After finishing the first week of the regular season with promise and hype, the Dallas Stars went flat in week two. As a result, both old and new questions have arisen about the team’s potential and future.
Let’s start this article off by putting out a disclaimer: the Dallas Stars still have 76 games remaining in their 2018-19 regular season campaign.
They are only two weeks into the new year, have only competed in six games, and have a lot of time left for things to either go really good, really bad, or somewhere in-between. But with that being said, there is now reason for doubt within the Stars organization.
Now, there might have always been a certain level of doubt. After all, they entered the season with a new coach, new system, and new players to adapt and assimilate with. It was a risky endeavor, but one that Dallas needed to take on and one that potentially had them set up for immediate success.
That success looked present through the first nine days of the Dallas Stars’ season. In their first four games, the Stars went 3-1-0. They shutout the Arizona Coyotes, dominated the Winnipeg Jets, and made a furious and almost unbelievable comeback against the Anaheim Ducks. Even in their one loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs, they put up four goals but simply couldn’t hold down the high-flying Toronto offense.
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Everything seemed to be falling into place. The Stars looked energized, relentless, and productive in all three areas. They put on impressive showings for their home crowd and approached their first road trip with plenty of excitement.
But then, it all disappeared in a short period of time. Dallas began this week playing out a short two-game road trip. They visited the Ottawa Senators on Monday night before boarding a flight to New Jersey to prepare for a matchup with the Devils on Tuesday night.
The Stars owned a poor 28-44-10 record when away from home over the past two seasons. Their road play was a major product in the team missing the playoffs last year and left people wondering if the team could turn things around on the road this season. After all, it’s a problem that the Stars have to fix if they want to take the next step.
But in their first two games, they got off to a below average start. Dallas lost 4-1 to the Senators on Monday and followed it up with a 3-0 loss to the Devils on Tuesday. They were outscored 7-1 over a span of 30 hours, with their only goal coming from defenseman John Klingberg on the power play.
For the majority of the short trip out east, the Stars looked unenergized, sloppy, and lacking the necessary emotion that they had possessed in the first four games. As a result, their opponents capitalized and turned both games into blowouts.
And here we are, once again questioning the status and direction of this team.
Is this team any different from last year? Is there something about playing on the road that they just cannot get right? Is the depth scoring really upgraded, or will the Stars once again try to rely on their “big four” for scoring? And what happened to the defense that is now giving up 3.00 goals per game over the first six contests?
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Yes, it’s a growing process. Yes, head coach Jim Montgomery pointed out that he expected to be around the .500 range through the first few games. And yes, there is plenty of season left to turn things around.
But falling woefully flat in a short road trip that could very well have resulted in two wins and four points is not a promising sign. It’s even more worrisome when you realize that they are dealing with the same problems from last season considering the new coaching staff was supposed to make things “different.” Are these problems going to stick around long-term?
The Dallas Stars seem to be stuck in a Jekyll/Hyde situation. One night, they could look like the most dominant team in the NHL and put together a three-goal comeback using a 30-shot period. But on another night, they fall flat and cannot sustain any sort of offensive pressure or consistency. You never know what you are going to get with them.
That has to change and it needs to be a quick transition. The Dallas Stars are still working through some of their early season kinks, and that’s only natural. It’s a time to grow and build their own craft. It’s a time to continue gaining chemistry and working their way towards a competent and dedicated style.
There are questions at hand and answers that are needed. Regardless of how the Stars go about finding them, they need answers. The inconsistency cannot continue to linger around.
They have 76 more games to make it happen.