The Dallas Stars are finally starting to live up to their potential

Buoyed by a gutty, playoff-like win on Saturday, these Dallas Stars are giving their fans a glimpse of what they can realistically accomplish.

Forgive me if I wasn’t exactly expecting the world on Saturday night when the Dallas Stars skated into Nashville to take on the Predators. Sure, the Stars had won three in a row dating back to before the All Star break. But those three wins came at home. And as much of a mixed bag as this year has been, Dallas has, for the most, part been pretty sharp in their own barn. A Saturday night road tilt against the Predators, however, isn’t exactly a recipe for victory.

So imagine the pleasant surprise when the Stars hauled off and snatched a greasy, chippy 3-1 win against their Central Division bunk mates. The final score might indicate a lopsided affair, but that’s misleading. In fact, Nashville was able to control stretches of the game and got the Stars running around in their own zone on more than a few occasions.

But Dallas did manage to counterpunch effectively. More importantly, they got better as the game went on. In the end, their hard work paid off when Blake Comeau and Mattias Janmark scored goals late in the third period to secure the victory. It was a just reward for a game that hinted at a budding rivalry between the two teams. The Stars gave as good as they got last night, on the road, against an elite team.

Furthermore, Saturday night provided an element that’s largely eluded Dallas this season: depth scoring. The simple fact of the matter is the defense and goaltending are already there. Case in point, Anton Khudobin’s stellar 38-save performance against the Predators. Also, the Stars entered that game 2nd in the entire NHL in goals against. If they can solve their woes on offense, it’ll go a long way to helping them lock up a playoff spot.

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Of course, things can change quickly. After a home game against Arizona tonight, a grueling five-game road trip awaits. As if to prove the NHL schedule makers have a sense of humor, Dallas will be right back in Nashville on Thursday night to resume pleasantries against a team that’s got to be tired of seeing their faces already. So as much as everyone enjoys the current win streak, the next ten days will tell us quite a bit about where they’re headed. This season’s been an up-and-down ride, so as invigorating as the win streak has been, it needs to be taken with a grain of salt until this team can prove they can sustain their pace.

What is encouraging is the fact that the maligned duo of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin appear to be back to at least a reasonable version of their old selves. Benn’s not exactly lighting up the scoreboard, but the snarl in his game and general leadership is there. Seguin has four goals and a plus-three rating over the course of the team’s recent uptick. Also, it may not be super obvious, but don’t discount the recent addition of Andrew Cogliano to the mix. Players like him are hugely respected around the league, and it can’t help but alter and improve the chemistry in the locker room.

As easy as it’s been to criticize this team–and it’s been pretty easy–they deserve some praise for playing through the unprecedented negativity and scrutiny from their own front office. It’s been pretty choppy, but the recent results surely provide some excitement about their postseason chances. They’ve got thirty-two games left to make their hay, and to this point, they’re giving themselves a fine opportunity to end their playoff drought.

• Published on 02/04/2019 at 13:01 PM
• Last updated at 02/04/2019 at 13:01 PM