Dallas Stars Face First True Test Of Montgomery Era vs. Winnipeg Jets

Thursday night was a fun time for the Dallas Stars, but there’s little time to rest on that fun. The first real test of their 2018-19 regular season is waiting for them on Saturday night when the Winnipeg Jets come to town.

It’s fun to get off on the right foot in a regular season. And on Thursday night, the Dallas Stars found a way to get off on the best foot possible.

The Stars welcomed in the Arizona Coyotes to the American Airlines Center to open their 2018-19 regular season. It was the first game of the year for both teams and provided a unique setup for Dallas.

After another offseason of significant change and adopting new philosophies and mindsets, the Stars braced for yet another new era. They had missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons and were simply looking for something that would work.

And though their opening night opposition isn’t necessarily considered a “contender”, the Stars still had a tall task ahead of them. It was their first chance to put new head coach Jim Montgomery’s scheme into motion, find a way to make it click, and grab a win against a hungry Arizona team to start the season on an undefeated note.

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They ended up doing just that. After pushing the tempo early in the first period, the Dallas Stars broke through, scoring three goals in a span of 1:36 in the second period. Devin Shore, Alexander Radulov, and John Klingberg all found the back of the net to give Dallas a commanding 3-0 advantage that they rode to the final buzzer alongside a masterful 30-save shutout by Ben Bishop.

The Stars embraced Monty’s style, all 19 players chipped in, and the Stars put together a complete performance in what turned into an impressive first game.

But there’s no time to rest on that.

As much as you might want to continue living in Thursday night’s glory and resting in the dominant win, the Dallas Stars have a quick turnaround to deal with. And this turnaround gives them no space to slip up.

The Stars will be back in action on Saturday night at home when they welcome the Winnipeg Jets to town. But unlike with the Coyotes, this isn’t a team that the Stars have defeated in 12 of their past 15 attempts.

Instead, the Stars haven’t come out on top against the Jets since Oct. 25, 2016. Take a second and think back on that. Dallas has not defeated Winnipeg in almost two years. In that last victory, Patrick Eaves, Curtis McKenzie, Johnny Oduya, and Lauri Korpikoski all had points for the Stars. Are you beginning to notice a trend?

And on a more personal note, how much has happened in your own life in the last two years? Maybe a new job? Or perhaps you added a new member to your family? Maybe you made the jump from high school to college?

The point is, it’s been quite a while. The Jets are currently riding an eight-game winning streak after sweeping the Stars in four games last year. They outscored Dallas 18-8 throughout the 2017-18 season. On top of that, the Stars never finished a game closer than two goals from the Jets (5-2, 4-1, 5-3, 4-2).

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To put it plainly, the Winnipeg Jets are riding an impressive streak against the Dallas Stars right now. And that’s what makes tonight’s game so critical for the Stars. It’s their first large test of the 2018-19 campaign.

Last season, Dallas entered the year with what looked to be one of the most talented rosters in the NHL. They posed a stingy and strong defensive attack that finished the year tied for sixth in goals against average in the NHL. But that didn’t stop the Jets from averaging 4.50 goals per game against the Stars.

The Jets enter the 2018-19 season as one of the most well-rounded teams in the league. They were a surprise team last year, finishing second in the Central division and trekking all the way to the Western Conference Finals before falling to the Vegas Golden Knights.

They have a high-scoring offensive attack, a balanced and effective defensive group, and a 2018 Vezina finalist in Connor Hellebuyck in net. Their stacked roster gives them a fearsome attack and have many people thinking Winnipeg could be a Stanley Cup contender this season.

That all starts with success in the division, and that’s where the Stars come in. The Jets started their own 2018-19 campaign off with a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Patrik Laine, Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor, and Mark Scheifele all tallied two points each and Hellebuyck stopped 41 of 42 as the Jets coasted to their first divisional win of the season.

And now they approach Dallas looking to repeat their success from last season.

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This game has “measuring stick” written all over it. The Coyotes were a good challenge for the Stars to begin their new era with, but a game against the Jets serves as the perfect test to see just where the Stars are right now.

Have they fully assimilated to Montgomery’s culture? Are the new guys like Roman Polak, Connor Carrick, and Blake Comeau fitting in and ready to go up against a tough divisional opponent? Will the new guys like Miro Heiskanen and Roope Hintz be ready to go up against a rounded out divisional opponent where the games mean even more?

The Dallas Stars weren’t able to get much of anything going for them against the Jets last year. Now, Winnipeg looks stronger and prepared to make a run at the Central title and potentially even more.

It’s one of only two divisional contests for the Stars this month and is their only time seeing the Jets until January. A win tonight could be a massive boost for Dallas as they continue to roll out a new year.

Jim Montgomery’s style worked well on Thursday night, but it was a small sampling size. Can his up-tempo and aggressive pace work well against one of the best teams in the NHL?

Tonight is a chance for the Stars to see where they are at as a team. Was Thursday night simply a product of playing an average team or are they ready to take the next step? Can they run with the juggernauts of the division this early in the season? Is this team ready to take the next step in the Central and get out of a divisional funk that has held them captive for the past two seasons?

We’ll find out at 6 p.m. tonight when the puck drops at the American Airlines Center.