Dallas Stars’ Winning Culture Keeps Getting Stuck In Development Phase
The Dallas Stars’ offseason, as always, is filled with winning- just not the kind we all came for. What can the Stars do to keep the winning spirit alive during the season?
It always seems like the Dallas Stars franchise shines more during the summer than it does during the regularly scheduled season. Like in offseasons past, it’s partly due to the Texas Stars’ efforts, and partly due to the efforts of individual Stars applied elsewhere. But it’s still a wholly frustrating problem.
If you’re like me, you’ve wondered at some point in the last several seasons- well if they can win separately and in other places, why can’t they win together?
I’ll admit, it’s a slightly juvenile approach to analyzing the Dallas Stars’ problems because we all know the issue is much bigger than the players alone. But still, anyone else who sees the Texas Stars’ success and gets slightly jealous even though their success is technically your success too, feel free to raise your hand now.
On one hand, seeing current Stars players and possible next-gen Stars talent on a winning stage is a great thing and means a lot to the organization. Having young players coming up through the system with the determination and grit that puts them in their own playoff run stirs up some hope and renews some faith in the franchise. Seeing current Stars players celebrating victories for their country is heartwarming and affirms their sensational ability.
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BUT. Why can’t we have a sliver of this joy when it comes down to the end of a Dallas Stars’ season? What is the catch here? And why can’t the Stars seem to achieve the same level of success in Dallas altogether?
Maybe I’m overreacting a little. It’s true that the Stars have experienced some really high points at different times during the last few seasons. The only problem is that when it came to closing (or opening) with confidence, the boys fell short. And the main culprit here seems to be that very thing- confidence.
One of the biggest reasons the Dallas Stars are having trouble forming a solid winning culture is that Dallas is still working on forming its solid hockey culture. The pressure is still on in a big way for the Stars.
While there are plenty of die-hard fans who are supporting them, there is an enormous push for the Stars to succeed and to do it now. In our society of smart phones, online shopping and social media, we’ve let our practice of patience grow a little rusty.
Unfortunately, it seems like this pressure is primed to only increase. With the unbelievable success that the Vegas Golden Knights have achieved in their first season, many of us will probably feel less reasonable making excuses for the Stars’ slow ascent. After all, the Knights are Stanley Cup Playoff bound in their first ever season. Sigh.
I️ think what we have here is a classic case of being defeated by the middle. For the Dallas Stars, their hockey culture is still on the rise. Take a look at any national programming schedule and try to find the Stars broadcasted with the regularity of any popular, well-established team. You simply cannot do it. At the same time, the Stars have been in Dallas for long enough that their glimmer and shine and newness has worn off a bit.
The Dallas Stars aren’t new, or novel, or established. They’re just kind of in the middle. Receiving all the pressure of an established team and none of the benefits of a newly-minted one. For the Stars, that translates into confidence-lacking, and inconsistent play.
So what will it take for the Stars to overcome these issues? It seems like until they are able to buckle down and plough through a season with consistent efforts and end on a good note instead of a regretful one, these problems might continue to dog the Dallas Stars. It’s your good old, need a job to get experience and need experience to get a job conundrum.
Next: Grading Each Stars Player on 2017-18 Performance
The good thing about all this mess, though, is that the Dallas Stars are on top of figuring out how to get themselves over this seemingly insurmountable hill. The organization has its eyes on ways to spark new energy for its players and fans, and I️ think if we can apply some patience to our passion, it will help lay the foundations for a much more winning culture in Dallas.