Dallas Stars: Four Keys To Qualifying For 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs

A Pressing Need For Energy And Focus

Much like the entirety of the 2018-19 season, this past week has provided a lot of emotional surges for the Dallas Stars. On Sunday afternoon, they rallied in Chicago after being put in a corner by various injuries and a comeback bid by the Blackhawks to win a 4-3 game. Spirits were high and the team found a spark to rally behind.

Two days later, that spark disappeared as the Stars dropped a 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. As the Golden Knights hiked up their emotional intensity in the final period of the game, Dallas watched and let their opponent take control of a 1-1 game. The lack of focus and passion was painfully evident as the Stars gave up three goals against and only managed to get one shot on goal in retaliation through the final 20 minutes.

As the road trip shifted to Los Angeles on Thursday morning, Stars coach Jim Montgomery made it clear that he wasn’t happy with the team’s performance at morning skate. He cited a lack of emotion and energy from the entire team, leaving plenty of doubt lingering about Thursday night’s contest against a struggling Kings team.

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And through the first 40 minutes, those doubts were entirely justified. The Stars found themselves down 3-2 at second intermission in a critical game and didn’t seem to have the emotional push necessary to win the game.

But in the third period, they turned a corner. The Stars got up, dusted themselves off, and fought back against an unexpected LA Kings club. Dallas controlled the final frame, got a goal from Radek Faksa to tie it up, and sent the game to overtime, where Roope Hintz scored the clinching goal. The comeback showed that the Dallas Stars had regained their spark.

That’s a spark that they will need in the final 18 games of the season. Every good playoff team has their focus set and has an arsenal of energy and emotion to use on a nightly basis.

It’s an arsenal that the Stars have lacked at different times throughout the 2018-19 season. In various games this year, the team has looked uninterested and undedicated to their purpose. That lifeless effort has turned into a loss more often than not, thus holding Dallas back from taking that next step.

But in these final 18 games, they need to bottle that energy up and keep it on tap for the final push. What does that look like?

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It’s not something that can necessarily be taught or coached. Instead, it’s an internal feeling that each player has to grab hold of and implement into their game. It involves giving 100 percent on every shift, battling and beating the guy in front of you for 60 minutes, and standing up for your teammates in any way necessary. It’s doing everything in your power to make the critical play that decides the result of a game and bringing the team along with you.

It can be a tricky characteristic to access and harness, but good teams find a way to make it happen. Every game is critical from here on out, both for the Stars and many of the teams they will face over the next month. And when two teams in desperate need of a win get together, the team with that extra dose of emotion and energy usually finds a way to get the upper hand.

If there was ever a time that the Dallas Stars needed to dig deep and find that enthusiasm and passion, this is it. Every game has a purpose and every point is crucial at this point in the year. Bringing a consistent energy to each game can help with setting the tempo for the rest of the season.