Stars’ February Resurgence Hits Major Bump

Despite starting the month on a roll, problems on defense and in goal are plaguing the Dallas Stars. Changes will be necessary as the playoffs approach.

A three game losing streak has taken the luster off what was once a very strong February. The Dallas Stars‘ recent swoon began by losing to the St. Louis Blues on February 16th. The 2-1 overtime setback could almost be chalked up as an inevitability, considering it was the second night of a back-to-back, and the Stars had dug deep the previous night to down the Nashville Predators.

What’s been most concerning, though, is the way the Stars have looked in consecutive blowout losses to the Arizona Coyotes and Boston Bruins. The glass half full crowd may point to the team’s 6-3-1 mark over their last ten games, but a deeper look at the numbers shows that the Stars’ main strategy these days is to outscore their problems.

Granted, when you possess the offensive firepower the Stars do, it can be an effective plan. But when the offense cannot overcompensate for breakdowns on the back end, 6-3 and 7-3 can be nasty reminders of what can happen when the commitment to defending isn’t there.

Of the Stars’ ten February games, they have conceded at least three goals in all but three of them. In the other seven, they’re giving up a corpulent 4.29 goals against. Of course, the combined thirteen goals they’ve allowed in the past two games has inflated this number, but it’s an acute reminder that this bunch may not be playoff-ready as presently constructed.

More from Dallas Stars

• Dallas Stars swing long odds in their favor heading into Game 6
• The Dallas Stars, Bon Jovi, and a showdown with Las Vegas (prediction)
• Dallas Stars ‘Kraken skulls’ and moving on to the Conference Final
• Dallas Stars overcoming injuries has been critical in the postseason
• Dallas Stars postseason breakdown: Jason Robertson

So what’s the answer? Well, a renewed focus on being positionally sound in their own end would be helpful. They’ve been a mess lately, and they’re leaving goalies Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen out to dry. In doing so, the goaltending platoon has been unable to stanch the bleeding. As a result, the Stars are hemorrhaging goals.

It remains to be seen if they will be buyers prior to the NHL trade deadline. If they are, pickings will be slim, as the Toronto Sun’s Mike Zeisberger details here. Of the players he suggests, it would seem that Toronto Maple Leafs’ defenseman Roman Polak may be the best option. He’s not playing on a contender, so the Leafs will be sellers. Polak will also be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, so he’d be in full-on audition mode for the Stars and the rest of the league.

The poor play of defenseman Jason Demers cannot be overlooked, either. He’s been taking a lot of  dumb penalties lately, and his game has slipped noticeably since he started the season so strongly. It’s gotten to the point where the head coach has met with him on multiple occasions in an attempt to snap him out of the rut he’s in.

Next: Cowboys: Will Tony Romo Be The Next Danny White?

More from Sports Dallas Fort-Worth

• West coast, Texas coast, burnt toast: Cowboys don’t need more runs
• Brandin Cooks will change the way defenses play the Dallas Cowboys
• Why the Dallas Cowboys defensive X-Factor is EDGE Sam Williams
• Dallas Cowboys: 3 head coach options if McCarthy fails in 2023
• Dallas Cowboys: Is CB Jourdan Lewis a tradeable asset?

In any event, the Stars must find solutions for their irritating propensity to give up goals in bushels. It’s a problem that will cost them dearly in the playoffs if it’s not addressed right now. The caliber of competition rises, obviously. Goalies get legendarily hot. It would be a shame for the most successful Stars’ season in recent memory to get thwarted because they can’t get out of their own way come April.