas, but it is also the most recent game that is marinating in their minds this break.

While it’s expected that Dallas won’t win every game, it’s hard to go into a few days off on that kind of a note. In all reality, it could serve as a disappointment or fuel to do better.

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If the Stars come out of the break rejuvenated and ready to go, they can all but erase that game from there memories. However, if they let the loss get to their heads and fail to come out guns blazing in their return to the American Airlines Center on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings, it could spell disaster.

Back-to-Back Breaks

The loss aside, the Stars are also on the tail-end of a few breaks this month. Their bye week was earlier in January and to have the All-Star break so close is slightly odd scheduling-wise.

A lot of NHL teams are dealing with this, though, considering the league structured bye weeks around the same time. But some teams will deal with these small breaks between every other night hockey better than others.

The Dallas Stars are a young club, so they have that benefit on their side. However, if their routines have been reconfigured around the breaks of late, it could be difficult for them to readjust. Of course, that wouldn’t be evident right away. It would take a few weeks for that to be fully noticeable, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye out for.

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Head in the Game

Regardless of how the Stars spent their time-off, they need to remember what’s at stake. While they find themselves in a good place standings-wise, the playoffs aren’t a guarantee. A lot of work is still necessary for them to secure their spot. Really, the season has just begun.