Dallas Stars Open Up 2018-19 Season: Why This Year Could Be Different
It’s finally here. After another long offseason of making changes and setting new hopes and expectations, the Dallas Stars are back for another round. But why might this year be any different than the previous ones? Here’s why.
At 12:08 a.m. 176 days ago, the Dallas Stars wrapped up yet another disappointing regular season campaign. And though they defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 on the road and picked up one last win, it wasn’t enough to overshadow the negative energy encircling the franchise.
The Stars had missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second season in a row. And at the beginning of both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, the expectations for Dallas were through the roof. We’re talking “Stanley Cup contender” level expectations here.
The fact that the Stars hadn’t even found their way into the final 16 on either occasion brought about a serious sense of worry and urgency. And as exit interview day concluded and the Stars headed their separate ways for another extended summer, the game plan was the same as it had been for a while:
Change.
“We’re going to sit down and evaluate from the top to the bottom,” Nill said in his closing press conference. “Whether it’s player evaluation, coaching evaluation, management evaluation, or scout evaluation. We’re going to go through everything. Now, you do that probably anyways. But with the way things ended, it’s not a good ending. We didn’t get the job done and we have to figure out what went wrong.”
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And sit down and evaluate they did. The Dallas Stars made another quick transition and hit the ground running early in their offseason journey. Not even one month later, they had a new head coach in Jim Montgomery.
Fast forward another two months and the Stars were in the middle of the free agency frenzy. They signed players like Blake Comeau, Roman Polak, Valeri Nichushkin, and Anton Khudobin to add to their depth and potentially round out the weak spots on their roster.
Training camp came and went, as did the preseason. Throughout the two week span, the Dallas Stars worked on building chemistry with their new roster, assimilating to the style and scheme of their new bench boss, and trying to build a foundation that will propel them into success in the 2018-19 season. Now, the offseason is over.
And here they are. October 4, 2018. Opening night. In just a few hours, the Stars will drop the puck against the Arizona Coyotes in game one of what should be another intriguing season filled with excitement, nerves, and an even more dire need for success.
But why will this season be any different? Why should you commit another eight months of your life to this hockey club when they can’t deliver? What is the point? What is there to believe in?
Doubt has been piling up for Dallas Stars fans ever since the team lost a crucial game seven in blowout fashion in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Since that moment, the franchise has entangled themselves in falling short of expectations and using a constant cycle of change as a lifeline. As a result, Stars fans aren’t necessarily expecting a Stanley Cup this year. Some aren’t even expecting a playoff appearance.
“I know the pain of the fans. We had high expectations this year and we didn’t get it done. We’re as disappointed as they are but on the flip side, I think there are some good things that happened here too. This isn’t a teardown; we’re going to bounce back. I just talked to the players and I want them to learn from this. They are going to and we expect to be a contending team next year.” –Jim Nill on exit interview day
But there’s reason to believe that this might finally be the year that everything clicks. There’s reason to believe that this could be the season where all of the frayed ends finally join together to form one harmonious knot.
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That all starts with a new mindset. Montgomery is in as the new head coach and brings a new style to Dallas hockey. It’s aggressive, up-tempo, and focuses on wearing down the opposition. He wants his team to be overwhelming on offense, structured on defense, and relentless overall. That should pay dividends for the fast and aggressive roster that the Stars currently possess.
Another has to do with the hunger of the team itself. Stars fans aren’t the only ones that have lived through difficult feelings of wanting more over the past few years. The players are in on it, too.
“Thinking back, it seems like yesterday, I guess,” Dallas captain Jamie Benn said this summer about his own draft experience. “It goes by so fast and that’s why you really have to enjoy every moment that you can. I’m going into my tenth year next year and I want a little bit more to show for it.”
Defenseman Stephen Johns has used the term “fire in the belly” on multiple occasions when describing the Stars’ situation. Goaltender Ben Bishop is pushing 32 years old and is ready to make an immediate impact. And to top it all off, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and John Klingberg are quickly approaching their primes with little long-term success to show for it. This team is chomping at the bit to get back into the playoffs, even more so than other clubs.
And finally, the expectations aren’t weighing over them anymore. Last October, the Dallas Stars had NHL fans and analysts alike picking them to win the Stanley Cup. They ended up falling short of the playoffs, and part of it could be due to being unable to reach the lofty expectations that are set for them each season. This year, the expectations are still there, but are nowhere near as prevalent. It’s now time for the Stars to simply play their game, take new steps forward, and remain competitive.
All in all, the Dallas Stars could be a team on the verge of greatness. Or, they could be in for another disappointing year with no hope for the playoffs.
You lived through the rebuilding years from 2009-13. You also got a taste of the spotlight in the early seasons of the Jim Nill era with the “Victory Rising” years. And now that you’ve been through the muck and disappointment for a few seasons, it’s time to claw back out of the pit.
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That’s what sports fans do. Regardless of where their team sits in a given season or multi-season span, they stand true. They fight through the tough times and celebrate the good times.
A new season has finally dawned. It’s a new 82-game journey that will be filled with twists and turns, as well as plenty of highs and lows. The Stars are set to kick off another new era and try to make something out of it.
That all comes with a willingness and desire to take the first step, which starts tonight on home ice against the Arizona Coyotes. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Fox Sports Southwest, for those who cannot make it out to the AAC.
Regardless of what ends up happening, there’s no doubt that this season will be one of the most interesting and pivotal ones in Dallas Stars history. There’s reason to hope and reason to fear. But overall, there’s a reason to watch.
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So buckle up, Dallas Stars fans. The 2018-19 season is finally here.