Dallas Stars Conquer Months Of Adversity With Gritty Win Over Blues

It wasn’t a typical effort from the Dallas Stars, but it was enough to get the job done. After months of digging in and persevering, they ousted the St. Louis Blues and claimed a top-three spot in the Central Division. That’s something worth celebrating.

Just a little over 50 days ago, the Dallas Stars beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2. It was the third meeting of the season between the two clubs, with the Blues claiming the first two matchups.

The Stars rallied back from a 2-1 deficit and capped off the win to keep their hot streak at home alive. It was an exciting and gritty divisional showdown and gave Dallas sole control of the first wild card spot in the Western Conference. It also put them a mere three points out of third place in the Central Division.

That’s really where the journey began. And what journey is that, you might ask? It’s the Stars’ journey and search for any sort of positive ascension in the standings.

The Dallas Stars have spent the past two months in a bind. Since the win over St. Louis in December, the Stars seemed to have done everything right. After a slow start to the year, Dallas owns a 13-5-1 record over the past 19 games. They seem to be firing on all cylinders, can pull wins out of just about every situation, and are gaining speed at the right time in the season.

Dallas Stars

And yet, it still didn’t seem to be enough. The Stars would win a couple of games and then lose one or two. Then they would win a few more and follow it up with a loss. Considering even great teams take a loss every once in a while, it seemed like they were in a pretty good groove.

But winning simply did not seem to be enough, and that became frustrating after a while. The Stars were playing excellent hockey, but so was the rest of the league. And to make things even more frustrating, every time the Stars would have an opportunity to close the gap, they would blow the opportunity with a loss.

Considering that having success is a lot more fun when it is easily noticeable, this was quickly becoming a problem for the Stars. It was turning into a vicious cycle and Dallas needed a way out. If they didn’t capitalize soon, they might become satisfied with their level of play and get swept into the thick of the wild card race.

An opportunity arose on Friday night, and boy was it a big one. After four days of sitting and waiting for more acton, the Stars and Blues met up at the AAC.

Dallas came into the game just two points back of the Blues in the Central Division standings with two games in hand. If they could spend this one wisely, the Vancouver game could be expunged entirely from memory and give the Stars a new win to focus on.

The Dallas Stars won the game 2-1, but it wasn’t in the most regular of fashions. There were plenty of odd factors that stood out in the game. But it was the ability of the Dallas Stars to work their way around these oddities and fight to the finish that helped them get the win.

More from Editorials

• Dallas Stars hockey is about to be the main attraction in Dallas this year
• Age Before Beauty: The impact of Benn’s new role on his Dallas legacy
• Dallas Stars hockey is the light at the end of the tunnel
• Dallas Stars coverage is lacking and it’s very concerning to be honest
• Sit back, relax and watch Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars draft scouts cook

For example, the Stars were outshot 29-16. The Stars pride themselves on offensive pressure, so 16 shots was a rather unexpected number. But Dallas capitalized on their chances when it mattered most. That’s what good teams do.

In addition to that, the officiating was questionable. There were some seemingly obvious calls on St. Louis that the officials neglected to call. They also awarded the Blues five different power plays in the game, but the Stars responded by stopping all but one of them. The lone goal was scored in a 6-on-4 setting in the final minutes of the game. Besides that goal, the Dallas penalty kill was lights out. That’s what good teams do.

Marc Methot also stepped into the lineup for the first time since Jan. 4. It’s never easy to come back after an extended period of time and immediately gel with the system. But that’s what Methot did, tallying his first point as a Star on an assist and forming a shutdown third pairing with Stephen Johns. The Stars adapted quickly to the new look on the blue line and made it work. That’s what good teams do.

Ben Bishop was absolutely stellar in net. He made some massive stops in the final minute of each period and had to give a little extra effort on a few saves. But he stopped 28 of 29 and gave the Stars a fighting chance to win. That’s what good goalies do.

The Dallas Stars also received scoring help from outside of their first line. Mattias Janmark scored the first goal on the power play in the second period and Stephen Johns followed it up with a cannon of a slap shot in the third. The scoring chances were slim, but were shared around the lineup. That’s what good teams do.

Even in the oddest of games, the Dallas Stars found a way to answer the bell. They also proved that they are one of the Central Division’s best in the process.

All in all, they dug in and did what they had to do. A little over two months ago, the Stars were 11 points back of third place in the Central Division. But that didn’t stop them from digging in and enduring the climb. It was a long one filled with frustration and disappointment, but it ended in a victorious fashion.

The Dallas Stars are in third place in the division for the first time since early November. That’s a long road in a stacked division for any team to bear, but the Stars proved that they can do it. On top of that, they once again proved last night that they can stare down adversity and beat it head-on.

Next: What Should The Stars Focus On At Trade Deadline?

Last Sunday, the Stars looked as though they were in dangerous waters even after an impressive stretch. But last night, they bounced back in a big way and earned their spot after a long drive.

So for now, there’s time to celebrate. But come tomorrow, the climb starts back up. Time to keep on chugging.