Dallas Stars: Calder Cup Run Ends With Texas Stars Falling Just Short
Despite their best efforts, the Texas Stars just couldn’t clinch the last victory that would have made the Calder Cup theirs. And there may be some underpinning consequences for the Dallas Stars as a result.
The Texas Stars had a good long Calder Cup run this postseason but, in the end, game 7 is the one that matters most. After fighting hard and staying neck and neck with the Toronto Marlies for an entire series, the Stars had a night of implosions and surrendered a wrenching 6-1 loss to make the Marlies Calder Cup champs.
It’s not any different in the AHL than it is in the big show: every game matters, but dropping an important one, the ultimate one, can destroy all the hard-fought success, victory, and excitement in one sickening blow. This is something the Dallas Stars still struggle to come to terms with.
One theme running throughout this NHL season for the Dallas Stars and this postseason for its AHL affiliate has been consistent: pressure.
As the Stars’ organization grows, gets more press and time in the limelight, and becomes more and more legitimate in its own right, the pressure only increases. And with every effort made by the organization and the players alike to live up to the pressure, it is only compounded and pressed down, shaken up, and then let loose on an unsuspecting season.
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This time around, the Dallas Stars didn’t make it to any sort of game 7, but did their fair share of imploding nonetheless. When it comes to the Texas Stars, though, it can be argued that their fall from grace was as painful as their struggle was drawn out.
The Texas Stars, like the Dallas Stars, struggled down the stretch of the regular season to secure a playoff spot. Unlike the Dallas Stars, the Texas Stars rose to that challenge and achieved their end. They continued pushing past their opponents, each victory building hope and determination, until they stopped short of their ultimate goal.
Never mind the details. Sounds like a trend, right? With both teams, the Stars have experienced an inability to live up to their own expectations, and those they’ve built for their fans, at the very last minute, sending it all crashing down upon their heads.
Now in reality, the Texas Stars achieved a lot in their season and beyond, and their near-champion run should be seen as a huge victory. But in the case of the organization, almost is not far enough.
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What will be a determining moment for the Stars will be their response in the next season. While the Dallas Stars have a long summer to muse over the redemption they will be seeking, the Texas Stars will need to find a way to rise above the loss, grit their teeth, and set out after the same end again.