I can tell you that it was an exhilarating game Thursday night against the Winnipeg Jets. It tested the Stars on all levels heading into tonight's matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. The Stars surprised many fans with their lightning-fast offense, getting the score up to 5-1 in the third period. However, the Jets wouldn't sit quietly, and they came back to almost tie the game up. Overall, it was a good learning experience for the Stars as they begin this very condensed season.
I know many fans were freaking out over how the defense nearly gave the game away to the Jets. It reminded me of that game against Vancouver last season where the Canucks were able to comeback and beat the Stars. However, I think most of the mistakes the Stars made were due to first-game jitters and being on the road. I know they probably wished they could have started the season at home, but they don't have control over the schedule.
I'm sure Jake Oettinger realizes that giving up three straight unanswered goals is not the way he will be selected to be on Team USA early next year. He's going to tighten up his game as the season goes along. Remember, he only played in a couple of preseason games and might still have had rust on his pads. I think Glen Gulutzan is smart to keep him between the pipes against Colorado later tonight. It will allow him to ease into the season and be a better goaltender than he showed on Thursday.
I think the defense will be better tonight as well. The Stars are running a hybrid zone defense, which might be new to some of the players. You could tell from that first Winnipeg goal that the unfamiliarity of it allowed Winnipeg to answer Mikko Rantanen's goal in the first period. I'm sure Gulutzan will work well with the team and defensemen to ensure they are in the correct position. It's a very long season, and not everything comes together in one game.
Let's not worry too much about the mistakes from Thursday night. It's only one game of eighty-two this season. If we're 20 games into the season and errors are still an issue, that's a problem. I'm sure the team has shaken off the rust and will be a lot more efficient against the Avalanche tonight. The Stars aim to enter the home opener with a 2-0 record, bringing a lot of energy to their fanbase. Let's see if the Stars can improve those mistakes before we decide to go to DEFCON 1.