Yes, the Dallas Stars are trudging through a rough patch in their regular season right now. And yes, they cannot seem to get things clicking when it matters most. But no, they are not a bad team.
It was another rough night for the Dallas Stars, and that’s not good.
On short rest and in the second night of a back-to-back, the Stars simply could not get it done against the Nashville Predators. They kept it close for a little while, but didn’t have the energy or production necessary to gain two points. Instead, they dropped a 2-0 decision for their second straight loss.
Yes, it was disappointing. The Stars failed to capitalize on another opportunity at two points, fell back into a three-point deficit for third place in the Central Division, and now sit at a record of 37-24-6 with 80 points. With 15 games to go, nothing is certain yet about this Dallas Stars team or where they may be going.
But no, they are not a bad team. And while you may think that’s obvious, it’s incredible to see how many people continually bail on the Stars when things look uncertain.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are definitely a good team. They hit some rough patches at times, but 80 points in 67 games cannot be considered bad. And no, the Stars have not simply gotten “lucky” over this span. The 2016-17 Stars got lucky at times and were a bad team. This team is not.
The problem with last night’s loss was not because of a bad team effort overall. It was simply due to a lack of offense. There were practically no quality scoring chances for Dallas in the game and led the Stars to getting shutout for the sixth time this season. While that is disappointing, it’s not a reason to throw the entire team out the window. They did too many good things in a tough situation to be considered bad.
The first hat tip goes to goaltender Kari Lehtonen, who arguably played his best game of the season last night. Lehtonen stopped 32 of 33 shots. That ties the most shots he’s stopped in a game this season, but he only gave up one goal this time around. Kari had a couple monumental saves that kept Dallas hanging around through the entire game.
And that’s another thing: the Stars hung around. Dallas played it close for the entire game against the best team in the Western Conference (and now, the league). They made some mistakes, but their goaltender bailed them out and kept the Stars pushing forward. It’s not like the Preds beat them 5-2 like they did back in December. The Stars held on against the best team in the NHL and were one goal away from a different fate.
On top of that, Dallas was in a bit of a spotty situation. They were playing in their second straight game without Esa Lindell and Radek Faksa, who are both key components in the lineup. They had also just lost starting goaltender Ben Bishop to an injury with no set timetable.
Oh, and don’t forget about the little rest. The Stars had just played a game against the Ottawa Senators at home on Monday night and headed for Nashville immediately after. And while it was an unusually weak effort from Dallas, the Stars still played 60 minutes and an overtime period just 24 hours before this game against Nashville. That’s not an easy situation to bounce back from.
All in all, the Dallas Stars faced their toughest test of the 2017-18 season and fell short in the final few minutes of the game. That’s an impressive feat to reach considering the circumstances.
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It’s funny how quickly people still abandon ship. Talks of how this team is bad and not going to make the playoffs littered social media as well as in other places. A 1-1-1 record in three games is not grounds for giving up on a team that currently sits in a playoff spot with a decent lead on the teams below them.
Now, do the Stars have flaws? Absolutely. The offense has gone stagnant over the past month or two and the defense and goaltending have had to carry the load. When Dallas gets offensive production, it seems to always be from someone in the big four (Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov, John Klingberg). Could the Stars use more effective depth scoring? Definitely.
Their power play also went 0-4 last night, which is another discouraging factor. The Stars could definitely use more scoring at the moment as they prepare to make a final push to the postseason.
But every team shows flaws at certain points in a season. It’s only natural.
Remember when the Stars put together a five-game win streak at the beginning of February? Where were all of the complaints during that hot streak?
It just goes to show that the Dallas Stars are a team still searching for consistency. But the talent is there and they have shown the league what they are capable of. Don’t forget the flashes of brilliance that the team showed earlier in the season. They have shown that they can be a top-tier team and run with the best in the league (besides Winnipeg). But at the moment, the Stars are simply trying to get it all running.
Their defense is one of the best groups in the league statistically at the moment. They own the fourth-lowest goals against average and look like a dominant unit (at least when they are all healthy). They own two incredibly stable and competent goaltenders in Ben Bishop and Kari Lehtonen who are both buying the team a chance to win in just about every game. And while the offense is in a bit of a scoring drought at the moment, they have still shown their strength through stretches of the season.
It’s all a process, and some teams figure it out quicker than others. The Dallas Stars are a good team that is still searching for a full-time solution. They may find it soon or they may not find it at all. That’s up to the team.
But a close regulation loss to the best team in the league is no reason to throw this team under the bus. There are still 15 games left in the regular season, and anything can happen.
This Stars team has some flaws (just like every other NHL team), but now is not the time to harbor on them. The season isn’t stopping and there is still a playoff push at hand.
Next: Watching The Western Conference Playoff Race This Week
So no, the Dallas Stars are not a bad team. They are a good team with a few kinks that has proven their capability of being a great team at times. This is a rough patch, but they are still showing clear signs of fighting to be better.
Just remember that the next time you plan on tearing into a team that is 13 wins above .500.