Dallas Stars Getting Chance To Battle Adversity Against Devils

The Dallas Stars are back in action against the New Jersey Devils tonight after a quick turnaround from last night. It’s a great chance for the team to learn from and thrive under adversity early in their 2018-19 campaign.

There’s nothing like a little pressure to see what a team is truly made of. Putting a team in a tight situation where expectations are high and time is short is a surefire way of measuring just how prepared a team is. And on Tuesday night, the Dallas Stars will get a chance to experience that pressure.

The Stars have gotten out to a decent start through the first 12 days of their 2018-19 season. They are 3-2-0, have seen some impressive sparks from their offense including a monumental comeback, some consistent play from defensemen on both sides of the puck, and a decent showing from both goaltenders.

But that’s a 12-day sample size in a hockey season that lasts over 180 days. So, it’s not the most reliable sample.

That was proven on Monday night when Dallas visited the Ottawa Senators north of the border. The Stars, who were going up against a team missing its biggest superstars from last season, fell flat after a first period goal by John Klingberg. The team hit a rut, lost their momentum and energy, and watched as the Senators took advantage on their way to a 4-1 victory.

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Once again, the offense proved ineffective in terms of depth and the defensive structure began leaking.

Sure, they outshot the Senators by 14. And sure, they won the special teams battle by going 2/2 on the penalty kill and scoring on a power play. But those aren’t the only deciding elements in a hockey game.

When it was all said and done, the Senators had simply looked like the more energized, physical, and determined team. And that’s what got them the win.

That can be tough for a team like the Dallas Stars to digest. After a promising start to the season and an ability to seemingly overcome anything established early on, losing handily to a team projected to end the year at the bottom of the pile can be a tough result to overcome.

But that’s exactly what the Stars will have to do. There’s no time to rest, and that could be just the kind of situation and test that the team needs right now.

Dallas will head to the Prudential Center on Tuesday night to take on the New Jersey Devils. They will be on short rest after arriving in Newark in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and their test will once again be a large one.

The Devils are currently the only team in the NHL without a loss of any kind. At 3-0-0, they have a goal differential of +10. They have won each game in front of their home crowd and are using the momentum from their base.

You’ll see these positive boosts in action tonight at puck drop. And for the Stars, it will be a chance to test themselves under pressure.