Dallas Stars Get Dose of Reality in Dramatic Loss to Sharks
There’s nothing like a loss to a conference rival to knock a team’s confidence down a peg. The Dallas Stars were riding a high after defeating the St. Louis Blues last Friday, but were reminded of how easily it is to lose to the talent in the NHL with a 5-2 loss to the Sharks last night.
With 59 games behind them, the Dallas Stars are in sole possession of third place in the Central Division. Their 72 points has them tied with the Blues, but St. Louis has played one more game.
The Stars could have further solidified their spot in the standings if they would have even earned one point in last night’s match-up; however, they found a way to lose the game early and it cost them.
Luck is Short-Lived
Dallas shouldn’t have won on Friday night, but because they were able to squeeze out a victory, it didn’t really matter that their play was less-than-impressive. Yesterday’s loss wasn’t the same case.
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Really, when it comes to critiquing the Stars’ play it comes down to their effort. We’ve seen two starkly different teams take the ice this season. One is nearly unbeatable, their passes are crisp, shots are accurate and they take advantage of the opportunities they have. The other, though, is sloppy with the puck in every zone, fails to do the things they know are required to win and find themselves in the penalty box way more often than they should.
Unfortunately, your guess is as good as mine as to which team will show up on a nightly basis. Luck only gets you so far in the NHL, especially when it’s crunch time. Dallas will need to rely on skill, dedication to their system and good ole fashion blood, sweat and tears to win.
Points right now are more valuable than ever, and the Stars can’t be surrendering goals early and often if they wish to maintain their current positioning in the Central Division.
Gap is Closing
It’s no secret that the Stars find themselves in a difficult division, arguably the strongest in the league. They are in the thick of the race with their 72 points, but can’t maintain that positioning if they continue to play the way they have of late.
While the Chicago Blackhawks find themselves bottoming out the division with 58 points, they can’t be counted out until they’re mathematically eliminated. The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild sit at 66 and 69 points respectively, putting them in reasonable reach of the Stars.
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Really, they’re just one streak away from being bottom feeders in the division and losing almost any hope of home ice. The NHL is a fast-paced league that is nothing short of demanding. The Dallas Stars need to get back on track and soon if they wish to not throw away all the work they’ve put in this season.