With 41 games behind them and 41 games to go, the Dallas Stars stand at the midway point of their 2018-19 regular season. As they gear up for the second half, let’s take a look at some of the things we have learned about the team so far.
The Dallas Stars will wrap up a four-game homestand on Friday night when they welcome the Washington Capitals to the American Airlines Center. Both teams currently sit in one of the top three spots in their respective divisions, have played consistent hockey as of late, and are trying to create separation in the playoff race.
Those storylines alone make it an entertaining game to indulge in on a Friday night. Not to mention that the first meeting between the two teams offered overtime and an eventual game winner from Jason Dickinson in a 4-3 final. But this matchup marks yet another important game for the Stars.
It’s been a crazy week for Dallas. From team CEO Jim Lites dishing out an expletive-filled rant in the direction of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, to rookie Miro Heiskanen being named to the NHL All-Star Game, to the Stars picking up points in every game since the NHL Holiday Break, there’s been a lot to take in.
But buried in the news hotbed is the fact that the Dallas Stars are now halfway done with their 2018-19 campaign. That alone is a topic worth discussing in-depth.
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The Stars’ played their 41st game of the year on Wednesday night. The eventual 5-4 win bumped Dallas up to 21-16-4 on the season with 46 points and catapulted them into third place in the Central division. It was their first time being a top-three team in the division in over two months and highlighted their push for consistency over the past week.
But the first 41 games have been anything but consistent. There have been ups, downs, and in-betweens for the Stars. And while it was expected, it’s always a challenge to endure.
Dallas started the year with a new coaching staff and a new look to the lineup. Valeri Nichushkin made his return to Dallas, Miro Heiskanen made his NHL debut at the age of 19, Anton Khudobin slotted in as the newest addition in the team’s backup goaltender carousel, and the team took the ice trying to avoid missing the postseason for a third year in a row with Jim Montgomery at the helm.
And through 41 games, the odds seem to be in their favor. But, they have been fooled before. Need proof? At the halfway mark, the Stars have exactly half of their record from last season (42-32-8). And, if you don’t remember whether or not Dallas made the playoffs last season, just google “Dallas Stars March losing streak.”
So, there is still a lot of ground to cover and a lot that can happen.
But what has happened so far? What have we learned about this 2018-19 Dallas Stars squad? The team has showed plenty of strengths as well as a few pitfalls, and that’s what makes them an interesting case study. Every team is different from year-to-year, and this one has plenty of factors that make it a unique group.
That being said, the progress can be seen and the Stars have spent the past week vastly improving many parts of their game. As a result, they are riding a hot streak that they will put up against the defending Stanley Cup champions tonight.
Let’s take a look at some of the things we learned from the first half.