While the preseason in the NHL is where the points don’t count and the games are a mismatch of players, the question begs: how much does a team’s preseason success or failure actually matter? Let’s take a look at that question as it pertains to the Dallas Stars.
The Dallas Stars have taken the preseason by storm with a 4-1-1 record that would make any team optimistic about their future. While the roster has dwindled to better reflect what the final lineup will end up being, there’s a lot to be said about their success on the ice.
Bright Future
Of course, the Stars have been and will be sending players throughout their affiliated organizations to better prepare them for their respective futures before opening night. However, Dallas has been able to catch a glimpse into why their prospects can hold their own throughout the first six preseason games.
Being that they’re playing against other teams who have the same model of mixing in NHL regulars to the lineup, it’s a great sign that Dallas’s young players are going toe-to-toe with each opponent. The ability to play well against teams — regardless of if the games matter — is important for determining how the future could look.
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While it’s not something you’d necessarily keep track of year-by-year, it’s a promising sight to see.
New System Having Early Success
The Dallas Stars are a team that has changed drastically over the last 10 years. From coaches to owners to players themselves, it’s been difficult to keep up with who all exactly has called Dallas home. However, they’ve managed to find marginal success despite the challenges they faced.
Having a new coach running things who has yet to coach a season as an NHL bench boss is daunting in some ways. His system has been regarded as unlike anything else players have encountered, which is simultaneously exciting and terrifying.
But, concerns aside, the new system seems to be adaptable to a variety of lineups. It’s proven to lead the Dallas Stars to success in the majority of their preseason games, and it’s something to keep any eye on moving forward.
No, the new system is not some unbreakable, magical formula for the Stars’ bid at an impressive season; however, it proves to tilt the scales toward optimism with every showing of success it has.
In a Nutshell
Preseason games don’t count and the points don’t matter (like in Whose Line Is It Anyway?). Sometimes, a team’s record will be brought up in the beginning of the season, but after the regular season gets going, it’s rarely mentioned (if at all).
That isn’t to discount its importance, though. The Dallas Stars’ promising preseason performance is something to be proud of. It should be viewed as a stepping stone for future games that actually count, and it will hopefully inspire a good start to the season that will set the Stars on the path to returning to the playoffs.