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Dallas Stars: The Ups, Downs, And In-Betweens Of October 2018

By Josh Clark

MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 30: Jason Spezza #90 of the Dallas Stars, on his 1000th NHL game, celebrates with Ben Bishop #30 after defeating the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on October 30, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 30: Jason Spezza #90 of the Dallas Stars, on his 1000th NHL game, celebrates with Ben Bishop #30 after defeating the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on October 30, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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It was an interesting first month of the 2018-19 regular season for the Dallas Stars. There were some ups, downs, and in-betweens. But through it all, the Stars learned a lot about where they are and where they can go.

The Dallas Stars had an odd first month of their 2018-19 campaign. There’s really no other way to say it.

On Oct. 4, 2018, the Stars once again waved goodbye to a long offseason and dove in for another intriguing and potentially promising regular season campaign. After an offseason of serious change both behind and on the bench, it was time for the Stars to take the next step.

The 2018-19 regular season helped officially put to bed a disappointing 2017-18 season and summer. Dallas posted a 41-31-10 record with 92 points, falling three points short of the postseason cutoff and therefore missing playoff action for the second season in a row. Considering they had been selected as a Stanley Cup favorite before the season began, it was a crushing blow to the team’s confidence.

As a result, more change ensued as GM Jim Nill looked for the right combinations. Ken Hitchcock retired and the Stars parted ways with various starters at the beginning of the free agency frenzy, leaving plenty of decisions to be made by the team.

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But Nill wasted no time. He hired Jim Montgomery as the team’s next head coach, worked with Montgomery in revamping the rest of the coaching staff, and began piecing together his free agency plan. And while the Stars didn’t necessarily go all out in the free agency period, they made necessary adjustments to their lineup.

With their offseason moves in the rearview mirror, the Dallas Stars braced for a 2018-19 campaign that brought some uncertainty with it. Unlike in years past where many took the Stars’ offseason moves as a sign that they would run the table, the 2018-19 year had a different feel for Dallas.

And after the first month, that uncertainty was justified. The Stars finished with a 6-5-0 record, including winning three out of four games to begin the season but losing three in a row midway through the month. Dallas had some good spurts and some ugly slumps through the first 11 games. And though it’s a small sample size and the Stars are undefeated in November, the month of October showed a lot about the team.

But what all actually happened? What did the Stars do well? What parts of their play were just alright? And what are the things they need to improve on?

With the first month behind them, let’s take a look at some of the ups, downs, and in-betweens of October 2018 for the Dallas Stars.

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