With the month of March off and running, the Dallas Stars already have a large test on their plate. The Tampa Bay Lightning, who currently own the best record in the NHL, are in Big D tonight. It’s up to Dallas to prove their readiness and start the month on a strong note.
The day is Nov. 16, 2017. The Dallas Stars are in Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning in their 19th game of the season. At the time, the Stars were struggling to find consistency while the Lightning were flying high.
And boy, did it show in the results. The Bolts laid an all-out assault on Dallas, defeating them 6-1 at Amalie Arena. It was the Stars’ worst loss of the season up to that point, and left them once again foraging for answers.
The loss was an ugly one for a few reasons.
The first simply had to do with the Ben Bishop storyline. After spending nearly five full seasons with the Lightning, Bishop molded himself into an elite NHL goaltender there, led the Bolts to two straight playoff appearances and one Stanley Cup Final, and was a multi-year finalist for the Vezina Trophy. He helped build the Lightning into the powerhouse NHL franchise that they are now, so his return was highly anticipated.
Tampa Bay Lightning
But that anticipation quickly turned bitter. Bishop gave up six goals to Tampa on 28 shots and was quickly humbled in front of a crowd that used to cheer him on.
It was also the most detailed episode in the Stars’ early season struggles. Dallas did a lot of good things in the game, including holding Tampa to no goals in the first, outshooting them significantly in the second period, and owning the face-off dot with an overbearing 68.2 percent draws won. But they still got spanked. That’s because Tampa capitalized on their opportunities and piled it on.
The loss bumped the Dallas Stars to 9-9-1 on the season. The team returned to the drawing board once again following this game as they searched for the breakout that they desperately needed.
A lot has happened to both teams since that game, though. For the Tampa Bay Lightning, they have simply kept it in high gear. They are still the best team in the NHL with a record of 43-17-4. They are pushing for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and became the first team to reach 90 points last night.
But you could argue that the Dallas Stars are an entirely different team than when the Bolts saw them last. Since that game, the Stars are on a 27-14-3 run. But it’s not just their record that is impressive.
Over the past few months, the Stars have shown flashes of a team that can not only make the postseason, but craft a long run. Their offense could use a little more contribution on a regular basis from depth players, but is still clicking at a solid rate. The defense is as good as it’s been in years with three shutdown pairs. And the goaltending of Ben Bishop and Kari Lehtonen has been superb to say the least.
Dallas Stars
But through all of the highs over the past three months, the Stars sit in fourth place in the Central. While they occupy the first wild card spot and are only three points from third in the division, they are also three points from being outside the playoff picture entirely.
So, every game carries a significant weight with it from here on out. The Dallas Stars are in the thick of the playoff push and, as everyone knows, all a team has to do is get in. From there on out, anything can happen. But in order to get in, the Stars will need to be on top of their game every night.
That all starts tonight against the Lightning at the American Airlines Center. While the Lightning suffered an overtime loss at home to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night, that doesn’t downplay their dominance in any way. They have the most points in the league, have the highest goals for average with their prolific offense, boast a skilled and threatening blue line, and own one of the best power play units in the league.
With that being said, the Dallas Stars are David going up against the NHL’s Goliath. That’s no easy task, but it’s one that the Stars must prove that they are up for. While the playoff race has been actively going for around a month now, this is where it really starts getting serious.
The Stars have struggled through their past few games, going 3-4-0 in their last seven contests. When they win, it’s because they get bailed out by their defense or goaltending. When they lose, it’s a blowout loss by at least two or three goals. Something about their effort level has to be changed, and that can start tonight against Tampa.
Dallas head coach Ken Hitchcock juggled his lines this morning once again in hopes of sparking his offensive output. In addition, Ben Bishop will get the start once again against his former team.
Next: What The Stars Must Do In March To Playoffs
The Stars and Lightning are meeting up for the second and final time this season tonight at the AAC. While Tampa is looking to cushion their lead in the race for the President’s Trophy, Dallas is simply looking to stay alive in a messy race to the postseason. In tonight’s game, the Dallas Stars can not only redeem themselves from November’s beating, but also prove that they are still legitimate playoff contenders.
Who wants it more? We’ll find out when the puck drops at 7:30 p.m.