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Dallas Stars Should Ditch These Things from the 2017-18 Season

By Allison Scott

ST. PAUL, MN - MARCH 29: Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba (24), right, get tangled up with Dallas Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen (32) during the Western Conference game between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild on March 29, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Wild defeated the Stars 5-2. (Photo by David Berding/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN - MARCH 29: Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba (24), right, get tangled up with Dallas Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen (32) during the Western Conference game between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild on March 29, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Wild defeated the Stars 5-2. (Photo by David Berding/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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To say that the 2017-18 NHL season has been interesting for the Dallas Stars would be quite the understatement. Their struggles have been exacerbated during their recent slump, and it revealed a few things they need to ditch moving forward.

When it comes to professional hockey, the Dallas Stars are the poster child for what not to do at the end of the season. They went from an almost 80 percent chance of making the playoffs to around five percent within the span of two weeks.

That kind of a nose dive so late in the season leaves a lot to be desired. It also points out the flaws in the team, players and system, which simply can’t be around in the future.

#3 Drop Pass on Power Play

Going on the man advantage is supposed to be just that — an advantage. The last few weeks for the Stars, however, have proven just how little that can mean. Not only are they giving up a surprisingly high number of shorthanded goals, the Stars are also failing to gain the blue line with an extra player on the ice.

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Everyone knows the Stars are going to have John Klingberg skate the puck to the Dallas blue line and drop it back for either Jason Spezza or Tyler Seguin on the first unit. It’s been part of their power play for years but really took its toll on the team’s success this season.

The predictability of this play makes it that much easier to defend. All the opposition needs to do is have a penalty killer high to disrupt the pass and they, at the very least, prevent Dallas from entering the offensive zone and kill some time.

Although other teams have adopted this approach to the man advantage, it’s not benefiting the Stars in the slightest. They’re not keeping teams on their toes, and for that reason, they should take alternative approaches to the power play.

#2 Lack of Backcheck

Whether the Stars are trying to recover from turning the puck over or just following the rush the other way, there’s no excuse to not keep moving.

Too many goals have been scored this season because Dallas forwards stopped skating and let the opposition’s players join the play. Not only does this make it difficult for goaltenders to make saves, it shows the team’s disconnect. They’re not all on the same page defensively, and it only leads to implosions within the team’s system.

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The Stars needs to have an understanding of what each player is responsible for when it comes to the rush moving toward Dallas’ defensive zone, and they need to stick to it. Having players be disheveled and not skating to get back only derails all of the work they put in the rest of the game.

#1 Dump and Chase

Or, as it’s alternately known, Ken Hitchcock’s brand of hockey. Dallas was built around the idea of being a fast, puck-moving team with offensive powerhouses. Hitch, however, coaches a defensively responsible game in which offense is restricted.

See the conflict? Jim Nill should have too. Whether he hired Hitch for nostalgia or because he thought he was the best man for the job, there’s no argument that this season was underwhelming. That’s two years in a row that the Stars severely underperformed.

It can’t be chalked up to just one aspect of Dallas hockey, but it’s hard to say that hiring Hitch didn’t drastically change the team’s style of play. No longer are they capitalizing on their speed and skill up front. The Stars are, in fact, struggling to score at all.

When the roster includes names to the likes of Jamie Benn, Seguin and Spezza, not scoring isn’t acceptable. Whether they get back in the playoff race with a new man behind the bench or not, playing the dump and chase brand of hockey simply won’t work with the existing roster. And changing the team up too much will likely lead to the issues they saw last season.

Next: Stars Must Start Learning from Mistakes

It’s been a difficult thing to watch a team that had such high praise going into the season plummet like the Stars did, but this proves that anything can happen. Hopefully, it will fuel their offseason efforts and lead to a better, more successful Dallas Stars club for the 2018-19 season.

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