Dallas Stars: Three Things That Made 2017-18 Season Worthwhile

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DALLAS, TX – DECEMBER 21: Ken Hitchcock, head coach of the Dallas Stars holds up a puck after his 800th career victory against the Chicago Blackhawks at the American Airlines Center on December 21, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) /

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.

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