Dallas Stars fans must be used to the pattern of an exciting offseason, high hopes, and eventually being letdown by now – which is why it’s so important that the 2018-2019 season follows through.
As a slightly analytical and sometimes obsessive person, I’m a fan of patterns. Making connections between related things is not only satisfying, but it’s a crucial step in understanding how those things work and forming expectations that will dictate future behavior.
In the world of patterns, you really have only two options: good or bad. Good patterns are like formulas for success. You see the first item on the agenda occur, and you’ve seen it lead to good things before so often that it has become synonymous with the positive end result.
And then you have patterns that lead you down the path to disappointment. I️ like to call them ruts. The first thing happens and it’s deja vu- this happened before, didn’t it? A vague feeling of dread sinks in. And the spiral is nearly inescapable.
The worst thing about patterns, though, is you never really know if you’re observing one until sometimes it’s too late. Unless you’ve seen the exact same thing happen before, multiple times, you have no inside scoop as to what it will lead to.
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And even then, the slightest and almost unrecognizable tweak in the process can push the outcome of the pattern past normality. What was a rut can all of a sudden turn into a formula for success, but still leave you anticipating disappointment until the very end because you didn’t notice the change.
I know, I️ know, rein this back in and make it about hockey already. For Dallas Stars fans, though, it’s probably pretty obvious. Dallas has a habit of giving fans incredible summers stopping short at actually dishing out any playoff action.
Over the last few offseasons we’ve seen a lot of change- most of it touted in the moment as the thing that would make the Stars’ next season. Crazy deals that brought exciting players to Dallas at great prices, new coaches galore, events to build up the Stars’ legitimacy in the NHL.
We get sucked into the hype, we throw all our faith at the likelihood of a good outcome, and we dismiss the notions of falling into a rut. But somehow, that’s always what we manage to do.
In a lot of ways, though, the Stars can’t afford to fall into that same pattern again this season. Their ruts have burned through two coaches now and countless players, some that arguably should never have left, and some that arguably should never have come.
But regardless of what pieces the Stars have moving around the board, if the pressure was ever on to win the chess game, it’s on and it’s for real next season. While the Stars organization has been scrambling to make choices to foster a winning culture, the Dallas Stars have been tripping over and over again on the losing one they’ve been unintentionally building underfoot.
In many ways, it’s hard not to envy Vegas- a fresh start, no baggage, no demons to exorcise, and a straight path to victory seemingly unplagued by the tangling power of bad patterns. And what’s more, nobody expects a team to get so far in their inaugural season.
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The Stars, on the other hand, are in a much hotter seat with much more stage fright. With things having shifted so much in the last few seasons, the Stars might be running out of fixes. At this point, finding their way back to a formula for success is crucial.
There are probably a million reasons, but these two are pretty important ones in my book. First of all, the Stars are on to their third coach in as many seasons, and it’s high time they found something that works for them. What’s the saying about romantic relationships? When you jump around from person to person and nothing’s quite right, it may mean something is wrong with you and not them? Ouch. Well, Stars, take note. Maybe it’s not them, it’s you.
In a lot of ways, though, and to be fair, Jim Montgomery could be the Stars’ version of Vegas’ fresh start. New to the NHL and seemingly already on board with and validating a lot of our previously ignored frustrations, he could be exactly what the Stars need to thrive. Will he be the unexpected change that sets the pattern right? Only time will tell.
The second reason the Dallas Stars can’t afford to stay stuck in their longtime rut and why so much is riding on “Monty” is Tyler Seguin’s upcoming hopeful deal extension. While he seems to love Dallas and his team, wouldn’t you feel a bit demoralized about staying in a place that keeps pulling you down? And it’s not just about Seguin. A losing culture in Dallas threatens the passion and production of every talented and hardworking Star on the team. It can seriously bog you down.
Next: Dallas Stars Taking Necessary Chance With Jim Montgomery
While the fact that we just really want the Stars to win should be a valid reason for them to start, the world of patterns, interestingly enough, can sometimes be unpredictable and not make a lot of sense. But with an absolutely crucial turning point coming up in the 2018-2019 season, the Dallas Stars need to take their rays of hope where they can find them and turn this thing around.