After a rollercoaster slate and plenty of road games throughout the month of December, the Dallas Stars are back home for much of January. But what exactly is waiting for them over the first 31 days of the new year?
The Dallas Stars took New Year’s Day off to get away from the rink and enjoy a hockey-free day. And, when examining the month that they just wrapped up, it’s clear that it was a much-needed day off.
Throughout the 31 days of December, the Stars played 14 games. That included two back-to-backs, a week-long road trip, and a lot of back-and-forth travel between Dallas and a variety of other cities. It was another action-filled month that followed up a challenging 15-game schedule in November that included 10 road games and five games in a span of seven days.
And somehow, the Stars found a way to manage, even if it didn’t look like it at first glance. Dallas started the month off with three straight wins to bump their record to 16-10-3 on the year and looked poised to go on a strong run. But then, they spent a week on the west coast, losing four in a row and bringing themselves back down to the surface. Upon returning home, the Stars bounced between wins and losses into the NHL Holiday Break before ending the 2018 year on a high note.
Following a hard-fought 3-2 overtime loss to Montreal on New Year’s Eve, they now sit at a 20-16-4 mark with 44 points. Their 7-6-1 December record doesn’t look entirely promising, but considering what the Stars endured and where they currently sit, the promise is very much there.
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The Dallas Stars own sole control of the second wild card spot and are just one win back of third place in a tight Central division race. But just what is this Dallas Stars team as they enter the 2019 calendar year? Well, they’re a team with an undefined ceiling and plenty of bite.
“A lot of things to like,” said head coach Jim Montgomery on Monday night. “I think we’re starting to break the puck out consistently well, our neutral-zone counters are getting better, and our d-zone and rush defense has been consistent, which has allowed us to at least stay above water. I like the way of where our team is going.”
The Stars closed the month of December on a 3-1-1 note, used internal criticism to fuel their motivation, and proved that they are very much a part of the playoff conversation.
But, there is no time to rest. A new month is here, and it poses a new set of challenges for the Dallas Stars to answer. Two or three wins could push them into the top two of the Central division while two or three losses could once again remove them from the playoff picture; that’s how close things are right now.
So, as 2019 gets underway and college football and the NFL begin approaching their respective ends, it’s time for the NHL and NBA to take center stage in the sports world.
The Stars will start their 2019 campaign on Wednesday night at home against the New Jersey Devils. It’s the third game in a four-game homestand for Dallas. The AAC has been kind to the Stars this year, with the team owning a 12-5-2 record on home ice.
Let’s take a look at the Stars’ January schedule and opponents:
New Jersey Devils (1 game: home), Washington Capitals (1 game: home), Winnipeg Jets (2 games: 1 away, 1 home), St. Louis Blues (2 games: 1 away, 1 home), Philadelphia Flyers (1 game: away), Tampa Bay Lightning (1 game: home), Los Angeles Kings (1 game: home), Buffalo Sabres (1 game: home)
Let’s break that down for a moment.
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The Dallas Stars only have 10 scheduled games throughout the month of January. That’s four less than they faced in December and five less than November. This month will feature the fewest number of games for the Stars out of any month this season (besides April, where Dallas only plays three games).
Nine of the ten contests span from Jan. 2-19, with two straight home games to start things off. Following that, Dallas will embark on a brief three-game road trip before returning home for a four-game stand. The final game of the month comes on Jan. 30 at home against the Sabres. So, that means seven home games and three road games in their January slate.
This month’s competition offers an even split between conferences, with Dallas facing five opponents from the East and five from the West. In their Eastern Conference matchups, the Stars will see some of the top talent in the NHL with the Lightning, Capitals, and Sabres all coming to town.
Their Western Conference schedule is primarily divisional-based. The Stars will play two games against the Winnipeg Jets and two games against the St. Louis Blues, with all four games coming within two weeks of each other. Divisional games are important regardless of which opponent is involved, giving Dallas plenty of chances to capitalize on the four-point situations.
Of the eight total teams that the Stars will meet this month, four of them currently sit in a playoff spot. But while the four non-playoff teams are stuck in the cellar of their conferences, the groups in the playoff picture are making strong runs. The Capitals currently sit first in the Metropolitan division, the Jets hold first in the Central, the Sabres are tied for third in the Atlantic, and the Tampa Bay Lightning sit in first place in the NHL with 64 points. Just to remind you, that’s 20 more points than the Stars currently have.
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While the month of January doesn’t necessarily offer the Stars a high quantity of competition, it definitely offers quality.
Perhaps the biggest factor in the Dallas Stars’ January 2019 slate, though, is the extensive break. On top of not having to face a single back-to-back situation throughout the month, the Stars also have a long rest built into the month.
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Following a home game against the Jets on Jan. 19, the Stars will have 10 consecutive days off. Part of that has to do with the NHL All-Star Break from Jan. 24-27, but the other part has to do with the Stars’ week-long rest period. It’s an annual league-mandated break in the schedule, with every team taking their time off sometime between Jan. 20 and Feb. 1.
While the break is nice for a Stars team that has dealt with a monstrous schedule and extensive traveling over the past two months, it can also be a potential downfall. Extra rest can cause a team to lose its shine and fall into pits of inconsistency; that’s the last thing the Stars can afford to deal with at a critical point in the season.
All in all, January poses a new challenge for the Dallas Stars. While their schedule isn’t as loaded as in previous months, there are plenty of potential pitfalls along the way. It will prove to be yet another defining month for the club.
It will be up to the Stars to rise to the competition, use their breaks wisely, and gain positive ground in the playoff push.