The Dallas Stars are now in regulation-win watch. The Stars have yet to win a game in regulation a month into the season. They are the final team without one. The 4-6-2 Stars are struggling and it’s getting worse. Fans are wondering how it got to this point after a semi-promising start. Failing offense is one of the main problems. The Stars need to turn things around fast or risk missing the playoffs.
How They Got Here
The last 7 games were disastrous. 1-4-2 Is a complete 180 after their 3-2-1 start. Now they are 4-6-2, good enough for 27th place. Their offense is 31st while their defense is 22nd. The goals-for in the 5-on-5 department is by far the worst in the entire league. An atrocious 13 5-on-5 goals in 12 games is well behind the 2nd-worst by 3 goals. If anything, this is the worst problem. The team’s failure to find the back of the net is choking offensive progress.
Comparing Progress
A team that is 1-12-1 is outscoring the Stars in some departments. Their -12 goal differential is 5th worst. It all boils down to the goal-scoring which the Stars are not doing. 2.17 GF-per-game and 3.17 GA-per-game will not make the playoffs. The Stars have one good thing going for them. Their Powerplay is 3rd best at 29.0%.
Top Guys Not Clicking
Miro Heiskanen leads the team in points. 12 points in 12 games is a good pace for a defenseman. Only 7 defensemen in the league are on a point-per-game pace. The Top offensive guys are not providing the workload they need and it shows. Tyler Seguin and Joe Pavelski are 2nd on the team in scoring with 7 points in 12 games each. Seguin slammed his stick down on the bench during this latest loss to Nashville. Everyone is getting frustrated but it’s not too late to get things churning.
There is still time to turn things around. They need to exit this month above .500. Lots of home games are on the docket in November and these games are must-wins. It is November after all. The playoffs won’t start until May. This start is frustrating but hockey season still has 5 months left. Now is not the time to panic.
More Eastern Conference teams are coming to town with the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings next on the schedule. Several divisional games are coming after and that’s when the real competition for a playoff spot heats up. The Stars need wins and these are the games to get them.
Photo Credit: Dallas Stars Twitter
