Over the past few weeks, the Dallas Stars have continually played to the level of their opposition. While it’s been a problem, it will be a big positive if they can keep it up down the stretch.
The past two weeks in the hockey world have proven one thing: there is something significantly wrong with the Dallas Stars right now. That’s a serious problem to have with the playoff push entering its final leg.
Since Mar. 5, the Stars are a humbling 1-3-3. They have picked up five of a possible 14 points, are winless through the first four games of their six-game road trip, and look like a team that has run out of gas.
But perhaps the most worrisome factor in this skid is what it has done to the Stars’ playoff hopes. Dallas entered the month of March in sole control of the first wild card spot with a three-point barrier separating them from the playoff wall. But after a lackluster first half of the month, that lead has shrunken entirely.
As of Sunday morning, the Dallas Stars sit in a three-way tie for the first wild card spot. While it’s nice to see that they still have a grasp on the first spot, it also means that they hypothetically have a foot outside of the playoff picture. That’s not a good spot to be when you’re in a slump with the regular season dwindling. But nonetheless, it’s up to the Stars to figure their way out of it.
Dallas Stars
So far, they cannot seem to get it right. Over the past few games, Dallas has faced a wide variety of opponents, spanning from “Cup contenders” to “early offseason” teams. And though they haven’t found a respectable amount of success against the top dogs, their lack of success against the struggling teams is the more frustrating part.
The Stars are one of the best teams in the Western Conference. It shows in their standing and record, and also shows with the talent in their lineup. But over the past few games, they cannot seem to beat even the lowliest of clubs.
Some think it’s because they have run out of gas. It’s a trying time of the year and the Stars are playing a game every other night. With no lengthy breaks and a long travel schedule, it’s possible that Dallas is simply fatigued. And while playoff-caliber teams should know how to battle through it, the Stars are staying afloat.
But the problem is that they shouldn’t just be afloat, especially considering their recent schedule. In the past week, the Stars took on the Penguins (10th best team in the NHL), Canadiens (26th in NHL), Maple Leafs (6th in NHL), and Senators (27th in NHL). It was a good mixture of quality and straggling competition to start off their road trip.
The results? A 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh, a 4-2 loss to Montreal, a 6-5 shootout loss to Toronto, and a 3-2 overtime loss to Ottawa. 0-2-2. And while it makes sense to struggle with teams like Pittsburgh or Toronto who are both in the top three of their respective divisions, wins against Montreal and Ottawa should be a guarantee for any playoff team at this point in the year.
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And yet, Dallas cannot seem to make it work. What may be the most obvious reason for these underwhelming performances is that Dallas is simply playing to the level of their opponents. This means that the Stars are matching their level of effort to the caliber of the opponent before the game even starts.
It’s a common problem for teams in all sports. They go in believing that they already have a win in the bag and the opposing team pounces on the opportunity.
The Stars went into the game against Montreal with a relaxed effort and paid for it. Three nights later, they clashed with the Senators and once again could not close out the game. Their efforts were severely lacking and even though their opponents are a substantial ways down the totem pole, they still brought the effort required to win the game.
Does this mean that the Dallas Stars aren’t a playoff team? Not necessarily. But it does make the road that much more difficult on Dallas from here on out. Those “gimme” games weren’t capitalized on, so now the Stars will have to dig into some of the NHL’s best teams if they want to clinch a playoff berth.
But that should be easy, so long as Dallas keeps playing to the level of their opposition.
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On Tuesday night, the Stars’ level of compete dipped down to match a lowly Canadiens team, and Montreal made Dallas pay for it. But on Wednesday night, Dallas took on travel time and fatigue from the previous night’s game and almost walked away with a win over one of the best teams in the NHL. The Stars hung tough with the Leafs, put on an offensive clinic, and had two or three different chances to win the game before settling with one point.
It just goes to show that the Dallas Stars know how to match their opposition’s energy level on any given night. This strategy obviously doesn’t work well against struggling teams, but it seems to be rather effective against playoff challengers.
And that’s what Dallas needs over the final three weeks of the regular season. Nine of the Stars’ final ten games will plot them against a team that is either already in or fighting for a playoff spot. In the next six days alone, the Stars will take on three of the top eight teams in the NHL, starting with the Winnipeg Jets tonight.
If Dallas can focus and bring the level of energy that they know is required of them based on their opponent, they should have no trouble at competing. They showed it in Toronto and they’ve shown it all season.
But there’s no more time for debating on whether or not they can run with the best teams in the NHL. It’s gotten to a point where now they have to do it in order to keep their playoff hopes alive.
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But if they keep playing to the level of their opponents, they shouldn’t have any trouble. They pulled it off in Toronto and will need to do it a few more times before this season wraps up.
If they can do that, they just might have a shot at making this playoff run worth it.