Dallas Stars: Defense Playing Consistent In Face Of Adversity

Though there have been a lot of moving parts for the Dallas Stars so far in their 2018-19 campaign, there has been some consistency. Their defense is part of that consistency, which is impressive considering the adversity they have battled.

The 2017-18 season is one that many Dallas Stars would probably like to forget.

The Stars started out slow, picked up speed in the middle of the year, but quickly fell off a cliff in the final month of the year. Behind a handful of injuries, an 0-6-2 losing skid, and an inability to step up when it mattered most, Dallas fell out of the playoff race and missed qualifying for the postseason for a second straight year.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. There were a handful of positives in the team’s play. Perhaps the biggest of those positives was the improved play of the defense.

After finishing the 2016-17 season as the 29th-ranked teams in terms of goals against average in the NHL, the Stars hired Ken Hitchcock as their new head coach in hopes of improving their team defense structure. And though Hitchcock only lasted one year behind the bench, he made a lasting impact on the defensive zone.

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The Stars leapt from 29th to seventh in terms of GA/GP in one season, and did it with an unlikely lineup that was built primarily on young and middle-grade talent. Besides John Klingberg, the Stars didn’t have any other superstar talents on the blue line. Dan Hamhuis and Marc Methot were weathered veterans, Esa Lindell was only in his second NHL season, Greg Pateryn was working his way towards being a full-time defender, and Stephen Johns was trying to rebound from a bad 2016-17 run.

But Hitchcock made it work. And when he retired from coaching in April of 2018, the fate of the defense hung in the balance. Would the Dallas Stars hire a coach with more of an offensive mind that might lead to a defensive regression? Or would they get another defensive-minded bench boss that might end up stalling the offensive attack?

They ended up going with University of Denver head coach Jim Montgomery. Though he had a winning pedigree following him and had NHL playing experience in the late 1990’s, he had never coached in the NHL. As a result, no one knew if his system would translate.

The thing about Monty’s system is that it brings a relentless style of offense while also finding structure and a happy medium on defense. It’s a delicate balance that requires focus and precision, but can boast a major payoff if executed properly.

As the Stars journeyed through training camp and the preseason, the system looked fitting for the team. Not only was the offense producing, but the defense was limiting chances and stalling the opposition.

But as the season began, the Dallas defense began facing different challenges.

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After a career year as one of the team’s most consistent defenders in 2017-18, Stephen Johns was diagnosed with chronic headaches and placed on the IR. With his absence, the Stars lost a much-needed dose of physicality and offensive touch from their blue line. As a result, Dallas made a trade for Connor Carrick, a young Maple Leafs defenseman trying to earn a full-time NHL spot

In addition, the Dallas defense lost two of its oldest members in Dan Hamhuis and Greg Pateryn over the summer. They were replaced with 19-year-old Miro Heiskanen and 32-year-old Roman Polak, giving the Dallas defense a significantly new look.

No one knew quite what to think of the Dallas defense as opening night approached. Would they click with the new system? Could they survive without some of their top producers from 2017-18? Would the new guys fit in? The questions seemed to keep building up with each passing day.

But through the first 13 games, there’s been little doubt that this Dallas defense is one of the most consistent in the league, regardless of the trials they face.

At the moment, the Stars sit fifth in the league in terms of lowest goals against average with a 2.62 GA/GP. The only teams better than them in this category are the Arizona Coyotes, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, and Boston Bruins. They also sit 11th in least shots against per game with 30.2.

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The Dallas defense is playing with composure and focus and limits their mistakes in each game. The pairings are juggled rather regularly, but the chemistry remains the same.

Injuries have happened and been somewhat of a consistent factor, but the Dallas defense continues finding ways to improvise and keep up their production.

Klingberg is second on the team in points with five goals and 12 points. Lindell has six points, Carrick and Heiskanen have four, and Polak and Honka each have one. Methot is the only defender still pointless in the Dallas lineup; but, considering he averages a point every five games in his career and is a dedicated defensive defenseman, it’s only natural to see him scoreless.