Dallas Stars: What We Learned In First Half Of 2018-19 Season

This Team Can Survive When Backed Into A Corner

On Nov. 8, 2018, the Dallas Stars world collectively held its breath as John Klingberg exited the ice in a game against the San Jose Sharks with an apparent hand injury. Klingberg, the team’s no. 1 defenseman, was a crucial part to their blue line and had never missed extended time in his four seasons at the NHL level.

But when it was revealed that he would miss a month (that turned out to be almost six weeks) with a broken hand, the Stars braced for impact. They were clinging to their playoff lives through 16 games and had just lost their All-Star defender. On top of that, Marc Methot was in and out of the lineup with a knee problem, Stephen Johns hadn’t played all season due to post-traumatic headaches, and Connor Carrick was on the IR for the next few weeks ahead with an ankle injury.

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The Dallas blue line was missing four of its typical top-six defensemen and needed help. Where did they look for it? Not the free agent or trade market. Instead, Dallas called on the services of Ben Gleason, Gavin Bayreuther, and Joel Hanley from the AHL. In addition, they also pushed Esa Lindell, Miro Heiskanen, and Roman Polak into extended roles.

And you know what? They survived. Not only did they survive, but they found a way to push themselves back into the playoff race without some of their top players in the lineup.

The mass of injuries (a total of 190 man-games lost going into Friday) that have piled up for the Stars this year on offense, defense, and in net could have easily broken most NHL teams. The 2016-17 Dallas Stars are an example of a team that succumbed to early-season injury problems.

But this Stars team didn’t back down. The prospects that were called up found a way to make a quick impact, the regular starters took a step up in their extended roles, and the entire team kept themselves in the fight.

And that cannot be forgotten about through the twists and turns of this 2018-19 season. The Dallas Stars have done well when facing adversity. From new teammates to constant line shuffling to different playings hitting ruts or droughts, they have found a way to make it all work.

Hockey is just as much of a mental game as it is a physical one. If the Stars can survive when the going gets really tough, what can they do when fully healthy? That’s up to them to decide, but would you really want to stand in the way of a team that knows they can still stay in the fight even without some of their superstar pieces?

That certainly bodes to be a recipe for success in the final 41 games.