Dallas Stars Prove That They Are Still Resilient On Recent Road Trip

With a slump threatening their playoff hopes, the Dallas Stars did what any good team does: they beat adversity. The Stars claimed a critical win against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night and proved their resilience yet again.

Just seven days ago, the Dallas Stars defeated the St. Louis Blues in a gritty 2-1 victory. The win bumped Dallas into third place in the Central Division standings after they had spent months chasing the spot.

That was only one week ago. But for some reason, it feels like the Stars went through an entire playoff push in that timespan.

That’s because in the three games that Dallas has played since last Friday, there’s been a lot take in. Uncertainty, rage, disbelief, relief, celebration and an unreal amount of anxiety are just some of those. In other words, any of the feelings you might experience when your favorite team gets stuck in a heated race to the postseason.

So here we are at Friday, and where are the Dallas Stars? Well, they are still in third place in the Central Division. They are 35-22-4 on the season with 74 points. Dallas sits nine points out of first place in the division and five points out of sixth (which would put them out of the playoff picture).

Dallas Stars

But over this past week, the Stars went on quite an entertaining and motivating journey. And through that journey, we learned a lot about the team.

This past Sunday, Dallas kicked off a three-game road trip in California with a stop in San Jose. After securing third place in the division less than 48 hours prior after months of chasing the Blues, the team seemed to be on cloud nine. They had won six of their last seven games and were trending towards the top of the league. All in all, the Stars looked like a surefire playoff team that could make a serious run.

The confidence in that statement was quickly weakened by the end of the first period against the Sharks. San Jose scored four unanswered goals in the first period and ended up throttling Dallas 5-2. Meanwhile, the Stars looked utterly lost and disconnected.

The loss was the second blowout defeat for the Stars in the past three games (tacking onto the 6-0 loss to Vancouver the week prior). Was this team really deserving of third place in the Central, or had a “fluke” win over St. Louis been the sole reason they had claimed the spot?

The Stars took two days off before hitting the ice again on Wednesday night in Anaheim. They faced off with a Ducks team that needed a win just as badly as they did in the Western Conference playoff race.

The Dallas offense went flat, scoring zero goals on 41 shots against Ryan Miller. And while the defense and goaltending showed significant improvement, they still couldn’t pull out the win. The Ducks downed the Stars 2-0 and handed Dallas an unfamiliar and unsettling losing streak.

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It’s not that the Stars had done anything wrong per say, but they could not seem to pull out a win when it mattered most. As a result, though, they were slipping from their newfound place of prominence and were slowly getting closer to the playoff wall.

But there was no time to dwell on the past. The Stars immediately departed for Los Angeles to prepare for a Thursday night showdown with the Kings. It was another important matchup in the West playoff hunt, and it was unclear how Dallas would approach the game. Would they once again falter and go winless on a crucial road trip? Or would they bounce back, break the skid, and pick up an incredibly valuable two points?

Though it took somewhere around 50 minutes, the Dallas Stars finally decided to take the latter. Tyler Seguin scored a deflection goal from a Greg Pateryn shot to break a Stars’ goal drought that had lasted longer than 120 minutes. Dallas then received an empty net goal from Alexander Radulov to seal the deal on a 2-0 win.

In last night’s game, it seemed as though all of the past week’s struggles had disappeared. The team looked revamped, focused, and determined. And that’s why this road trip was important. It helped reassert that the Dallas Stars’ biggest strength this season is their resilience.

Just a few minutes before puck drop on Thursday night, the Minnesota Wild completed a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. The win pushed Minnesota to 73 points, effectively moving them into third in the division and pushing Dallas, who had 72 at the time, into the first wild card spot.

And that’s when the frustration peaked. The Stars had wasted two good opportunities at padding their lead in the division over the past five days. They had finally earned third place but couldn’t seem to take the next step.

While the Stars fumbled chances against San Jose and Anaheim, it seemed as though the rest of the division was winning and closing in. And then the Wild just nudged them out of the top three as if it took no effort. That’s aggravating.

But then Dallas responded. The Stars knew the stakes involved in Thursday’s game. A loss would mark three straight and could potentially push Dallas out of the playoff picture completely by Friday night. Their performances had been flat and discouraging over the first two games of the trip and they needed a grand finale.

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While it wasn’t an entirely enticing or explosive game, it had its moments. And through it all, the Stars did what they had to in order to pick up the two points.

The Stars played on tired legs against a physical team and somehow outdid them. They took on a team that needed a win to get back into their own playoff picture and found a way to want it more. They also sank their confidence into backup goaltender Kari Lehtonen who answered the bell yet again.

Throughout last night’s game, the Dallas Stars proved that they can still dig themselves out of a hole before being buried. They still know how to play a resilient style of game and turn to desperation as their friend. And that’s what they need at this point in the season.

The Dallas Stars’ California road trip started off on a dangerously negative note. Their offense was stagnant and their defense and goaltending were inconsistent. They just couldn’t find a way to get a win.

But that all changed in Los Angeles. The Stars knew that their spot in the standings was in trouble and dug in. It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but they picked up the two points due to a lockdown final 40 minutes.

Next: Stars' Fight To The Playoffs Still Far From Over

If there’s anything we’ve learned about this Dallas Stars team this year, it’s that they hate being put in a corner. As a result, they find a way to slip out of it and get back into the fight.

Not many teams have that capability, which makes it all the more special.