Saturday’s win over the Winnipeg Jets marked the end of a challenging stretch for the Dallas Stars and propelled them into a long break. This extensive rest period will give them a chance to not only recharge and recover, but also to plan ahead for the home stretch and keep an eye on the rest of the league.
The day-to-day life of a Dallas Stars player (and every NHL player, for that matter) during the regular season is an unprecedented grind. It offers semi-consistent action and requires a certain level of effort and energy, and the meshing of those two can provide any number of results.
In any given 72-hour period, a hockey player can be put through a cycle that looks somewhat like this: wake up, head to the arena for morning skate, go home for a 3-4 hour period to rest or help around the house with husband/dad duties, head back to the arena, play in a game, go home, sleep, wake up, attend practice, go home and rest, sleep, wake up, head to the arena for morning skate, go home, head back to the arena, play in a game. That doesn’t even account for the possibility of traveling across the country during those days.
They endure a schedule similar to this for anywhere from 7-9 months out of the year. With that schedule comes ups and downs, long days, short nights, fatigue, and a demand for a consistent and repetitive effort through all of it. It’s a grind that many hockey fans neglect to acknowledge because they focus solely on the surface level events of each game and the final results. And yet, hockey players make the push look flawless (for the most part).
Throughout the long season, though, there are certain breaks systematically inserted. These breaks are designed to give players valuable time off to recover, spend time away from the rink, and simply take a breath as they prepare for the stretch ahead. Thanksgiving Day, the NHL Holiday Break, and the All-Star Break are all examples of these rest periods.
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For the next handful of days, the Dallas Stars are on break. But unlike in past years, this break is a longer stint.
After picking up a 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night, the Stars hit the stop button. They sent a handful of players to the AHL, cleaned up their lockers, and ventured into a 10-day break from game action. And in terms of getting away from the grind, this break couldn’t have come at a better time for Dallas.
Though they entered it on a high note with one of their most complete performances of the season against one of the best teams in the NHL, the stretch leading up to that game was a bit rough. The Stars began 2019 with nine games in an 18-day span, including six at home and three on the road. It started strong, with the Stars winning three of the first four contests, but quickly turned sour as Dallas dropped four in a row, including three at home, against teams both at the top and bottom of the league standings. The Stars sank into a crowded wild card race and looked visibly tired down the stretch.
But they were able to muster up one last surge and used it to propel them into the break on a high note.
So, what all goes into a break for the Dallas Stars? Every break is different depending on the team and their current situation. This time around, the break is a chance for the Stars to recharge, plan ahead for their final 33 games, and observe what is going on around the league.
As mentioned above, Dallas has been put through the ringer in the first 49 games of their 2018-19 season. Now, they won’t admit to this tough challenge hindering them in any way and are quick to point out that every team goes through a similar phase. But for the Stars, it’s been uniquely difficult.
Take the month of November for example. In a 28-day span, the Dallas Stars played 15 games. That included four back-to-backs, the tail end of a six-game road trip, and a seven-day stretch that included five games and four different plane trips. They endured all of that with a rookie head coach still trying to establish himself, a depleted blue line missing the likes of John Klingberg, Marc Methot, and Stephen Johns, and a lack of consistent offensive pressure. And yet, they posted a 7-5-3 record to close the month.
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“What do we have, two back-to-backs scheduled?,” Jason Dickinson said back on Nov. 23 in the middle of the five-game week. “It’s going to be tough, but I think we have to manage our energy levels on our days off and really take care of our bodies because it’s going to be important throughout this stretch.”
In December, they played 14 games that included a four-game win streak that was immediately negated by a winless four-game road trip. The inconsistent rollercoaster led the team into inner turmoil towards the end of the month that provided a short-term spark. But then came the first half of January, and Dallas fell right back into inconsistency.
There were plenty of ups and downs in the Stars’ performance through 49 games. Those ups and downs were not aided in any way by the rigorous scheduling. 10 days off gives the Stars a chance to breathe, take a step back, and spend some much-needed time away from the rink. With the five-day league-mandated break combining with a four-day break for All-Star Weekend, it’s an extended stretch for the team to take advantage of.
“Just get some rest and get some energy back mentally and physically,” said captain Jamie Benn after the win against Winnipeg.
For some players, that’s a chance to go on vacation. Both Alexander Radulov and Radek Faksa have already shared photos or videos on Instagram of themselves in Mexico. For others, it’s a chance to spend time at home with family. Tyler Pitlick and his wife just recently welcomed their second child into the world to open the New Year. As a result, he’ll use this break to spend valuable time at home.
“It’s good, really good,” Pitlick said back on Jan. 12. “It’s definitely a transition, obviously, with another baby. But it’s been great and we’re enjoying every second of it. It’s nice to be home now for a good stretch where I can really help and get some good bonding time, so it’s good.”
But while the break offers a chance to breathe, it also offers an opportunity to step back and adjust. Saturday night’s game offered a glimpse of just what this Dallas Stars team can be. They were fast, they were aggressive, and they outdid the best team in the Central division at just about every turn.
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The challenge now is figuring out how to access that on a nightly basis. And with a plague of inconsistency blanketing the team through 49 games, that might be tough to do.
This break gives them a chance to hone in on that. They entered the break on a high note and get to spend 10 days thinking about how well everything went in their last game. When they play like that, they can compete against the best teams in the NHL and win. Perhaps reliving and replaying that game for 10 days straight with no interference could be good for the Stars. It would certainly provide some positive consistency in the final nine weeks.
“Right now, we’re just going to enjoy break,” said Stars coach Jim Montgomery following Saturday’s win. “Get a mental break and a physical break, come back and recharge the batteries. Hopefully down this stretch, we’ll be able to replicate that every night.”
The coaching staff can use that game as a framework during this break as they prepare for the grind ahead. The players can use it as a positive boost when focusing on the road to come. This break is a valuable time to adapt styles, philosophies, and execution in preparation for the playoff chase, and the win over Winnipeg provided a perfect example as to how this team needs to look and compete. And with Buffalo, Minnesota, and Nashville on tap coming out of the break, there’s no better time to adjust.
"“It’s a really good time to reset and recharge the batteries. Obviously, we’ve got a long break over the All-Star [break] and bye week, however they mash it together. Just being at home and being able to unwind for a few days, it kind of resets everybody’s brains and resets everybody’s bodies.” –Jason Dickinson on Jan. 12"
And finally, the break provides a chance to observe and spectate other teams in the league. Other than the four days reserved for the All-Star Break, there are still NHL games being played on a nightly basis. And for a Dallas Stars team stuck in the middle of the Western Conference playoff chase, that’s important.
For a brief period on Monday afternoon, the Stars sat in third place in the Central division. But, after the Minnesota Wild defeated the Vegas Golden Knights and jumped to 53 points on the year, the Stars were pushed to the first wild card spot. Now, they sit one point back of the Wild and are in a three-way tie at 52 points with the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks for the two wild card spots. Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks are lurking by with 51 points.
All four of those teams have a game scheduled on Wednesday night before entering their own extended breaks. As a result, the Dallas Stars could very well exit the break sitting outside of the playoff picture.
That wouldn’t necessarily be a reason to panic, but it’s definitely something to look at. Coming out of a break while still sitting in a playoff spot is a refreshing feeling; but exiting a break outside of the playoff picture can bring a sense of urgency that might cause issues.
Regardless of what happens, the Stars will be watching the standings to see where they land come Thursday morning. Where they end up landing could define their message and focus come Jan. 30 when they hit the ice against the Sabres.
“I think everyone is feeling pretty good,” said Pitlick on Jan. 12, “but we have to get that rest and be healthy and ready to go because once that break is over, it’s crunch time. So, we have to be ready to go.”
This break is an immeasurably valuable time for the Dallas Stars. The players get a chance to rest and recharge while scoping out what lies ahead. The coaches have an opportunity to use this time to prepare for the upcoming grind. And the team as a whole gets a chance to see where the rest of the league is trending and how that affects their own standing.
“You kind of settle in and get ready for the grind that this next half is really going to be,” Dickinson added. “Right now, we’re in a playoff spot, but we want to keep climbing or stay in where we are.”
The Stars won’t hit the ice as a group again until Sunday afternoon when they host their first post-break practice. Until then, it’s time to relax and refocus.
But once this week ends, it’s right back into the fight. Let’s see how this break preps them.