Dallas Stars: Three Things That Made 2017-18 Season Worthwhile
The 2017-18 regular season started on a strong note and ended in disaster for the Dallas Stars. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some bright spots. Here are three reasons why this past season did good for the Stars.
The Dallas Stars are wading through yet another early offseason with no postseason action. But three months ago, it didn’t look as though the cards would fall so heavily against them.
And yet, that’s what happened. After playing four months of primarily consistent and dominant hockey, the Stars sat in the top three of the Central Division and were surging. They had strung together five wins in a row to start the month of February and took down high-caliber opponents in the way. They were resilient, confident, and structured. Everything that could have gone right for the Stars was going right.
But after a catastrophic and plagued month of March where Dallas hit an eight-game losing skid (0-6-2), the Stars fell three points short of the cutoff for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It’s the second straight season in which Dallas has missed the playoffs. But unlike in 2016-17, this Dallas Stars team actually carried hope through the final stretch of the season.
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Last season, the Stars hit a bump in the early part of the year and never recovered. They turned in one of the worst performances in franchise history and missed the playoffs by a substantial 15 points. The team was lacking in multiple areas and fell apart at the seams.
But this past season was expected to be different. The Stars added new talent, revitalized their lineup, and brought in a new head coach to fix the scheme.
And yet, it still didn’t work. The Stars fell victim to a number of different factors that caused them to limp to the finish line. And now, they face yet another extended offseason with the need for change being more imminent.
That doesn’t mean that the 2017-18 season was a complete waste, however. In fact, the season itself brought high points for both the Stars and the players in the organization. There were plenty of positives to note, even though none of them ended with a postseason push.
It’s all a part of forming an identity and taking the necessary steps to get back to that level of contention. Going forward, these positives will help the Stars build themselves into what they truly want to be: a contender.
Let’s take a look at some of the highlights that made the Dallas Stars’ 2017-18 season worthwhile.
1. Various Stars Developed In Significant Ways
The 2017-18 season was not one for the faint of heart, and the Dallas Stars knew that (at least for most of the campaign). And with that realization came a new level of compete from a good number of players. As a result, some players not only fit themselves into new roles and became more multidimensional, but also surpassed career highs in the process.
As you peruse the Stars’ roster and individual statistics, there are a handful of players that stand out. They could be sticking out for any number of reasons, but each one found a way to make their presence known in a new form this season.
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Take Radek Faksa for example. The third-year center and former first round draft pick made a statement through his play when he entered the league midway through the 2015-16 season. In his first two seasons, he proved himself to be a valuable depth center that could play a physical game while contributing with a scoring touch. He also proved himself to be a valuable penalty killer and skater in the defensive zone.
This season, however, Faksa did all of that and more. No. 12 actually skated one minute less on average this season than he did last year. But when Faksa was on the ice, he was practically indispensable. The 24-year-old posted a career-high in goals with 17 and finished the year with 33 points along with an impressive plus-21 rating.
But his contributions weren’t only on the stat sheet. Faksa earned the trust of head coach Ken Hitchcock early on in the season and found himself serving a larger role as a result through his efforts. After forming chemistry on a line with Antoine Roussel and Tyler Pitlick in the early part of the season, the trio stuck together for the majority of the year with Faksa in the center.
Hitchcock trusted Faksa to the point where he would often match his line up against the opponent’s top line to serve as a deterrent in an attempt to wear down the other team’s best players. And Faksa did a pretty good job at it. He used his physicality and puck possession skills to his advantage and showed off a new side to his game in addition to doing all of the usual things that make him such a valuable depth forward.
But it’s not just him. Tyler Seguin hit the 40-goal mark for the first time in his career and became a dangerous two-way center that now plays on both special teams units. Alexander Radulov also surpassed all expectations, posting 72 points in 82 games in his first season in Victory Green. He was an excellent complement on the top line and proved to be the free agency steal of the 2017 offseason.
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John Klingberg took another giant leap forward in his career as well. Now he is not only a no. 1 defenseman for Dallas, but also held the attention of the NHL as a favorite to win the Norris Trophy for the middle part of the season. His performance was outstanding this season (67 points in 82 games) as he set new personal records across the board and turned into a well-rounded defender.
Esa Lindell became a more focused and confident on the blue line and turned into a regular on the first pairing. Greg Pateryn started the season at the bottom of the depth chart but proved himself when given one chance and turned into an effective and shutdown starter for the team who should get a solid payday this offseason. Newcomer Tyler Pitlick also turned in a solid first year with the team and proved to be one of the best pickups of the offseason.
And who could forget Mattias Janmark, who came back from a career-threatening injury that benched him for all of the 2016-17 season? Janmark turned in a career season in his first year back and proved that he can be a top-six forward no matter the circumstances.
The list could go on for a while, but we don’t want to drag this point out too far. But it’s clear that this year’s Dallas Stars team saw a lot of individual success. Different players thrived in new roles or situations and found a way to contribute even more. And though it didn’t all come together in the end, it’s encouraging to see all of the individuals trending in the right direction.
2. Ken Hitchcock Went Out With A Bang
Now, many of you are probably thinking this: “Why would Hitchcock be included when he’s the main reason the Stars missed the playoffs?” Well, here’s why.
When Hitchcock was hired for a second tour of duty by Dallas in April 2017, everyone that had followed the team for at least 15 year knew what that meant: a grind was coming.
Since he first entered the league in the mid-90’s, Hitchcock has been known for pushing his players to the max. He sticks to the book and pushes his players to give every ounce and leave it all on the ice. That has served as a negative factor at certain points in his career, though, which is why he ended up as the third-winningest coach of all time but made five different stops in his 22-year career. In other words, he gets results but can burn out his teams after a while.
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And in the 2017-18 season, it’s clear that he burnt out the Dallas Stars. From game 60 to the end of the season, they stopped functioning. The offense was absent, the defense was average, and the goaltending was porous. Not one player (besides Tyler Seguin) looked as they had in the first half of the season. The entire team simply hit the wall. That’s what led to them falling short of the postseason and also what helped lead Hitchcock to retirement.
But that doesn’t mean Hitchcock’s one year back behind the bench in Dallas was a failure. In fact, he instilled certain things in the team that not many other current coaches can.
First off, as stated above, he made sure to get the best out of his players. He showed the team what it takes to win and how to take their effort to new limits.
In addition, Hitchcock also knew how to use each player to his advantage. This goes hand in hand with the first point in the fact that Hitch transformed the games of a lot of players this year. He gave players the opportunity try new things, add to their skill set, and reach new heights. Hitch helped players succeed individually and use their talents to better the team overall.
In his time as coach, he helped turn around the worst penalty kill in the NHL in 2016-17. The PK unit finished in 14th this season.
Perhaps his biggest accomplishment was transforming the defense. In 2016-17, the Stars finished in 29th in goals against average. This past year, they rolled in at seventh place in that same category. Hitchcock’s knowledge of the game and defensive success rubbed off on the Dallas lineup, including both the defenders and the forwards. As a result, the defensive zone was much more structured and focused through the 2017-18 year.
You can say all you want about how Hitchcock handcuffed the offense, didn’t give young players any opportunities, and practically shut the team down in the home stretch. It’s true that some of the things he did as head coach could have been done better and eventually led to the team’s demise.
But in certain aspects, he laid the groundwork and revitalized an ailing Dallas Stars team in one season. It turned out to only be a band-aid for a long term wound, but at least he helped make the Stars better and stronger in certain areas. That betterment should stick around with the players and team and how they approach the game in the seasons to come.
3. The Need For New Ideas Became Imminent
The Dallas Stars have been stuck in a bit of a rut since Jim Nill became general manager in 2013. Sometimes the rut is relatively passive (like in 2015-16) and sometimes it aggressively hunts the Stars (like in the past two years), but it’s always there.
What is this rut, you might ask? Well, it all has to do with how the Stars play things. Not the game, but everything else. Head coaching hires, free agency signings, negotiations with players on the roster, decisions on underperforming players, trade acquisitions. Etc. etc. etc.
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In all of these situations, the Stars more often than not take the “easy way out.” They look for the safest possible solution and go with that. The team hasn’t been one for taking risks and they have proved that in the past few seasons.
That’s why they are in a rut. They cannot seem to break out of this trail of certainty and safety and try something new and bold. That is, until the 2017-18 season concluded.
After this past season ended in meltdown fashion, the Dallas Stars may finally be prepared take the steps to emerge from this hole.
Throughout this past season, there were plenty of instances where something that the Stars were trying just wasn’t working. And after those attempts helped bring about their downfall, there’s no time to try them again. The team needs a consistent breakthrough and they need it now.
2017-18 helped prove that the Stars need to try new things and go after bold, new ideas. Avoiding the recycled NHL coaches pool and picking a college coach to be the next bench boss is a big first step in making that happen. Instead of another Ken Hitchcock or Lindy Ruff, Dallas now has Jim Montgomery to look forward to. With no NHL experience, he is truly coming in with a fresh slate. That’s exciting and could lead to a promising future.
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Another point is Kari Lehtonen. The 34-year-old goaltender had a terrific season as the backup goaltender to Ben Bishop. But once Bishop went down with an injury, Lehtonen proved unable to hold down the fort in his absence. Considering Lehtonen is a pending free agent this offseason, his performance definitely calls his future into question. After all, what if Bishop goes out with another injury next season? Would Lethonen be able to carry the team in a playoff chase? Recent results don’t lead us to a happy answer.
There are plenty of other examples, including trusting younger players with bigger roles instead of signing aging veterans to expensive deals.
This season finally lit a fire for the Dallas Stars. After years of trying the same things and sticking to the status quo, they have finally realized that they must try something else if they want to win. That involves stretching their horizons a bit and being open to new ideas and beginnings.
There’s no more room for caution for the Stars. The 2017-18 season proved that this group can move on and take the next step so long as the organization is prepared to make the necessary changes.
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The Dallas Stars must endure change and incorporate it. Only then will they be able to put these two seasons of struggle fully behind them and move on to a brighter future.