Dallas Stars: Upcoming Homestand Offers Chance To Find Identity

For the next three weeks, the Dallas Stars will be at home. A six game homestand along with a ten-day break await them throughout the stretch, making it the perfect opportunity to build a playoff cushion and help further sort out their identity.

Great moments are born from great opportunities, and that’s what the Dallas Stars have for the remainder of the month of January.

With the regular season recently passing the halfway mark, the Stars find themselves in a bit of a peculiar position.

Yes, they are in a playoff spot. With a record of 23-18-4 and 50 points, Dallas currently sits third in the Central division. They have a small advantage over the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild and are a full four points from being outside of the playoff wall. Their postseason hopes look good at the moment as they continue to find ways to win and gain ground.

But, at the same time, there’s just something (or maybe a few things) that makes this team seem off. Certain inconsistencies such as a lack of depth scoring, an inability to compete at the same rate for 60 minutes, and a lack of consistent play on the road continue to harp on the Stars. As a result, it seems as though they have yet to find their identity and are still searching for that spark that all good hockey teams eventually find.

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Maybe they will find it in the near future; or maybe they will never end up reaching it. But, if they are going to find this so-called spark of consistency, the next three weeks would be the perfect time to do so.

That’s because from now until Feb. 1, the Dallas Stars will not have to travel. Their next road game is scheduled for Feb. 2, giving the team three weeks to compete at home. But not only will they be competing, but there will also be plenty of rest time involved.

Over the next 21 days, the Stars play a total of six home games. That begins tonight with the St. Louis Blues and is followed by contests against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, and Winnipeg Jets to close out the week ahead. After that, Dallas will have 10 days off from the rink as both their league-mandated week-long break and the NHL All-Star Break take effect and carry the Stars to Oct. 30 when they face the Buffalo Sabres and Feb. 1 when they square off with the Minnesota Wild.

This unique scheduling offers the Dallas Stars a few different things.

For one, this is a chance to continue owning home ice.

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The Stars are currently one of the best teams in the NHL on home ice, posting a 14-5-2 record at the American Airlines Center (71.4 percent). Their most recent homestand to kick off 2019 saw the Stars post a 3-0-1 mark and launch themselves back into a top-three spot in the Central.

Playing in front of a home crowd can bring a certain element of dominance with it, and the Stars have once again found that element. Where they take it from here is anyone’s guess, but these next six games in a row will be big in establishing that.

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Secondly, it’s a chance to take a breather. After a 15-game month in November that was followed by a 14-game month in December, the Stars have played eight games in the past 15 days. Those eight games have included four different trips and plenty of high-grade competition involved.

10 days off is a chance to counter all of that. Dallas will wrap this week up with four home games in eight days before taking on their longest break of the season. This is a Dallas Stars team that has been in need of a break over the past few weeks after wrapping up the NHL Holiday Break. The schedule is grueling, but it’s the same for every other team in the league. For head coach Jim Montgomery, that means that there’s no excuse.

“To me, it’s a mindset of pushing the envelope and wanting to make plays and wanting to be a difference-maker,” Montgomery said after the Stars’ 3-1 loss to the Islanders that escorted them into the Holiday Break. “Guys were tired tonight, but a lot of other teams that have seen similar schedules find ways to win hockey games.”

And that’s why these next six games are important. This Stars team is still struggling with certain parts of their game and are in need of an identity check at the 45-game mark. Are they a true playoff contender or merely another false group pretending to be so like they were last season?

Six games and three weeks at home can do a lot for a hockey team. While the breaks are extensive and home ice has been good to Dallas, the incoming competition is among the best in the NHL. That’s a cause for nerves, but can also be a cause for excitement. If this Dallas Stars team can truly hit the ground running and pick up some important points against good teams, they will further define themselves as a home-ice juggernaut. They will also earn a cushion in the playoff picture, considering every other NHL team will be taking their own break over the next three weeks.

Jan. 12 vs. St. Louis, Jan. 15 vs. Tampa Bay, Jan. 17 vs. Los Angeles, Jan. 19 vs. Winnipeg, Jan. 30 vs. Buffalo, and Feb. 1 vs. Minnesota. Six games, all happening at the American Airlines Center.

This homestand is an opportunity for the Stars to build momentum and solidify their status among the Western Conference playoff elites before taking on a road-heavy schedule in February (9 of 13 contests).

Will they seize this opportunity or further push themselves into questioning? We’ll see starting tonight against St. Louis.