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

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.

The Ups

Whether you noticed it or not, there were plenty of positives to take away from the Dallas Stars’ play in October. There were some obvious positives as well as some unexpected ones, and they helped the Stars get along in the month.

As a result, they kept themselves in the fight and made the first month entertaining to an extent. Let’s take a look at all of the team’s ups from month one.

Depth Scoring

As the Stars entered the 2018-19 regular season, one significant problem from the 2017-18 year continued to linger. That problem was depth scoring.

Editor In Leaf

After lines 2-4 were practically non-existent for half of last year, Dallas entered the offseason with a chance to add some big names and bolster their offense. Instead, they ended up settling for veteran winger Blake Comeau and winger Valeri Nichushkin, who had just returned from the KHL.

They didn’t seem to be significant additions, leaving plenty of question and doubt about the team’s offensive production.

But through the first month, it was clear that the Stars’ depth problems from last season didn’t have to do with players; instead, it simply had to do with coaching.

Under Jim Montgomery, the Dallas Stars offense is rolling, specifically in terms of depth. Jason Spezza (10 points), Devin Shore (nine points), and Jason Dickinson (five points) have all come up huge for Dallas at certain points this season. In addition, players like Radek Faksa, Tyler Pitlick, and Blake Comeau are starting to come around after a slow start.

Even the Dallas defenders are chipping in on the scoresheet on a nightly basis. The Stars are getting production from outside their top line, and it’s the reason they are winning games more often than not.

No. 90

Though he was just mentioned above, something has to be said about the veteran center.

Throughout the first month (and even in the first few days of November), Jason Spezza looks like a brand new player. After eight goals, 26 points, and a -12 rating (all career-lows) in 2017-18, Spezza has completely revitalized his play.

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Through 13 games, he has three goals and ten points along with a +1 rating. He owns the highest face-off win percentage on the team. His production and playing time are both up and he’s proving to be a valuable asset in multiple situations, both on and off the ice.

Spezza is back for now, and the Dallas Stars are much better for it.

Penalty Kill Is Firing Away

When it comes to special teams, the Dallas Stars have been known for their strong and high-flying power play over the past few seasons. But through the first month, it was the penalty kill that took center stage.

The Stars boasted an 87.5 percent kill rate through the first month of the season. That’s good enough for fourth in the NHL. Only the Lightning, Coyotes, and Avalanche own better PK units.

After starting the year at a rough 70 percent success rate through four games, the Stars bounced back, killing 19 penalties in a row in the final five games of the month.

It’s been a good start to the year for the PK.

The Goalies Stepped Up

Through 11 games, the Dallas Stars used both of their goaltenders. Ben Bishop earned the nod in nine of the starts while Khudobin picked up two starts, and both goalies put on impressive shows.

SenShot

Bishop went 5-4-0 in his starts, posting a .925 save percentage along with a 2.22 goals against average and one shutout in the season opener. It was one of the hottest starts of his career and gave the Stars a certain sense of newfound confidence in their starter.

Meanwhile, Khudobin went 1-1-0 with an .898 save percentage and 3.00 goals against average. But if you want to cheat a little and count the game on Nov. 1 as part of the October slate, Khudobin’s numbers jump to .923 SV% and 2.35 GAA.

Both goaltenders held the Stars in games on various occasions and were rarely to blame for a loss. This goaltending tandem could end up being one of the team’s biggest strengths this year. Stay tuned.

A New Style That Works

Over the past few seasons, the Dallas Stars have become used to the frustration of outshooting and outplaying their opponents, yet still finding ways to lose.

But as October came to a close, the Stars began playing with a new mindset. Instead of trying to overwhelm their opponents, Dallas played more systematically. They cashed in when they needed to, carefully picked apart their opposition, and shut the door when it mattered most.

All in all, the Stars turned over a new leaf and found a way to win games like they haven’t done before.

Capitalizing On Defense

The Dallas Stars defense was one of the team’s few bright spots during 2017-18. And through the first month of 2018-19, the blue line continues to impress.

The Stars currently own the fourth-best defense in the NHL. Through October, they averaged 2.72 goals against per game, one of the best averages in the league. And when considering the trials and changes they have faced, their performance becomes even more impressive. Read more about it here.

The In-Betweens

While there were some obvious positives and glaring negatives through the first month for Dallas, there were also some “middle ground” aspects of their play. In other words, there were certain parts that weren’t bad, but could still be improved upon.

Let’s take a look at some of the in-betweens of October.

The Power Play

Now, let’s start this off by pointing out that the Dallas Stars own one of the better power plays in the NHL. Through October, they owned the seventh-best PP group with a 26.5 percent success rate. That’s great.

But the part that wasn’t so great was their inconsistency. After starting out strong in the first five games with a 46.6 percent success rate, Dallas slumped in the final six games, going 2/19 (10.5 percent). The problem there is that it happened during the Stars’ biggest losing skid of the month.

With the power play weapons that the Stars possess, it was difficult to see them miss out on critical opportunities and end up losing in games where a power play goal or two could have made the difference.

Causeway Crowd

The power play is 0/4 so far through November, so this could be something to watch. Dallas has the weapons and proved early on that they have one of the best man advantages, but they have gone quiet recently.

Processing Monty’s Style

The Dallas Stars are currently in the middle of a transition period to a new era of hockey.

With the hiring of Jim Montgomery during the offseason, the Stars once again shifted their mindset and style of play. And through the first month, the transition looked decent.

The Stars had some impressively bright spots in the early portion of their regular season, winning three out of four. In those wins, they dominated on offense, played with composure on defense, and played with a relentless style overall.

But in their losses, they looked stale and somewhat confused in their effort. That must be fixed, and it should be in due time.

Through the first month, the Dallas Stars looked like a team potentially in store for big things. That is thanks in large part to Montgomery and the direction he is taking the team.

Central Division action

This is the smallest sampling size of all, but is still something to watch. The Dallas Stars went 1-1-0 in divisional play during the month of October. They blew out the Winnipeg Jets 5-1 in their second game of the year, but went flat in a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild midway through the month.

The consistency will have to be there eventually, but it’s a decent divisional start for Dallas. The  divisional games will become tougher with each passing week and the race will become tighter, so the Stars will need to be on their A-game.

The Dallas Stars showed a lot of good things as well as some things that could be improved in their first month. As the year goes along, we’ll see what else we can add to this list and which parts might shift around.

All in all, it was an interesting first month. Let’s get it rolling in month two.